“Yes!”
“I hope that this works for you, Madam,” Clara replied.
Sophia, now more excited than ever, finished the cup of tea quickly. She was eager to find out if it would actually work.
But alas, she had just woken up, and she could only test the tea’s efficacy at nighttime.
It still felt like a small win for Sophia. If she was going to live through the curse for the rest of her life, at least she now had something to make it a little bit better.
By the time Sophia had finished the cup of tea, she felt a little lightheaded but in a positive way. She decided to give the news to Clara, who had gone outside now.
But as Sophia went looking for her down the hall, she ran into Jacob.
“You seem to be in a hurry, Your Grace,” he inquired, looking at her up and down. “Where to?”
“Oh, I am just looking for Clara,” she explained.
“Does that mean you do not have any plans for the day?” Jacob asked.
“Not at the moment,” Sophia replied.
“Well, that is quite ideal because today it is a perfectly sunny day outside, and I was planning on having a small picnic outside at noon. Would you like to join me?” he asked.
“Oh, of course, I would love to come,” Sophia replied. She did not want to appear rude by turning him down, and she could use some company herself.
“Splendid,” Jacob grinned. “I will see you outside in an hour then in the gardens. You can bring Clara with you if you wish.”
Sophia nodded and returned to her chambers. Her plans had now been diverted, and she had to get ready.
Would the Duke be there?she asked herself as she combed her hair into an elegant knot.
Did she even want him to be there?
Sophia had remained firm on her promise to herself and had managed to limit contact with him. Of course, she could not avoid him entirely, like when the two of them had to attend the ball together.
But outside of any expected social engagements, Sophia did a good job at dodging his company. Unfortunately for her, that meant she had a severe dearth of people to spend time with. She had already spent too much time with Clara, and so the picnic with Jacob felt like a welcome change.
When the time for the picnic finally arrived, she met with Jacob and Clara in the garden. Clara had brought a basket full of sandwiches that she had prepared in a hurry.
It was the perfect setting, the sun was shining on them, and Sophia leaned back against the grass, basking in the warm sunlight.
Her mood was already uplifted by the newfound solution to her nightmares that she had just received. It was shaping up to be a good day.
“So, Madam, how does it feel to be the Duchess of Blackmoore?” Jacob asked her in his usual playful tone as Clara poured them some milk tea. “Now that you have had some days to adjust into your new role, I would love to know what your thoughts are.”
“It is an adjustment as was expected,” Sophia admitted earnestly. “But it has been good so far. Of course, I worry aboutkeeping Duchess Anna happy. So far, I believe I have done an all right job.”
Jacob laughed in response.
“Why must you worry about keeping my mother happy? It is clear that you have already captured the attention of her son which matters more in the long run,” he replied.
Sophia blushed at his comment. “She is the Dowager, and her opinion is important. I am just trying to be a good daughter-in-law.”
“Fair enough,” Jacob shrugged. “I cannot know what the pressures of having in-laws are like, so I refrain from commenting further. I am sure that it helps that you are in such a bubble of love with my brother…”
Sophia’s cheeks were burning now. Deep inside, she had developed feelings for the Duke. His kindness, his regard for everyone around him, the way that he looked…
But she could never admit that out loud.
