He was in luck, for James Hammond was alone there. He looked up at Simon and grinned. “Heard about our runaway, have you?”
“Lord Daniel? I have heard. Any idea why?”
“Concerned about his father’s health, apparently. The letter he received yesterday was not reassuring, and he decided upon reflection to hasten to his bedside.”
“I thought it was gout? Hardly a life-threatening condition.”
Hammond laughed. “Exactly so. Myself, I suspect a lover’s tiff… or perhaps he just thought better of it, who can say? I am sorry for Miss Sophia, of course, but I think she is better off without him, frankly.”
“Do you?” Simon said, startled. “The son of a marquess?”
“Thethirdson of a marquess, with no profession or estate of his own, and he looks expensive, to me. He will run through her dowry in no time, and probably end by breaking his neck on the hunting field, leaving her with a string of children and no money. I have tried to make this point to her brother, but he was so excessively pleased at the prospect of marrying her off to somebody — anybody — that I could not get him to see the potential pitfalls.”
Godley came in just then, to be told all about it. Simon silently filled his plate and ate thoughtfully. Poor Sophia! Shemust be quite cast down by this turn of events, for it was clear that Torbuck had taken fright and bolted. Was her proposed dowry not enough for him? Given his high rank, he might have looked for more than ten thousand. Or perhaps the continual hazard of being unable to recognise his beloved in a gaggle of sisters had become too much for him. He would surely have learnt to distinguish her in time, just as Simon had done.
Pyott came and went, and then Hester Merrington, a little sour faced this morning. Richard Merrington and Mrs Hastings came in, ate quickly and then dashed away to attend the new mother again. Simon lingered after everyone else had left, making his final piece of toast last as long as possible in the hope of seeing Sophia.
Finally, the Merrington ladies arrived in their usual crowd, but Sophia was not amongst them. The servants had all disappeared momentarily, so Simon jumped up to hold chairs for them. He wondered what he ought to say to them — should he enquire about Sophia or should he say nothing at all, and act as if everything was normal? They were unusually subdued, which was not surprising, given the circumstances, and he had no wish to distress them further. But he was spared the necessity for a decision by Mrs Merrington.
“You will have heard, no doubt, Mr Payne, that Lord Daniel has gone home?” she said. “A sad day for us, as I am sure you will appreciate.”
“Indeed. I was very sorry to hear of his sudden departure. His father is ill, I understand.”
“Well, yes, but that would not— However, he is gone, and I do not suppose he will return.”
“Perhaps once he is assured that his father is on the mend—?”
She shook her head decisively. “No. He left a note for me, you see, and he made no mention of returning, not the least hint. It sounded very much like a farewell.”
“It is very dreadful for poor Sophia,” whispered one of the sisters. Charlotte? Yes, he was sure of it.
“To have her expectations raised,” said Augusta.
“And so cruelly dashed,” said Maria.
“He must be mad!” Simon said forcefully. “Who, having spent so much time with Miss Sophia, could fail to be enchanted by her?”
The sisters murmured in pleasure, and Mrs Merrington smiled and reached across the table to pat his hand. “Ah, how kind you are to say so, Mr Payne. Naturally, we see no fault in Sophia, but perhaps Lord Daniel saw something in her that did not just suit him.”
“No, indeed, I cannot allow that,” he said, setting the sisters off again. “I had rather suppose that he has hopes of a higher dowry.”
“That is true,” Mrs Merrington said, brightening a little. “He might have looked for twenty or even thirty thousand, and being a younger son, he will need to marry well since he has no profession. Yes, that may be it — now that he has discovered that Sophia will only have ten thousand, he has decided against her.”
“Only ten thousand?” Charlotte said, raising her eyebrows. “Until a few weeks ago, all any of us could expect was two and a half thousand.”
“Perhaps that is why we have never had an offer,” Augusta said sadly.
“We are just too poor,” Maria said.
Simon doubted that was the problem. Four fine looking girls, all well-mannered and educated, and moreover related to a duke should not have any trouble finding husbands. Lack of fortunewas not much of an obstacle, for were there not men enough in the world with the wealth not to care for fortune? It was a puzzle.
“Does Miss Sophia keep to her room?” he said.
“She is about somewhere, hiding away,” her mother said.
“I expect she wishes to be left alone,” he said disconsolately, realising belatedly just how much he had longed to see her.
“Oh no, she is not hungry, that is all,” her mother said. “She knows where we will be, so when she wants company again she will come to find us.”
