“I do not feel well, my lord. I-I think I should give you my answer when I am less…indisposed.” She wriggled her fingers away, reaching for the carriage door. Her breath came quickly, her heart racing with panic within her chest. No man had ever proposed to her before. She hadn’t expected to feel so terrified.
“That is understandable.” Lord Finchley wiped at his brow, but he made no move to help her out of the carriage. He seemed to have forgotten where he was, his eyes still blinking fast, a twinge of frustration taking over his expression.
He stood too late, hunching under the carriage ceiling as Sophia jumped down from the step on her own. “Good day, my lord,” she heard herself mutter. The rain was cold against the heat of her skin, jolting her back to her senses.
Aunt Hester stood nearby, drenched now from head to toe. The poor woman must have felt it her duty to stay and observe, but now she was shivering. Sophia picked up her skirts, rushing toward the front steps of the townhouse, catching her aunt’s arm on the way.
Prudence was playing the pianoforte when Sophia and Aunt Hester came crashing through the front door. Sophia peeled away her gloves and bonnet, only then noticing how violently her hands were shaking.
“Heavens, my dear, what is the matter?” Aunt Hester took Sophia by the shoulders.
“He proposed to me.”
Her aunt gasped. “You are engaged?”
“No.” Sophia bit her lip. “I didn’t give him my answer.”
Her eyes flew open wide. “Why not?”
“I don’t know.”
But she did know. It was all Isaac’s fault. He had sauntered into that art gallery with one purpose, and that had been to compete with Lord Finchley—to put him on edge—and to show Sophia that he had meant what he said. Isaac had told her that he needed that painting because it reminded him of that summer in Cornwall—of what once was.
Perhaps even because it reminded him of her.
Her heart was on fire, her skin boiling with hot anger. Tears seared her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Isaac was tormenting her, and as a result, she was now tormenting a respectable man. Lord Finchley was on his way home in the rain, and she had just brutally run away from his proposal. She had spent weeks leading him to believe she would accept it. How could she reverse the damage she had done?
Was it too late?
Sophia turned away from her aunt to blink away her tears. Through the front window, she saw Stepfather’s carriage approaching the house. “Please don’t tell my stepfather about the proposal. I need only a little time to think.”
“I won’t breathe a word of it,” Aunt Hester promised.
Before Stepfather could reach the house, Sophia rushed up the stairs, nearly tripping over her wet skirts. She paced the perimeter of her room and shivered, folding her arms tightly across her chest. Perhaps by enlisting Isaac to help her break Percy and Prudence apart, she had taught him the art of sabotage.
And he was far too good at it.
A knock sounded on her door, making her jump. She crossed the room with hesitant steps, opening the door to reveal Stepfather standing in the corridor.
Blast it all.
Aunt Hester stood behind him, pressing a hand to her chest as she struggled to catch her breath. Her sopping wet hair was still clinging to her forehead. She cast Sophia an apologetic look. She appeared to have chased Stepfather up the stairs.
Unfortunately, Lord Blackstone was quick for his age.
He greeted Sophia with a look of concern. Had he already found out about Lord Finchley’s proposal? Surely Aunt Hester could keep a secret for more than five minutes. Or could she?
Sophia’s heart fell.
“There you are.” Stepfather observed her with a growing frown. “I should like to know what you make of Mr. Ellington’s behavior at the auction today. That young man seems to raise trouble wherever he walks. Especially pertaining to you.” His sharp eyes took her in. “I perceive that there is something more between you than friendship.”
“I assure you, there is not.” The denial came a little too quickly.
Stepfather still wore a quizzical look. “How did Lord Finchley endure the embarrassment?”
Not well.Not well at all.
“He is confident enough to overlook the ordeal,” Sophia said in a dismissive tone.
