“Then I shall provide you an escort, of course.”
“We would be ever so grateful, Captain Brookes,” Rhoda answered, not bothering to consult with Sophia.
A most unpleasant sensation crept into Sophia as she watched a coquettish smile dancing on Rhoda’s lips.
Sophia herself was engaged, and she would have her friend be pleased, yes, but Brookes was a rake, most assuredly. And well… that kiss…
Brookes was apparently oblivious to the turmoil he’d stirred up in Sophia. He, instead, now studied Peaches and seemed to be considering the issues that had instigated this situation at the outset. “May I see your dog, Miss Babineaux? Perhaps a firm hand will extract us from this melee without further catastrophe.”
Snuggled contentedly upon Sophia’s shoulder, Peaches rested her chin in an unusual display of docility. The entire experience must have exhausted the poor thing.
Captain Brookes reached over and scratched behind her baby’s floppy ears. “Hello, little sweetheart.”
Peaches’ eyes lolled back in ecstasy.
Glancing again at Sophia, he raised his brows questioningly. “May I?”
“I suppose, if she’ll let you…” Sophia trailed off uneasily. Peaches hadn’t taken well to many men. She barely tolerated Mr. Scofield, and her stepbrother not at all.
Apparently, the males in her life simply lacked Brookes’ charm, for Peaches climbed right into his arms and tucked her head beneath his chin.
Holding Peaches safely against his chest, this large military man cuddled her baby protectively. “We won’t let that lion hurt you, little one,” he cooed to her dog.
These were the words that catapulted Sophia, most devastatingly — more than halfway — head-over–heels in love with Captain Brookes.
* * *
Rhoda bitinto one of the warm and flaky pastries provided with the tea that had been brought up to Sophia’s chamber. “Good heavens, Soph. These are divine. Did your father hire a new cook?” Theywereunusually good today. And the linens were new, as was the tea set.
But Sophia was not concerned with the tea nor the biscuits. In fact, she could barely contain herself one second longer.
She just had to tell Rhoda about the kiss.
“But not so delicious as Captain Brookes, would you not agree?” Rhoda flashed a grin as she dabbed the napkin at her lips. And then she sighed deeply. “I thought I would just die when he smiled at me. Those striking black eyes, and he is so very tall… and manly…” Blushing, she dropped her gaze to her lap. “How foolish of me! The man has turned me into a simpering ninny.”
Oh, dear.
RhodalikedCaptain Brookes.
“If this is anything like the emotions Lord Harold has inspired in you, I now fully understand why you were so giddy when he asked for your hand.”
Oh, dear!
“Er, yes, I suppose, but Rhoda, you don’t even know Captain Brookes.” She felt the need to interject a dose of reality into this most unreal situation.
“I know, Soph. But, oh, my, when he jumped onto the building and over the lion’s cage — my heart be still! He is most powerfully built indeed.”
And charming, Sophia thought with a grimace, and polite, and kind… and a magnificent kisser!
Perhaps he had this effect on all women. He’d most definitely won Rhoda over easily enough.
As Captain Brookes escorted them the short distance to Sophia’s parents’ townhouse, he’d politely inquired after Rhoda’s hat, and then he’d teased her flirtatiously again about her long, tongue twisting name.
Rhoda had taken one of his arms while he’d carried Peaches in his other.
The entire way home.
Sophia chastised herself. She was an engaged woman for heaven’s sake! She had no business whatsoever feeling any sort of… possessiveness over Captain Brookes.
