Not giving him time to press the point, she pushed the door open and stepped outside onto the front stoop. Carstairs would most likely report her actions to her stepfather, but in that moment, on this particular day, she didn’t care.
Of course, she did not wait; rather, she and Peaches strode purposefully along the sidewalk and quickly covered the short distance between hers and Rhoda’s home.
If it had been any normal day, she would have relished in the feel of sunshine on her shoulders, her head, her face. Not a single cloud marred the blue sky, and although it was early yet, the air was already warm and fragrant.
But it was not any other day, and the day wasted its beauty on her.
Arriving at the townhouse Rhoda’s family leased out for the Season, Sophia determinedly raised the knocker and then waited several moments before the door opened.
The manservant, although disapproving of her dog, knew Sophia well. He reluctantly gestured her toward Miss Mossant’s chamber.
Finally, she and Rhoda could scrutinize this situation together!
Bursting in, Sophia found Rhoda sitting at her dressing table, fully dressed and ready to face the day. Catching sight of Sophia in the looking glass, she swiveled around and held out her arms. “I will hold Peaches while you tell me everything!”
“I… hardly know where to start!” She handed her pup over, who eagerly licked Rhoda’s chin. “But oh, Rhoda, you were wonderful last night! My mind went completely blank when Lord Harold presented me to Captain Brookes.”
“I’d figured as much. But it was more than that. You were not yourself for the rest of the evening. You didn’t laugh at any of the funny parts of the play, and then you just kept smiling with an odd look in your eyes.”
“Lord Harold — Mr. Scofield — and the duke…” Sophia hardly knew where to begin. “Payments have been made to my family to ensure the betrothal.” But it was not really a betrothal any longer. It was already a marriage!
Rhoda narrowed her eyes. “Why would they do such a thing?”
Sophia made a face of disbelief. “I’m told it is due to Lord Harold’s great affection for me, but…”
Rhoda pinched her lips. “Exactly. As delightful of a gentleman as your fiancé is, I cannot imagine him ever overwhelmed with great affection for anyone. No insult there, Soph.”
“None taken.”
“But the question remains, why? Was it a large sum?”
“Staggering, Rhoda.” It felt so good to discuss this with a person who would not question her grasp of reality.
“Were funds so very lacking?”
In for a penny, in for a pound. “If it were not for these payments, my stepfather would be nearly destitute. And you’ve seen my mother as of late. She is not so wan-looking. She is glowing again, smiling.”
“Dudley had gambling debts as well, I’d imagine.”
Sophia tilted her head to one side. “You suspected? Why was I so unaware?”
“I don’t know how you do it, but you tend to only see the good around you. Unfortunately, you are also the last one to see the bad.”
“And you are one of the first.”
“Yes,” Rhoda said, “usually. But Sophia, I understand how all of this is disturbing, yet if you love Lord Harold, where is the problem? You’ve been over the moon since your engagement.”
Just then a tapping sounded at the door. When Rhoda bid the maid enter, a footman followed her, carrying a large bouquet of a colorful variety of blossoms. A hopeful smile spread across Rhoda’s face. “Is it possible, do you suppose, that these might be from our Captain Brookes?”
Uneasy, Sophia licked lips which had suddenly gone dry. He’d sent flowers to Rhoda?
“Perhaps they are from Lord St. John. He did, after all, pay you compliments last night.”
But Rhoda had opened the envelope and was reading the contents. A second, smaller missive had been folded inside the elegant parchment. “It is from Brookes.” But her expression had turned to one of disappointment. “Perhaps I’m beginning to understand your dilemma.” She handed over the second envelope. “He’s asked that I kindly deliver this to you.”
Sophia reached out and took the sealed missive. Unwilling to hide anything from her friend a moment longer, she blurted out the truth. “He kissed me, Rhoda. But I was not ever going to see him again. I did not know that… I did not wish to…”
“Open it,” Rhoda said, obviously not wishing to hear Sophia’s explanation. But then she burst out with, “What is the matter with me? Why do I have such poor judgment where gentlemen are concerned? I truly thought he’d wanted to get to know me better! And it was you all along!”
