Jack felt himself relax for the first time since their reunion. This was what he’d always enjoyed about her – this teasing manner and fearless wit.
Additional rain, not snow, began to fall. Sophia seemed not to notice as she asked, “So who do you think your sisters will marry?”
The unexpected question threw him. “I haven’t really considered. And I’m not sure they have either.”
She was quiet for a moment. The wind grew stronger and Jack considered ordering her onto the horse. But then she distracted him by saying, “I fear Felicity’s heart may already be engaged.”
This, Jack hadn’t expected. “Has she said something to you?”
“No. But I have a feeling she is resigning herself to what you and your parents expect of her.”
He didn’t like that idea at all. “Of course I want both my sisters to marry, but I also wish them happy. My parents do too, I’m sure. For my own part, I can only say that if Felicity has formed some sort of attachment with a gentleman of her own choosing, she need only come to me and ask for my blessing.”
“Unless she doesn’t think you’d approve,” Sophia suggested.
“That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t listen.” He shook his head. When had it come to this? How was it that everyone in his life thought the worst of him? Sophia believed him a scoundrel, Felicity an oppressor of sorts. Yet all he wanted – all he had ever wanted – was to try and ensure their happiness by keeping them safe. His sisters by helping them both make favorable matches, Sophia by crushing whatever romantic notions she might have started having of him lest she think they could have a future.
Four years ago, he’d had no interest in marriage. Hell, he’d barely known he had a heart or that it could ever belong to one single woman. So when his father had warned him away from Sophia with threats of cutting him off, he’d left for her sake as much as his own. Driven by a fierce desire to hurt his father in return, he’d entered into one liaison after another with every intention of adding a smudge here and there to the otherwise pristine family name.
He grimaced as he recalled the conversation that had led to the rift between them.
“Sophia Fenmore is growing up,” Papa had said, “and I fear she’s becoming aware of you in ways she wasn’t before.”
“What are you getting at?” Jack asked.
“Be careful, Jack. A woman like her can never be more than your mistress and—”
“You insult her with what you are saying, and you insult me by supposing I’d ever cross the bonds of friendship between us.”
“You cannot tell me you’re blind to her interest. Don’t think I haven’t noticed her seeking you out with greater frequency than when she was younger. My fear, Jack, is that she no longer comes here to see your sisters, but purely in the hope of gaining your notice.”
“What you suggest is ridiculous. She’s but a child.”
“A child on the cusp of womanhood, Jack. Surely you must have noticed.”
To Jack’s complete and utter amazement, it wasn’t something he had considered until that exact conversation. And then he’d not been able to think of anything else. So he’d called on her and had, during his visit, discerned that he must be both daft and blind. Because Sophia was not only turning into a woman, but a shockingly tempting one too, even though her feminine allure then was nothing compared to what it was now.
When he’d left, he’d had to acknowledge that their youth was over, that the casual friendship they’d had in their childhood would never be what it once was. They were now man and woman, and as this realization cemented itself, he’d felt his whole world slide sideways.
It hadn’t helped matters when he’d returned to find his father waiting. Demands for Jack to stay away from Sophia henceforth had followed and Jack had called him unreasonable; the final threat had been issued. So he’d done the only thing he’d been able to think of in order to solve the problem.
He’d run.
From his father and from Sophia.
“I think we need to hurry,” Sophia’s voice jolted him out of his reverie.
A harsh gust of air caught the edge of his greatcoat and pushed him into Star. Sophia drew her cloak around herself and bowed her head to the wind. Jack cast a glance at the swaying trees in the distance as more rain started to fall.
Damn!
Aware of the danger they faced if they got caught in a storm, he rounded on Sophia, placed his hands on her waist, and hoisted her onto Star. She gave a startled squeal which he ignored as he swung himself up behind her. He’d tried to do as she asked, but he would not risk her health for any reason. She could argue with him over it as much as she liked later. For now, he meant to see her returned to the vicarage before she got soaked through.
5
It wasn’tlong before the clouds burst open and freezing rain descended upon them in torrents. At her back, Sophia could feel the warmth of Jack’s chest pressing against her as he forced his horse into a hard gallop. Flecks of ice flew in her face, making her duck her head against the harsh wind while praying Jack would lead them home safely. Holding her steady between his arms, he leaned into the storm.
She’d not been prepared for this sort of thing, had not even sat in a saddle since she was fourteen, possibly younger. Yet here she was now, riding astride with her skirts hitched up around her legs and with Jack’s thighs bracing hers. It was completely improper – scandalous in the extreme – and all she could think was,at least it’s winter rather than summer and my legs are covered in thick wool stockings.
