At Last (6 page)

Ian watched the droplet soak into the white
linen, until the tear was gone, as if it had never existed. Just
like the happiness they’d shared last summer. He gave a tight nod,
then without a word he crossed the room and pulled the bell cord.
Only several seconds passed until a knock sounded. At Ian’s bid to
enter, the butler opened the door. “Please have the carriage
brought ‘round and see that Lady Winterbourne is escorted safely
home.”

“
Yes, my lord.”

The butler withdrew, and Ian turned to
Sophia. He almost wished he could take some satisfaction in the
fact that she looked as pale and eviscerated as he felt, but it was
impossible to feel anything when his entire body was numb. Heavy
silence fell between them. He searched his mind for something to
say, but he had no words left.

The butler returned a moment later. “The
carriage is ready, my lord,” he said, then withdrew.

Ian watched Sophia cross the room. Felt her
touch his hand. Heard her say softly, “I wish you much happiness,
Ian.” And then she quit the room. He stared at the empty doorway
after she exited then listened for the sound of the front door
closing. The click reverberated through his mind like a death
knell.

She was gone.

And she’d taken his heart with her.

Chapter 7

The following afternoon,
Sophia, exhausted after a sleepless night, reluctantly agreed to
receive Christine, but only because Christine had scrawled
it’s urgent I see you
on
the back of her card. The instant her normally unflappable friend
entered the drawing room Sophia knew something was
amiss.

“
What’s wrong?” she asked,
taking Christine’s proffered hands. Her concern doubled when she
felt her friend’s fingers trembling.

Confusion passed over Christine’s features,
then her eyes widened. “Dear God, you don’t know.”

“
Know what?”

“
Let’s sit.”

Sophia preferred to stand, but given
Christine’s pallor, she led her friend to the settee. “Tell me
what’s wrong,” Sophia said. “Are you ill?”

“
Only in my heart—for
you.”

“
Me? Why?”

Christine squeezed Sophia’s hands. “You were
seen sharing a passionate kiss with the very young Scottish Lord
Marlington on the terrace at the Benningfield soiree last evening.
You were further observed leaving the party with him, arriving at
his townhouse, where you reportedly remained for an ‘indecent
amount of time,’ and looked disheveled when you left.”

Dear
God
. “Who told you this?”

“
Lady Chapman. She claims
she saw the kiss with her own eyes.”

Sophia’s heart sank at the
mention of the
ton’s
most notorious gossip. “And of course she told
everyone.”

“
Everyone,” Christine
confirmed. “It will certainly be reported in tomorrow’s
Times
society page.”
Christine’s gaze searched hers. “Is it all true?”

Sophia pressed a shaking hand to her
midsection. “I’m afraid so.”

Christine nodded grimly. “Although I’m
burning with curiosity as to how it all came about, explanations
will have to wait. Right now we must discuss your best course to
weather the tidal wave of gossip and ensuing scandal. Given the
lascivious nature of the story, you’re in for a rough time. Every
man in London will believe you’re now available for a dalliance.
Henry told me the betting book at White’s is already filled with
wagers as to who you’ll take as your next lover.”

The knot in Sophia’s stomach cinched tighter
and she jumped to her feet. “Edward...I must go at once to Eton to
speak to him. Prepare him.”

“
I’ll come with you. But
Sophia, at the rate this story is spreading, I wouldn’t be
surprised if he’s already heard.”

A humorless, bitter sound escaped Sophia at
the irony. She and Ian hadn’t made love last night, yet still the
thing she most dreaded--a scandal--had come to pass. Filled with
trepidation, she hurried to the foyer, Christine on her heels.

An hour later she returned to Christine’s
waiting carriage on Eton High Street. “Did you see Edward?”
Christine asked in an anxious voice.

Sophia fought the panic threatening to
overwhelm her. “No.”

Sympathy flooded Christine eyes. “He’s
already heard and refused to see you?”

“
He heard. Early this
morning. A fellow student confirmed it.” Dear God, she could barely
speak around the lump of dread clogging her throat. “Edward wasn’t
there, Christine. He became extremely distraught upon hearing the
gossip and left school. No one knows where he is.”

**

When the carriage arrived back at her
townhome, Sophia ran up the brick walkway, praying there would be
some word of Edward, that he’d come home or sent a note. If not,
she planned to go directly to Bow Street and hire a Runner to
locate him. The instant she entered the foyer, she asked Monroe,
“Have you received any word from Edward?”

Young Lord Winterbourne arrived home moments
after you left, my lady,” the butler said, taking her wrap. “He
awaits you in the library.”

Relief weakened Sophia’s knees and she
clutched Christine’s arm. “Thank God.”

“
Do you want me to stay?”
Christine asked.

“
Thank you, but no.” She
hugged her friend tightly. “I cannot tell you how grateful I am for
your friendship and support.”

“
You’ll always have
it.”

Sophia blinked back her tears and after
Christine departed, she drew a bracing breath and squared her
shoulders. She could cry later. Right now she had to see Edward.
Before she could take a single step toward the library, however,
Monroe cleared his throat.

“
Lord Winterbourne is not
alone in the library, my lady.”

Sophia frowned. “Who is with him?”

“
The Earl of
Marlington.”

Chapter 8

With her heart beating so hard she could
hear its echo in her ears, Sophia entered the library. And froze at
the sight that greeted her. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected but
it certainly wasn’t her son and her former lover playing
backgammon.

“
You’ve the devil’s own
luck, my lord,” Edward exclaimed. “That’s the third double six
you’ve rolled this game.”

Ian grinned. “’Tis skill, not luck.”

“
And that’s a Banbury tale
if I’ve ever heard one.”

“
And precisely what ye
deserve after the trouncing I suffered at your hands the last
game.”

Just then Edward glanced toward the door and
saw her. “Mum!” He jumped to his feet and hurried toward her.
Swallowing the sob that rose in her throat, she met him halfway and
enveloped him in a tight hug. Over his shoulder she saw Ian rise.
He regarded her through serious eyes that gave away nothing.

Edward pulled back from their embrace. His
dark brown eyes, so like his father’s, reflected worry. “Where have
you been, Mum?”

“
Eton. To see you.
You’ve...heard.”

Color rushed into his cheeks and he
nodded.

“
You left school hours
ago. Where have
you
been?”

“
I went to see Lord
Marlington.”

Sophia blinked. “Why?”

Edward raised his chin. “I wanted to
confront the cad who damaged my mother’s good name. Tell him what I
thought of him. Show him as well.”

He flexed his fingers,
drawing Sophia’s attention to his hand. She gasped at the sight of
his reddened knuckles. “Good heavens. You
struck
Lord Marlington?”

“
Planted him a facer,”
Edward confirmed, looking inordinately pleased with
himself.

“
Bloody well hurt,” Ian
said from across the room, rubbing his jaw.

“
But according to Lord
Marlington I could have done better. He’s promised to give me some
pugilistic pointers.”

Sophia’s gaze bounced between her son and
Ian. “I’m afraid I’m confused. You two have--“

“
Spent the day together,”
Edward broke in. “After I planted him the facer, we talked. He told
me everything.”

Sophia’s gaze flew to Ian.
“
Everything
?”

“
Edward demanded to know
why I’d dishonored his mother,” Ian said. “I explained that was
never my intention. That I love you and want to marry you. And that
you said you love me as well.”

Edward touched her arm, recalling her
attention. “If you love him, why don’t you want to marry him, Mum?”
he asked softly so only she could hear.

“
I...it’s complicated,
Edward.”

“
Is it because of me?
Because if so, I must tell you, I like him. And I can tell he
really loves you.”

“
Adores you, actually,”
Ian called from across the room. “Sorry--I’m not deaf. And just so
you know, I like you as well, Edward, even though you trounced me
at backgammon.”

Edward grinned at Ian over his shoulder then
turned back to Sophia. “Father always said you can tell a great
deal about a man by the way he handles himself playing backgammon.
Everything I learned about Lord Marlinton today showed me he’s a
fine man.” Edward squeezed her hand, then leaned forward to
whisper, “I want you happy, Mum. And if Lord Marlington makes you
happy, you have my blessing.” He gently kissed her cheek then said
in his normal voice, “If you’ll both excuse me...” After offering
Ian a formal bow, Edward quit the room, closing the door behind
him.

In an effort to align her careening
thoughts, Sophia closed her eyes, pressed her palms to her
trembling midsection and drew several deep breaths.

“
He’s an exceptional young
man, Sophia.”

She opened her eyes and found Ian standing
before her. The profound love, raw desire, and deep admiration
glowing in his eyes stole her breath. “Th...thank you. You two
clearly shared quite a day together.”

“
Aye. It didn’t begin
particularly well--” he touched the faint bruise marring his jaw,
“but after we talked, things rapidly improved. Just before you
arrived he told me I have his blessing to marry you. In the hopes
that that will change your mind...” He reached into his waistcoat
pocket and withdrew the magnificent pearl ring he’d presented to
her last night. Then, as he had the previous evening, he lowered
himself to one knee before her. “Sophia, I’ve loved you since the
first moment I saw you, and I promise I’ll love you until the day I
die. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

Sophia looked into his beautiful eyes and
her throat swelled shut at the wave of love swamping her. She’d
refused him to avoid scandal, yet the scandal had happened anyway.
She’d tried to protect her son, but Edward was clearly capable of
taking matters into his own hands. And he’d given her his
blessing.

Ian cleared his throat. “In case you need a
bit more convincing, I’ll point out that a wedding would put a stop
to all the gossip. And should anyone be foolish enough to say a
word against you or cast aspersions on my unfortunate lack of age,
I assure you your son is well prepared to take them to task. Boy
packs quite a wallop.”

With hot moisture pushing behind her eyes,
Sophia took Ian’s hands and urged him to his feet. When he stood
before her, she said, “I can’t marry you to stop gossiping tongues,
Ian.”

He clearly meant to argue
and she pressed her fingers to his lips. “But I
can
marry you because you’re
wonderful. Because you make me happy. Make me laugh. Because I know
you’ll be good to my son. And because I love you so much I can
barely breathe.”

“
Is that a
‘yes?’”

A half laugh, half sob escaped her.
“Yes!”

In the space of single heartbeat he slipped
the pearl ring on her finger and yanked her into his arms and
kissed her breathless. “I hope you don’t want a bloody long
engagement,” he murmured against her lips.

“
I don’t,” she assured
him. “Although I’ll have your promise that you’ll not mention our
age difference.”

“
What age
difference?”

She framed his face between her hands and
laughed. “God, I love you.”

He held her tighter and whispered something
in Gaelic in her ear. “What does that mean?” she asked.

“
At
last
, my love. It means at
last.”

The end