“No!” Placing both hands on the wood, she pushed with all her strength. “I’m sorry,” Sophie said as the butler stumbled back, and she and Doddy ran inside. “But I must speak with him. There is no time to lose!”
She ran for the stairs, yelling Lord Coulter’s name as loud as she could.
“Stop,” the butler said in a panic. “You must leave here at once, madam.”
Sophie kept yelling as she felt a hand clamp around her wrist. Then she heard a noise at the top of the stairs.
“What the hell is going on, Fletcher!”
“Lord Coulter, help me!” Sophie pulled from the butler’s grip and started running up the stairs, clutching the hem of her coat.She could hear the sobs rasping from her throat now that he was close.He’ll help me. He has to.
CHAPTER 21
“Sophie?” Patrick shook his sleep-fogged head as she and Doddy reached the top of the stairs. “What’s going on?”
“Help me,” she whispered.
“What has happened?” He took her hands when he noted the tears streaking her pale cheeks.
“My lord, she pushed me aside to enter. I tried to stop?—”
“Make tea and stoke the fire in my study, Fletcher,” Patrick said, cutting his butler off.
“You must help me.” The desperation in her words made his chest hurt.
“Of course I will.” He wrapped his arms around her and held her shivering body close. “I have you, Sophie,” he said to the top of her head as she continued to sob into his chest.
Patrick knew two things in that moment: First, whatever had her here at this hour had to be bad, because she’d never willingly seek him out and especially not in the early hours of the morning. Second, he knew he’d been fooling himself by thinking she didn’t mean a great deal to him. By thinking that the stories he’d been trying to tell himself since he’d taken her innocence were true, and he didn’t need this woman… because he did.
“What the hell is all the bloody noise? Can a man not expect a peaceful sleep?” Stephen groused from behind Patrick.
“Stephen—”
“Christ, is that Sophie?” His friend moved to stand beside him. Bidders, too, appeared and started barking when he saw Doddy.
“Yes, she just arrived in this state with Doddy, and I do not know yet why. Get dressed and meet me downstairs, because I have a feeling that whatever the reason is, it’s something that will need both of us to fix. Take Doddy with you and give him water and food. He looks like he needs it.”
“Of course,” Stephen said, all business now. “Be quiet, Bidders!” Stephen snapped. “Doddy could eat you if he chose. However, he is clearly better behaved.”
Patrick led Sophie to his rooms and then lowered her to his bed. He then lit his lamp. Pulling the blanket off the end, he wrapped it around her. She didn’t protest, just watched him as he moved. He then pulled a chair close and sat facing her.
He’d not seen Sophie since Lord and Lady Shubert’s garden party. Her aunt had told him she was ill, but Patrick knew better. She was avoiding him and the questions he would have after what they’d shared. If she hadn’t returned to society tomorrow night, he was going to call on her.
“Talk to me, Sophie.” He took her hands, noting she was gloveless and they were frozen. Her hair was loose and a tangled mass of curls. If he didn’t know better, Patrick would have said she’d run from her house to his.
“Please, Sophie,” he urged, gently stroking one cold cheek. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what has happened.”
“Timmy is gone, my lord.”
“Gone where?”
Her eyes had been on their hands but now went to his, and he saw the terror.
“Someone has taken him, and it is my fault,” she whispered. “I should have known, anticipated—I have put him in danger. I knew it was wrong.”
“Tell me,” he demanded when she fell silent.
“I have lied to you, Lord Coulter. I have lied to everyone.”
