They left Riyel quickly, only stopping to leave Rosaleen and collect the books from Lady Manning’s study so they could look them over and determine the stability of the estate. While it would have been easier to do it in Riyel, and they should have spoken to the estate managers, he could tell that Sophia needed to go back to the Northlands, if only for a few days.
She needed time to adjust to her new normal, and taking her home to his family would give her that.
It had nothing to do with the fact that he wanted his father and brother’s help in looking over the books for the first time.
Sophia rode in his family’s carriage as they made their way to the inn that marked the halfway point in the journey to Riyel. When they stopped overnight, it struck Caspian that this was the first of many journeys to the Northlands together.
He’d grown up making this journey regularly before their family relocated to make the Northlands their main home. Now it seemed, at least for the time being, he would be back in Riyel.
But this time, it wouldn’t be because of his parents, or because he was in the Guard, but because of the woman he loved.
The following morning dawned bright and the sun shone as they made their way home. Caspian smiled when the road split between the town and his father’s estate.
They were almost home.
He could hear the cry that went up when the guard standing watch spotted them, and there was a great hullabaloo as they rode into the courtyard. Before they had even come to a stop in front of the house, Lord and Lady Rendon were rushing out to meet them.
When she saw them, Lady Rendon clapped her hands over her mouth, and she hurried to him with tears in her eyes. “Oh, my love,” she said as Caspian swung down from his saddle.
He hurried to open the carriage door for Sophia, helping her out, and his mother immediately pulled Sophia into her arms for a hug. “I’m so glad you’re safe. I was so worried about you.”
Lord Rendon clapped Caspian on the back. “Good job saving her, son,” he said.
The guards took the horses toward the barn and Sophia turned to watch them go. “Are my goats well?” she asked.
Caspian tried not to laugh. She’d been kidnapped and discovered she was a lady and the first thing she asked about when she arrived home was the goats.
“Yes, the stable master took good care of them while you were gone,” Lady Rendon said with a smile.
Liliana barreled out of the house and ran to him, throwing her arms around him. “I’m so glad you’re back,” she said.
“How did your business in Riyel end?” Lord Rendon asked with a meaningful look at Kellan.
“I would be honored to introduce you to Lady Sophia Manning,” Kellan said, nodding respectfully in Sophia’s direction.
She blushed as everyone in the courtyard turned to stare at her.
The news would spread like wildfire through the estate.
Liliana’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. “You’re a lady?” she asked.
“I am,” Sophia said quietly. “Though I don’t know much about it. Will you help me?” she asked.
“Of course,” Liliana said, hurrying over to give her a hug, too.
After Liliana let go, Caspian stepped forward and took Sophia’s hand in his. “The woman who stole her title and kidnapped her three days ago has been sentenced to fifty years of labor by the king, and Sophia has been given the title that was rightfully hers.”
His mother turned to him. “This is why you were asking about Lord Manning, isn’t it?”
He grinned. “You’ve found me out. I had no idea this would be the case when I was asking, however. I simply wanted to know more about the woman who’d mistreated Sophia.”
“And now justice has been served,” Kellan said.
“I told Sophia we would help her,” Caspian said. “We stopped and got the books for her estate so we could look them over with her. If the former Lady Manning was willing to steal a title that wasn’t hers, I don’t know how well she looked after the estate.”
“Of course we’ll help,” Lord Rendon said.
“Come inside,” Lady Rendon said, reaching for Sophia and ushering her toward the manor. “There are so many things to do, and we’ll be here to help you with all of them.”
