“Thank you,” Laura called over her shoulder as she plunged back through the advancing crowd, not even waiting to see if Jack was following.
He was matching her long strides. After a thoughtful glance at his grim-faced companion, he said, “You do not seem completely confounded by this development. Did you suspect that your cousin had elopement on her mind?”
“Good heavens, no! But she told me after her dance that her father expected her to accept an offer from Sir Cyril Mildmay. Exactly,” she said at Jack’s exclamation of disgust. “From something Aubrey let fall, I suspected she was attracted to Mr. Trent, but he has only been Aubrey’s tutor for a few weeks, and she has never once mentioned his name in my presence. Obviously she confided more in Miss Chandler. I knew she was unhappy and afraid of her father’s power to command her obedience ultimately, but I never dreamed she was contemplating such a desperate action. I could not get her to discuss any — where are you going?” she squeaked as he pulled her in a different direction.
“To the main entrance. It is highly unlikely that a fleeing couple would waste time rowing across the river when their first priority must be a fast carriage to outdistance any pursuit.”
“Oh, of course.” Laura was nearly running now. “We’ve got to stop them, Jack, or she will be ruined.”
“Is this Trent a fortune hunter?”
“I … I don’t know. I assume he is impecunious. At the time he engaged him, my uncle mentioned that the tutor was a recent university graduate awaiting a preferment to a parish.”
“Somehow I cannot see your cousin as a parson’s wife,” Jack said, leading her around an arguing knot of inebriated youths.
“Actually,” Laura replied, recalling Sophia’s comments on friendship that had surprised her, “there is more to Sophie than the face she presents to society, but I have understood that elopement is the equivalent of social suicide. Is this perhaps not always true?” she asked hopefully.
“Well, an unsuccessful elopement would ruin a girl’s reputation, which is generally the same thing. Any elopement will certainly cause a lot of scandal broth at the time, but Sally Jersey eloped and she is one of the so-called arbiters of society.”
Laura had not time to mull over his words because they were coming into a well-lighted area. She could hear horses snorting and the jingle of harness as they approached the entrance. The area was a hive of activity. Oddly, there were carriages disgorging arriving parties this late in the evening among those picking up departing patrons.
“Do you see anything that looks like a post chaise?” Laura asked Jack, after an anxious study of a line of carriages stretching away from the entrance.
“No, but a hackney to take them to a prearranged posting inn would be less conspicuous and delay a possible pursuit. Look ahead on your right — that couple moving off.”
“Yes!Hurry, Jack!” Laura broke into a near sprint toward the disappearing couple, calling out her cousin’s name only when she had considerably shortened the distance between them.
The pair froze at the sound of her voice. Sophia, for it was indeed her cousin, took another step away, but stopped when Mr. Trent put his hand on her arm. She turned and faced Laura.
“I might have known Dolly Chandler had no backbone,” she said bitterly.
“Perhaps not, but fortunately she had enough common sense to realise that a friend was about to make a disastrous mistake. You must not do this, Sophie — it will ruin your life!”
“My social life, perhaps, but that does not signify. I’ll be married to the man of my choice.”
“I am not questioning your feelings for each other,” Laura began, treading with caution, “but you are both quite young and you have known each other only a few weeks.”
“I’ve known Martin longer than you’ve known Jack Hastings!”
Laura, who had been decreasing the space between the two couples, stopped short. “What did you say?” She was not even aware that Jack had unobtrusively herded the party a few steps down a dimmer path, out of the direct view of persons coming and going from the entrance.
Sophia met Laura’s shocked gaze straightly. “It was an accidental encounter last winter, at the home of a neighbouring family where Martin was visiting. I was still in mourning and not going about in society, but we … managed to meet on several other occasions.”
There was an electric silence while Laura recovered from this thunderbolt. “Then you planned this together, that Mr. Trent would become Aubrey’s tutor?”
“No. I was afraid I’d never see Martin again after his visit ended. I had told him I would be making my come-out this spring, but he had no entree into Society — no mutual friend he could call on to introduce him into our circle in London. I was stunned that day when we met him on the staircase.”
“I see. If you intended to pursue an honourable courtship, Mr. Trent, why did you not go to Sophie’s father and ask for her hand?” For the first time Laura addressed the silent young man struggling to keep his feelings under tight control, but it was Sophia who rushed to reply.
“Martin is no fortune hunter, if that is what you are implying, Laura. He is of good family and will shortly have a veryrespectable living in Shropshire. He has been promised a modest legacy from a great-uncle also. He always intended to speak to my father. It took me a long time to convince him that Papa would never countenance the match. I knew he would instantly dismiss Martin, and when I refuse Sir Cyril he will take me away from London. That is why we have to elope. We have enough money between us for the trip to Scotland, and we will live with Martin’s family until the living becomes available, so you need not worry about us.”
“That is an appalling way to begin a marriage, Sophie,” Laura pleaded. “In just two years you will be able to marry without your father’s consent, and with no scandal or shame attached to your name or Mr. Trent’s.”
“You still do not understand. My father will see to it that we have no future communication. I shall not know if Martin is well or sick and dying!” Her voice contained a note of rising hysteria as she repeated, “This is the only way!”
“Ahem — I don’t wish to butt in on what isn’t my business,” Lord Hastings interposed, causing all heads to swivel in his direction, “but thought I should perhaps point out that unless Mr. Trent’s promised living is in his own family’s possession, there is a strong possibility that the offer might be withdrawn in the face of a scandal, even if the elopement is successful. Of course I do not know Sir Oswald well enough to speculate on his determination to prevent you from reaching Scotland, but —”
His words, cut off abruptly, fell into a pit of silence that erupted into wild sobbing as Sophia threw herself into her beloved’s arms. “Oh, Martin, is that true? Have I ruined your life? I c … cannot bear it! You have always wished to be in orders. I … you must not marry me! I…”
