“Letty, why are people staring at us?”
“You’re beautiful. Why would they not stare at you?” Letty said.
“Sophie!”
Amelia rushed toward her, drawing Sophie’s attention from the guests. She took both her friend’s hands in hers. “You look lovely.” It was a lie, of course. The dark gray dress was a terrible color and design.
“As do you,” her friend said.
They stood chatting, and soon Letty wandered off to see her friends.
“Amelia, come here at once,” Lady Logan said, arriving.
“I am speaking with Sophie, Mother,” Amelia said.
“Now, Daughter.”
“I will see you soon, but I must first see what Mother wants.” Amelia hurried away.
Sophie followed Letty, feeling a need to keep close to her this evening, and once again noticed people looking at her. Some were whispering behind their hands.
“Of course Lord Coulter was never serious about the countess. We all know he is promised to another.”
Sophie stopped behind a group of women as she heard the words one of them spoke.
“And now that there are those rumors about her, he will want to distance himself from the Countess of Monmouth.”
No! It couldn’t be true.Surely Patrick was not promised to wed another woman? She quickly skirted the group, head lowered, and kept walking as pain sliced through her.
“Countess, how lovely you look this evening.” Miss Smythe stepped into her path with two of her friends. “You are so brave,” she said, smiling. “I’m quite sure I could not step into society, considering.” The woman simpered.
“Indeed, you are to be commended, Countess,” one of the other women, whose name she couldn’t remember, said.
“For what am I to be commended on?” Sophie asked.
“Why, the rumor, of course,” Miss Smythe added.
Everything inside Sophie clenched.This could not be good.
“What rumor?” she said calmly.
“Allow me to tell you everything, my dear countess. After all, I think you should know,” Miss Smythe added. “Someone is spreading the vile rumor that you were once in service and went by the name of Sophie Beams and that you trapped Lord Monmouth into marriage.”
Dear God.
“Of course I am telling you this only to warn you, you understand. People are nasty, vicious gossips,” Miss Smythe said with a false smile.
Sophie made herself laugh. “What will they think of next?” she said. “I’ve always found jealousy is an ugly thing that makes people speak for effect and not truth.”
That had Miss Smythe’s smile slipping slightly.
“May I have this dance, my lady?”
“Lord Dinsdale, of course, I would be honored to dance with you,” Sophie said, not feeling anything of the sort, but as she’d not seen him coming, she could do nothing about it. Plus, if she was dancing, no one else could approach her.
She needed to get to Letty and warn her.
“Excuse me,” Sophie said to Miss Smythe and the others. She wouldn’t show them what she was feeling. Letty had taught her that.
