‘I hope so. I should like to see it,’ said Annie.
‘As if he would look at you. You are only just out of the classroom. You have not even had your come out yet.’ Marrisa’s retort was scathing.
‘Perhaps he wants a younger wife. You are already aged.’
‘I hardly think he is going to look at a debutante. He must be at least thirty.’
Through the haze of anguish it hit Sophia that her sisters were talking about the Duke of Glanmore. It seemed Marrisa had still not given up on her idea of marrying the man, despite not knowing him, and now Annie was joining in this foolish debate. At least Georgie and Cressida had not commented, although they were giggling about the width of Tobias’ shoulders, nonetheless.
‘I am going to find him and…’
‘Marrisa,’ Sophia said, butting into the conversation because she could take it no more. ‘If you so much as consider looking in the direction of the duke, I shall tell him everything you have ever said about him. If you take it any further than looking, I will make your life difficult in every conceivable way.’
Silence fell within the carriage. All four of her sisters turned to look at her as if she had sprouted a second head. As well they might, for she had never spoken in such terms before. Even she was a little shocked at the tone her voice had taken, but now that she had… it felt good, liberating. This week was going to be difficult, but her sisters did not have to make it worse with their erratic behaviour.
‘I do not think…’ began Marrisa.
‘That is true,’ said Sophia. ‘You do not think. You merely act. If you wish to attract the Duke of Glanmore, you will comport yourselflike the lady you have been raised to be: with dignity befitting your station.’
‘Oh, Sophia, do not be so dull and…’
‘No.’ She’d had enough of this. It did not matter that she was different from her sisters. In this she was right. ‘For once you will listen to me. From the little I have seen of the duke, he would be a terrible husband for you. He may be handsome, but he is serious and dry and you need someone vibrant, like yourself. He may look well in a fine jacket, but you are talking about the rest of your life, Marrisa. And, just as importantly, the rest of his. You must treat your future with the respect it deserves and not do anything foolish. You two do not suit. Accept that and move on to someone more appropriate.’
Marrisa crossed her arms under her chest, a sure sign she was about to dig in and argue. Sophia normally gave up at this stage, but not today, not about this. If she could save one person from being forced into a marriage they did not want, then she would do everything she could to prevent it.
She leaned forward. ‘I am as serious as I have ever been, Marrisa. You will not corner, trap or in any way coerce the duke into meeting with you. You owe me this much.’
‘Why do I owe you anything?’
‘The marriage I am about to enter into is because of your foolish actions.’
Marrisa rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, poor Sophia, having to marry a man who looks at her as if she has hung the stars. I feelsosorry for you.’
Did Christopher really look at her like that? That was news to Sophia. She would think about it later when she had space to breathe, but that was not the point of this conversation. If her sister could not see that she had done something wrong, Sophia was never going to convince her otherwise. Her anger deflated as quickly as it had risen,but there was one final point she needed to make. ‘I wanted a choice, Marrisa. You took that away. Do not do that to someone else.’
Either her words or the tone in which she had said them finally got through to her sister. Something in Marrisa’s demeanour loosened and she dropped her arms. For a moment, Sophia thought Marrisa might apologise, but instead she didn’t argue back, which was a victory in itself.
The rest of the ride to Glanmore Park took place in taut silence, which matched Sophia’s mood perfectly.
Chapter Thirty
When the time came to retire to their rooms to get ready for dinner, Sophia had never been more relieved. She’d thought Glanmore House in London was huge, but the seat of the dukedom was on a different scale altogether. During the tour, given by the housekeeper, her whole family had been almost completely silent. Already stunned into silence by her stern talk in the carriage, her sisters had been quieter than normal anyway. With each room they were led through, Sophia saw something else, something heavier, settle on them. Perhaps Marrisa finally understood the power and the wealth of the duke. Or maybe they were overwhelmed by the idea that they were going to be related to something as grand as this. Whatever the reason, it was impacting her parents too, who were as grave and as silent as her sisters. The whole thing was disorientating and almost as draining as when her family were loud and demanding.
Christopher had joined them on the tour, making a quip that he needed to become reacquainted with the house after many years of not visiting the property. He had kept up a lively commentary throughout, but she had seen the strain of their lack of response in his tight eyes whenever he glanced her way.
For her part, she tried not to keep staring at him, but in this setting he seemed even further out of her reach than ever before. In two daysthis magical creature would be her husband and it was becoming ever harder to hide from the enormity of it. The idea that this man, who was full of light and who wanted nothing more than to travel the world and see it in all its glory, would be tethered to her, tied up in a way he had never wanted, made her skin itch.
And yes, she knew she should be thinking of herself in all this. She was not so woefully ignorant that she hadn’t understood Christopher’s frustration that she was putting others before herself. Deep down it was thinking about herself that was causing all her disquiet. She had always been the boring sister, the one who pointed out the practical problems with the flights of fancy her sisters liked to take. Now she was going to be doing that for the rest of her life with a man who would only come to resent her and she did not know how she would live with that. Her feelings for Christopher were bigger than she cared to think about. He had the power to hurt her and when he began to disdain her like her sisters did, it would have the power to destroy her completely.
There was a knock at her door, presumably a maid to help her dress, which was just as well as nothing in her portmanteau seemed suitable for such a grand residence. Perhaps someone else could help her make her dress for this evening look grander, or at least disguise the lack of opulence.
Pulling open the door, she froze when she found Christopher standing there.
‘You cannot be here,’ she said, glancing down the long corridor where not a soul was in sight.
‘If I am caught, we will be forced to wed,’ he said. ‘I cannot really see the point of worrying about that at this stage. May I come in?’
She should say no, but he did make a valid point. It was not as if the situation could get more ruinous. They were getting married theday after tomorrow anyway. She stepped to the side to allow him entry then closed the door behind him, her fingers trembling as she turned the key in the lock. The click of it moving into place seemed to set Christopher off, as if she were releasing him from a cage.
