His heart nearly stopping, Phillip swiveled to see Sophie standing several lengths away. She was wearing brown kid boots and a soft blue day dress with a wide white sash along the bodice and a matching bonnet with the same color ribbon. She had a smile on her face, and she looked more lovely than he’d ever seen her.
“Sophie,” he breathed reverently, his heart still pounding.
Sophie strode toward him and stood next to him, then nodded toward the horse. “Well, aren’t you going to introduce me?”
As if he understood the lady’s request, Alabaster shook his mane while Phillip shook himself. “Oh, er, of course. This is Alabaster.” He rubbed his hand down the horse’s muzzle. “Alabaster. This is Miss Payton.”
Sophie curtsied to the horse and smiled. “Oh, now. I don’t think I should be so formal with your best friend,” she said. “You may call me Sophie, Alabaster.”
The horse whinnied and neighed as if he understood. He also stamped his hoof.
Sophie and Phillip both laughed, and Sophie reached out and stroked Alabaster on the nose. “You’re a lovely boy, aren’t you?”
“Don’t tell him that,” Phillip said, his mouth quirked up at the side. “He’s already far too certain of himself by half. You’ll make him arrogant.”
“A boy this handsome should be arrogant,” Sophie replied, scratching the horse behind his ears. “Funny, I always assumed he was white.”
Phillip patted the horse’s side. “No. Black as night. Always has been. Thea named him. She owned him when he was a foal. I believe she said she liked the irony.”
“She told me,” Sophie replied. “The part about owning him when he was a foal, at least. And about breaking her leg in Lord Clayton’s stables.”
“That’s Thea for you.” Phillip swallowed. He couldn’t keep up the small talk any longer. It was killing him. “What are you doing here, Sophie?” He hoped his voice didn’t sound as desperate to her as it did to him.
“I was on my way to Everly Hall,” she replied, still directing her attention to Alabaster.
Phillip frowned. “Everly Hall is in Kent.”
“I know. You didn’t allow me to finish. I was on my way to Everly Hall when Lady Clayton came to visit me in London.”
Phillip bowed his head and scuffed his boot in the dirt. “Oh.”
“Do you know what she said to me?” Sophie continued.
Phillip lifted his head and scratched the back of his neck. “I can only imagine.”
“She gave me this letter.” Sophie pulled a piece of vellum from her reticule and showed it to him.
Phillip sighed. He knew it immediately. Leave it to Thea to get straight to the heart of the matter and show Sophie that damn letter. “And what did you respond?”
“I didn’t,” Sophie replied. “But I had a long time to think on my way to Everly Hall. A very long time.”
“And?” he breathed. The letter didn’t change the facts. The letter didn’t turn back time. But Sophie was here, standing next to him. Talking to him. What had she thought when she read it?
Sophie shrugged. “In addition to this letter, Lady Clayton had quite a lot to say.”
Phillip winced. “Such as?”
“Such as informing me that you nursed me back to health at Graystone Manor before Papa came and tried to visit every day after, but he wouldn’t let you.”
“He didn’t tell you, did he?” Phillip asked, wincing yet again.
“No,” Sophie replied. “He didn’t. But he told the truth when Thea and I confronted him.”
Phillip scratched the back of his neck. “Dare I asked what he said?”
“He said he didn’t tell me because he was protecting me from you.”
“I see.”
