“I will take the best care of Thunder. The very best!”
“I have no doubt.” Sophia straightened and met Edward’s eyes with a hint of mischief. “Someday is a very long time from now, after all.”
Edward bit back something that might have been a laugh.
CHAPTER 19
“You nearly laughed,” Sophia kept her voice light, teasing, but her heart beat faster than it should.
Edward stood beside her, close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from his body, close enough that if she shifted her weight, her shoulder would brush against his arm.
She didn’t shift her weight. She wanted to.
“I did not laugh.” His voice carried that familiar stiffness, but something softer lurked beneath it now. Something that had not been there at the start of the afternoon.
“You wanted to.” She glanced up at him. “I saw your mouth twitch.”
“You were watching my mouth?”
Heat flooded her cheeks. She looked away, fixing her gaze on Oliver, who had crouched near the performing dogs’ ring to examine a beetle crawling across the grass. Her mother stood beside Mrs. Palmer several feet away, the two women deep in conversation about something that required much nodding and hand gestures.
“I was observing your reaction to Oliver’s request,” Sophia managed. “As any proper chaperone would.”
“Of course.”
She risked another glance. He was watching her with an expression she could not quite read, something between amusement and hunger that made her breath catch.
The crowd shifted around them. A family pushed past, jostling Sophia off balance. She stumbled, and Edward’s hand shot out to steady her, his fingers wrapping around her elbow, his grip firm and warm through the thin fabric of her sleeve.
He did not release her immediately.
Sophia felt the touch everywhere. It radiated up her arm, spread across her shoulders, and pooled low in her belly. She thought of the balcony, of his hands cupping her face, of the way he had kissed her as though she were the only thing in the world worth wanting.
“Thank you.” Her voice came out breathless.
His fingers tightened for just a moment. Then he released her and stepped back, putting proper distance between them.
“There is something I wish to discuss with you.” His tone shifted, became more formal. “Regarding our arrangement.”
Our arrangement. The words landed like cold water. Sophia straightened her spine and folded her hands before her.
“Of course. What is it?”
“Miss Stanton.” He watched Oliver poke at the beetle with a stick. “I have been courting her, as you know. She seems promising. Accomplished. Pleasant company.”
Something sharp twisted in Sophia’s chest. She kept her expression neutral and her voice steady. “That is good news. She comes from a respectable family, and her fortune would complement your estates nicely.”
“Yes.” He frowned. “But I find myself uncertain.”
“Uncertain?”
“About Oliver.” Edward turned to face her fully. “I don’t know how she would be with him. We’ve spoken at events, danced at balls, and walked through the park. But I have never seen her interact with a child. I don’t know if she would be patient with him. Kind to him. If she would understand his grief or dismiss it as childish nonsense.”
Sophia blinked. She had not expected this. Had not expected him to consider Oliver so carefully in his choice of bride. The realization softened something inside her, even as the jealousy continued to burn.
“That is a valid concern,” she said slowly. “A promenade or a single afternoon would not give you enough information. You would need to observe them together over time. In different circumstances.”
Mr. Colborne’s words echoed in her memory.
