“I’m not here at his request,” Thea clarified. “I am here on his behalf.”
Good heavens. The woman was speaking in riddles. “I fear I’m not following,” Sophie replied. She had no time to play Lady Clayton’s word games.
The viscountess lifted her chin, her hands now folded primly in her lap. “Allow me to be direct. As I recall, you appreciate directness.”
At Sophie’s nod, Thea continued. “Phillip is a mess, from what I understand. He’s heartbroken. He’s alone. And he knows well that he made an awful mistake in not telling you he was alive, and placing you in such danger at Graystone Manor.”
Sophie’s nostrils flared, and she kept her lips tightly closed. She gave Thea a tight smile. “You’re wrong, Thea. If Phillip wanted to apologize, he had ample time while I was recuperating at his estate. Now, I’ll see you to the door.”
“I must apologize as well,” Thea continued, completely ignoring Sophie’s second attempt to get rid of her. “I, too, made a mistake when you came to visit me. I should have told you more. I had a good feeling about you then, but I allowed my loyalty to Phillip to keep me from providing you with information you clearly needed to know.”
Sophie paused. Blast it. The woman had piqued her curiosity. She turned back to face the viscountess. “What information?” Sophie ventured, arms still crossed over her chest.
“The truth about Phillip,” Thea said softly.
“What do you mean?” Sophie took a few steps toward Thea, narrowing her eyes on the viscountess.
Thea cleared her throat and lifted her chin. “May I tell you a story, Miss Payton?”
Oh, heavens. Not a story. Sophie eyed Thea carefully. “It is a heart-warming one?”
“Indubitably.”
Sophie bit her lip. “Will it stir and affect me?”
“I hope so,” Thea replied with a smile.
“Very well.” Sophie marched over and reluctantly lowered herself into the blue velvet-covered chair across from the viscountess. “Tell me the story,” she said with a nod. “And you may as well call me Sophie.”
Thea took a deep breath and settled her skirts before meeting Sophie’s gaze again. “I met my husband by sneaking into his stables and breaking my leg,” she began.
“What?” Sophie asked, blinking. She wasn’t entirely certain she’d heard the viscountess correctly. “Why did you sneak into his stables?”
Thea cocked her head to the side. “I wanted to visit the horse he’d recently purchased at auction. Phillip’s horse.”
“Alabaster?” Sophie breathed.
“Yes, Alabaster,” Thea replied, a lovely smile gracing her lips as she uttered the horse’s name.
“Phillip often mentioned Alabaster when he wrote me from the Continent,” Sophie added.
“Yes. Phillip adores Alabaster, as you know. What my husband didn’t know was that I did, too. Alabaster was my horse when he was a foal. So I was sneaking around Ewan’s stables to visit Alabaster.”
“Why didn’t you simply ask Lord Clayton if you could visit Alabaster?” Sophie asked, blinking again.
Thea pursed her lips to the side and tapped her chin. “Hmm. I believe I shall refrain from sharing that part of the story because the answer does not paint me or my character in an appealing light.”
Sophie couldn’t stifle her laugh.
Thea continued, “Suffice it to say that while sneaking about the stables, I broke my leg and was forced to remain at Ewan’s estate until my leg healed.”
“And Phillip was staying there also at that time?” Sophie prompted.
“Precisely,” Thea replied. “Phillip was there, though I didn’t know it at first. Eventually Ewan asked me to speak to him.”
Sophie’s brow remained furrowed. “What do you mean? Didn’t you see each other at dinner?”
“No.” Thea shook her head. “Phillip didn’t come to dinner. Because…” Thea’s gaze locked with Sophie’s. “Phillip didn’t speak.”
