Chapter Six
Perry didn't speak for a minute, just stood ramrod straight, every inch an aristocrat until the poor woman crumpled beneath his stare.
'I am Lord Peregrine Sheldon; my brother is the Duke of Silchester. I am betrothed to Sofia and we shall be wed as soon as the wretched priest arrives. I hope this meets with your full approval.'
She curtsied and a wave of shame washed over him. He was behaving appallingly. Mrs Appleby had shown nothing but kindness since he arrived – this was no way to repay her.
He bowed formally. 'I most sincerely beg your pardon, ma'am, for speaking to you so rudely. Might I be permitted to sit?'
'Of course, my lord…'
'No, I am Perry to you and always will be.' He smiled warmly. 'I hope you will allow me to call you mama as soon as the knot is tied.'
'I should be honoured. What possessed you to march across the square so boldly announcing to everyone that you have debauched my daughter?'
He bit back an angry retort. 'You are right, ma'am, but the matter was taken from my hands as Señora Rodriquez, an inveterate gossip, arrived before we were ready to leave. It was badly done of me. We should have waited until we were married before sharing a bed.'
For the first time she relaxed and returned his smile. 'As my daughter came to you I can hardly blame you. She is a beautiful young lady but, I am sorry to say, since we have been living here she has been riding out with partisans and has become wild and unruly.'
'And I love her for it. I owe her my life and will forever be grateful that my accident brought us together.' He could hear crockery clattering at the rear of the house. Sofia was making sure neither of them forgot about her. 'I am an intelligence officer, I was on my way to a meeting. There is little point in me attempting to complete my journey as matters will have moved on by now.' He supposed he should really have told her he was a wine merchant looking for new supplies but the time for prevarication had gone. She was to be his mother-in-law and there must be complete honesty between them in future.
'I thought as much, you will wish to return to the English army I suppose. The men left last night and should be able to supply you with the whereabouts of Wellington when they return. It will be a great shock to everyone to discover your true identity.'
'I was not travelling alone. My first task is to find my companion, I think he might have been captured. I pray he wasn't shot as a spy if they caught him.'
The door slammed back and Sofia stood there glaring at him. 'I could not help but overhear what you said. Have you completely lost your senses? It has been many weeks since you were separated from your comrade. What makes you think you can find him after all this time without getting captured or killed yourself?'
'Why don't you come in, my love, one never hears good news if one is listening outside doors.'
She was holding a large skillet in her hand and for a moment he thought she might throw it at him. Then wisely she thought better of it. 'Please, Perry, don't go. It is far too dangerous. At least wait until we are married.'
He couldn't prevent his laughter. 'If I didn't know you better, sweetheart, I would think you had an avaricious motive for suggesting that. Or is it that you just wish to be elevated to the aristocracy and inherit my fortune on my demise?' These remarks had been said in jest but were taken as truth.
Her expression changed. She raked him from top to toe with a disdainful glare. 'I don't give a fig for your money or your title. I was just thinking that if I'm carrying your child you might prefer it not to be a bastard.' Her arm swung back. She was going to throw the pan at him.
He was on his feet and at her side before she was able to do so. 'Throwing things at me…' He couldn't finish the sentence, his knees buckled and only her quick thinking stopped him from collapsing on the floor. Until that moment he hadn't taken in the fact that he could now see – not perfectly – but he was no longer blind.
Between them they manoeuvred him onto the sofa and she sat next to him, holding his hands in hers.
'When did your vision clear? How long have you been able to see me?'
He rested his clammy forehead against her shoulder and took several steadying breaths before he was able to speak coherently. 'I'm not sure exactly. I think it has been clearing since we got up but I was so full of my own importance this miracle passed unnoticed.' He pushed himself upright in order to see her clearly for the first time.
'You are even more lovely than I imagined, sweetheart, my brothers and sisters will love you as much as I do.'
'I hope them loving me was not dependent on the fact that I was pretty.' Her eyes were sparkling, he had never seen anything so beautiful.
'Strangely enough all my family have married partners that are equally as personable as they are. My twin, Aubrey, was married in the summer but unfortunately, I could not be there. Now we are to be married and I shall have none of my family present.'
'Then we should postpone our nuptials until you can return to England.'
'We shall do no such thing. I am a serving soldier, albeit an intelligence officer rather than a fighting one, but I cannot resign my commission until the war is over. I shall no longer act as a spy, but return to my company and fight alongside them when necessary.'
'Then I shall follow the drum, I think I will enjoy being a soldier's bride.'
He picked her up and put her securely on his lap. 'I must discover what happened to O'Reilly. It is my duty as an officer not to abandon him.'
'I do understand, and I apologise for almost throwing…' She stopped and looked around in bewilderment. 'Where is the wretched thing? In fact, where is my mama?'
