Silence sank like lead between them.
“Sophia…”
“What? What is it? What lesson do you want me to learn this time? What must I change to live up to your expectations?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all. It has been a shock. That is all. I had no idea. How could I have known? You kept it from me.”
“What choice did I have? Would you speak such secrets aloud?”
“I’m not blaming you. I am only asking for a little time to process what I have learned.”
Sophia covered her face with her hands. “I am sorry.” She moaned. “I should not take out my frustration on you. You have been true and constant.” She lifted her head. Red-rimmed eyes strained to keep back tears. “It is to no avail, Tobias. You understand now. It was but a dream. And we have woken up.”
“What are you saying?”
Sophia gave no answer.
Tobias leaned back in his chair, his hands on his knees. “I think you know me well enough, Sophia, to realize that this is not the end of it. Not by far. Happiness such as ours is rare indeed. I will not give it up. But I need to think on it further. And you need to rest. I will return next Monday, and we will speak more on this. You are right that I have woken up. My eyes are wide open. And I will seek a solution.”
A pale hope lit Sophia’s face, only to have it clouded over by the habit of helplessness. “There is no outcome that does not cause suffering,” she answered.
“We are suffering already. We can only move forward. Which way is best, I cannot yet say. But I am determined to discover it.”
He stood and reached over, planting a tender kiss upon her forehead. For a moment, the room was still, the mood one of fragile optimism.
For a moment.
Then, without warning, the door banged open, and Katie barged into the room. She all but shouted, “The master is on the drive!”
Sophia gasped, her face blanching with dread. “Get out, get out! Go, Tobias. Go now. Quickly!”
Tobias stood rooted to the spot. Indecision gripped him. Should he confront Mr. Grant? Was this a sign? But one look at the terror in Sophia’s eyes and his mind was made up.
Sophia was groaning and rocking her head between her hands. “Why is he back so soon? What will he say? What will hedo?”
Tobias snatched up the loose pages of the manuscript and quickly folded them as he made for the door. The sound of his boots crossing the floor was matched with footfalls approaching the room from without. Tobias froze.
Mr. Grant, his long hair wild from riding, strode into the room and halted in surprise. “Mr. Mannerly. What are you doing here?”
“I…uh…” Tobias floundered. He looked down for inspiration and spied Sophia’s pages gripped in his hand. “Ah! Yes! I have come with good news for Miss Grant.”
Mr. Grant’s eyebrows rose. “Indeed? And what, pray tell, is the nature of this news that it could not have been shared in a letter?”
“Oh.” Tobias hesitated. “Well…I confess I wished to deliver the news myself for the satisfaction of seeing the joy it might bring. As you know, I am an ardent admirer of Miss Grant.” He hurriedly cleared his throat. “Of her work, I mean.”
Straightening to his full height, Mr. Grant tightened his jaw and demanded stiffly, “I think you should explain yourself, sir.”
“Gladly,” Tobias answered. As you know, my uncle and I attended the excellent poetry reading last week. Finest event of its kind, if you ask me.” He beamed at Sophia.
Her father nodded impatiently. “Yes, thank you. What has this to do with your news?”
“Well, due to his fervent love of books, Lord Carthige has many contacts in the world of literature. And he believes he knows several publishers who would be very interested in Miss Grant’s next collection of works.”
“She already has a publisher.”
“But, Papa,” Sophia interjected, “you had to invest a tidy sum to win his interest. This would be someone who recognizes the merit of my poems for their own sake.”
“I see,” Mr. Grant said, a little sulkily. “Then our publisher is no longer good enough. A little ironic, actually. I just came from a meeting with him. He wanted to say they are ordering a third print because the books we requested at the beginning of the month have already sold out. I did not want to wait until this evening to tell you.” His lips tightened. “However, it is something of an anticlimax now, in light of Lord Carthige’s news.”
