Lord Finchley’s eyes flashed with a challenge. “Where might I find one?”
“I believe Lord Blackstone has more in his cellars.” Isaac stood, towering over them all. He seemed eager to escape, and Sophia couldn’t blame him. He bowed in Lord Finchley’s direction. “Thank you for the invitation, but I must take my leave. I wish you all a good day.”
To his credit, Lord Finchley stood, returning the gesture. Sophia barely caught a glimpse at Isaac’s expression before he turned, making his way back to the house.
“I should have to speak with your stepfather about obtaining a cashew.” Lord Finchley’s voice tore Sophia’s gaze away from Isaac’s back.
“No—my lord, I-I would not advise that.”
His pale eyebrows drew together. He held perfectly still and statuesque, the edge of his jaw tightening with determination. “I have been told I have a robust constitution. Surely I would not be put out of sorts as Mr. Ellington was.”
“It isn’t worth the risk.” Sophia exchanged a glance with Prudence. This sudden competition between the two men was unsettling. Lord Finchley seemed determined to prove his superiority in every way possible.
When Isaac was out of sight, Sophia’s shoulders relaxed, and her heart resumed its normal rhythm. The picnic would be over soon, and she could return home to sort out her emotions. The food was gone, and so were two of the guests. Surely Lord Finchley would put an end to the event soon enough.
But the moment the thought crossed her mind, he leaned forward with an eager smile. “So. Shall we see which one of you knowsmebest?”
Chapter Eleven
Isaac sank into a deep leather chair in the library, a stack of books on the table beside him. He had plucked a few from the shelves that seemed interesting, but he doubted he would be able to relax for long enough to read them. What he needed was a book about how forget a woman, but unfortunately there weren’t any such volumes on the shelves at Blackstone’s.
Isaac had been avoiding the club for the past several days. Percy would still be furious about Isaac’s involvement in the dog scheme at the picnic, so Isaac wasn’t eager to face him. Hiding in the library might have been the coward’s way, but it was better than making a scene in front of all the other club members. Isaac had been avoiding any social invitations ever since the picnic, but the walls of his own home had started to feel like a cage. The more time he spent alone, the more he thought about Sophia.
His thoughts had grown dangerous, and his feelings even more so. He longed to see her. He had stopped himself from calling upon her multiple times. When they had played Mrs. Liddle’s game at the picnic, Isaac had revealed the depth of his connection to Sophia to everyone, and it had clearly made her uncomfortable. All he had wanted was to outperform Lord Finchley, who seemed to hardly know her at all.
It infuriated Isaac, yet he felt helpless to interfere.
He had sensed that Sophia still cared for him, but what if he tried to pursue her again and she rejected him? The thought made his heart sting. He couldn’t allow the same woman to destroy him a second time. The moment he tried to win her over, he would be handing her the power to break him.
Was it his pride that was holding him back? Or his fear?
Isaac looked up when the library door opened. He was always startled to see the stuffed bear tucked behind it, teeth still bared in a snarl.
A man stepped through the open doorway with a book in hand, perhaps one he had borrowed from the shelves. Isaac reached for one of his own books, opening it swiftly on the table. Up until that moment, he had been lost in thought, staring into open space like one of the glassy-eyed creatures in the room.
With his book situated, Isaac glanced at the man again, immediately recognizing his dark blond hair and tall stature. It was Mr. Henry Branok. The week before, Isaac had joined him and two other gentlemen for a game in one of the card rooms. Mr. Branok smiled when he noticed Isaac, changing his course in the direction of the table. “Mr. Ellington.”
“Mr. Branok.” Isaac smiled in return. “I trust you’ve recovered from our game last week?”
He laughed. “You know I’ll never recover from losing to Mr. Jenkinson.”
“Nor will I,” Isaac said with a chuckle.
Mr. Branok eyed Isaac’s stack of books. “What has provoked this deep study?” He didn’t bother to hide his amusement.
Isaac knew how strange he must have looked sitting alone with his pile of books, but he was glad it was Mr. Branok of all people who had caught him. The man couldn’t judge him too harshly. As an esteemed naturalist, Mr. Branok had traveled the world to gather information for books of his own. Surely he hadfound himself with similar piles of literature in front of him—but not for the same reasons Isaac had.
He didn’t know how else to distract himself from his constant worries about Sophia and Lord Finchley, Prudence and Percy, and his Blackstone’s membership that still seemed to be hanging by a thread. Lord Blackstone liked him and felt indebted to him after nearly killing him with the cashew, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t cut him out of the club if he ever noticed Isaac’s feelings for Sophia. And Isaac liked Blackstone’s. He liked being interrupted by a gentleman like Mr. Branok and not being left alone in his own library to think himself into madness.
“It’s not a deep study at all,” Isaac said. He pushed the books aside with a sigh. “I can’t seem to focus on reading today. My mind has been overrun with other matters.”
Mr. Branok set his own book down on the table. “Anything you’d like to sort out? The quality of my advice may be lacking, but I have no shortage of it.” He smiled.
Isaac wouldn’t know where to begin, and he certainly didn’t want to overburden a near stranger with his emotions. He conjured up a smile, shaking his head. “Thank you, but I’m afraid there isn’t a way to sort this out.”
Mr. Branok’s face twisted into a scowl. “That sounds like surrender.”
“Perhaps it is.” Isaac shrugged.
