“I am so sorry, Amelia,” Sophie said, and Patrick saw tears swell in her eyes at her friend’s obvious distress.
“I… I have come to realize that she will never allow me to change, Sophie, and I am hoping that by running away, I will shock her in some way.”
Patrick had not met Mrs. Logan often, but he doubted that sour-faced shrew was capable of change.
“Thank you, Ribble,” Sophie said as the butler placed a large tea tray on the table before her. “Could you please pour, Letty?”
“Can we go out there, Patrick?” Timmy asked, pointing to the open door.
“Have you had enough of tears and women’s chatter too?” he asked the boy, who nodded.
“Timmy and I are going for a walk, Sophie,” Patrick said. He then took two cakes off the tray, handing one to Timmy. He clicked his fingers for the dog to follow, and they left the house.
They wandered to the stables with the boy running ahead. Doddy spent the majority of the time with his nose to the ground, sniffing. Patrick explained things to his little brother-in-law and pointed out anything that may interest him.
He enjoyed this, he realized, having a child, dog, and of course Sophie around. Patrick felt a wave of something he termed contentment sweep over him. If he could remove Jack Spode, he’d be completely happy.
He mulled over what Amelia Logan had said as they walked toward the stables.
He’d been raised by parents who did not know how to show love, and it had been hell, even with his sisters in the house. Togrow up alone with a mother like Lady Logan would have been terrible for Amelia. He knew Sophie would want to do something for her friend, and he would wait for her to discuss the matter with him.
“Timmy, let’s see the horses in the stables,” he called to the boy, who was pulling leaves off trees now and crunching them in his little hands.
Patrick arrived to find Stephen in there talking to his stable master.
“Why are you talking to John and not coming to the house that is now full of women?” Patrick said by way of greeting.
Timmy greeted Stephen and then hurried to the first stable, where a large black head hung over the door.
“Hello!” the boy shrieked with excitement. Rather than be upset by the noise, Zeus leaned down and put his muzzle on Timmy’s head.
“John, this is Timmy. He will be riding the pony that is arriving tomorrow,” Patrick said.
“Well now, it’s about time we had children about the place.” His grizzled stable master, who was another servant who had been with his family for many years, then wandered off smiling to greet Timmy.
“Good Lord, did John just smile?” Stephen asked.
“It would appear so.”
Both men then watched as John walked Timmy to the next stall. He bent to lift him so he could see inside it and explained that the horse in there was resting.
“Is that really happening?” Stephen asked. “John never smiles, and I can’t remember the last time he wasn’t taking us to task for something.”
“Children make people do odd things” was all Patrick said. “How was the journey from London?”
“Without incident, even if that woman was accompanying Letty and Timmy.”
Patrick studied his friend. “What’s between you and Amelia Logan?”
“I beg your pardon?” Stephen glared at him. “There is nothing between us.”
“That haughty tone may work on some people, but let me assure you, it does not work on me,” Patrick added. “You like her, don’t you?”
“What? Absolutely not!” Color now rode the ridges of Stephen’s cheekbones. “Just because you are now wed to the love of your life does not mean I must also have a woman in mine.”
Is Sophie the love of my life?Patrick had a feeling the answer to that could be yes, and that made him smile.
“What are you smiling at?” Stephen demanded.
