Dominic (30 page)

Unlike her co
m
panions, Sophie had recognized Vale when
he
had
stood
up
in
his
box
and,
excusing
herself from her
friends
on
some
pretext,
w
as
unable
to
resist
the te
m
ptation to
f
ollow in his wake.

She had been devastated when he h
a
d re
m
oved hi
m
self from Blake
House
and
was
thoroughly
perplexed
at
his absence. She
wanted t
h
e
chance
to
ask
if s
h
e
had
been
the cause
of
h
i
s
leaving.
Had
she so
offended
him at
the
ball?
Once
having
committed
herself
to
following
him
she
found
the
fascination
of
his
a
c
tions
too
great
to
forgo, even though she knew the outco
m
e
m
i
ght break her heart. She was not so naïve that s
h
e did not understand the ways
of
the
world
.
Her
brother
had
had
no
compunction
in
parading
his
various
para
m
ours
before
her,
but
to
see Vale,
whom
she
idolized,
in
that
light,
affected
her greatly.

Oblivious of the devasta
t
ion he had wrought, Vale raised
h
i
s
head
from the
e
m
brace
and
looked
at
Rosa
m
und with unseeing eyes as if he
did not recognize
her and dropped his hold immediate
l
y, the heavy frown still clouding his brow.

W
ith unusual perception, Ros
a
m
und sta
m
ped her foot and snapped in a
m
ost un-
l
over-like fashion, “You know not whom
you kiss, sir. It
was certainly not
m
e!”

“It
ce
r
tai
n
ly was
not,”
h
e
scor
n
ed
at
his
m
ost
d
e
vili
s
h and
turning
on
his
heel
he
was
gone,
leaving
his co
m
panion seething with indignation.

*****

Riding
in Hyde Park the
next
afternoon, the e
arl espied his
m
other’s barouche containing his sisters and Sophie and, seeing it halt to acknowl
e
dge an acquaintance,
drew
alongside
to
m
ake his bow.

“Ladies, allow
m
e to join you,”
h
e said, s
m
iling and giving his horse into the care of one of the groo
m
s
that
sat the box.

Twitching
a
side
h
e
r
s
k
i
r
ts,
Regina
m
ade
room for
him on the
seat
so that
he
sat
facing
Isabella
and
Sophie.
“
W
hy do you needs join us, Do
m
in
i
c
?
” she asked scowling. “Have you not friends of your own with whom you could join co
m
pany?”

“None
that
would
welco
m
e
m
e quite
as
eagerly
as
you, dear
s
ister,” he
said, smiling sweetly
whilst
att
e
mpting
to read the expression on Sophie’s averted countenance, as she
would
not
m
eet
his
gaze.
“Besides,
I
have
a
desire
to
be
seen
with
m
y
siblings,
it
will
add
so
m
uch
weight
to my credibility should I be seen to squire you.”

“Your
sarcasm does
you
no
credit,”
snapped
Regina, “and
whilst
you
m
ay
h
a
ve
a
desire
to
be
seen
with
us,
I can ce
r
tai
n
ly assure y
o
u that the
s
enti
m
ent is in no way reci
p
rocate
d
.”

Isabella giggled
.
“
Getting
mighty
high in the instep
isn’t she, Do
m
inic, now that she is about to be betrothed. Soon she will t
h
ink her
s
elf quite ab
o
ve us all.”

“The
soo
n
er
the
be
tter,”
replied
his
lordship ungallantly.
“Change
seats
with
m
e,
Isabella,”
he commanded and threw hi
m
self down beside Sophie.

“
W
hat, Jack, you have nothing to say
?
” he said in rallying
tones,
exa
m
ining
her
p
r
o
f
il
e
.
“That
is
q
u
ite
u
n
li
k
e you.
Am I
to
believe
that
you
too
have
no
desire
to
speak with
m
e
?
”
Dropping
his
voice and
taking
her
hand
he asked, “Do you wish
m
e
to leave, have I offended you
?
”

Unable to bear his gentle tone Sophie snatched her
hand away and averted
h
er face.

“Co
m
e
Jack,
what
is
this?”
he
asked.
“
W
ill
even
you not now look at
m
e
?
”

“You
have
no
need
to
worry
of what
I
will
and
will
not do,
sir,”
she
replied,
still
not
m
eeting
his
questioning
gaze. “I am
sure it can be of no interest to you.”

“Ho
, she has thorns
,
” he replied, grinning
.
“
Now I
know I have done so
m
ething to displease you. Co
m
e; tell
m
e
just
what
I
have
done
to incur
your
wrath?
Did
we
not part a
m
icably enough when last I saw you
?
”

Unable
to
r
esist
the t
e
mptation
s
h
e
re
p
lied, “I see
t
h
e co
m
pany you keep, sir.”

It was al
m
ost as if she s
m
ote hi
m
.
“You saw
m
e at Vauxhalls?” he asked incredu
l
ously, previously thinking that he
h
ad escaped her
n
otice.

“I
saw
whom you
had
in
your
box,
Do
m
inic,
and
you appeared to enjoy her c
o
mpany to t
h
e extre
m
e.”

Regina sat forward in her seat. “I did not see you,” she said petulantly. “
W
here were you, who were you with
?
”

“Keep out of this Regina,” he snapped, throwing her a
look of dislike
.
“
I needs not
answer
to
you
for
my
actions.”
Then turning once more to Sophie, “I will
explain
all,
if you wou
l
d but
allow
it,
but
now is not the ti
m
e, not here. I shall co
m
e to you at Blake
H
ouse and we
will
s
pe
ak.”
He
to
o
k
her
hand and
r
a
ised
it
to
his
lips and
for
a
mo
m
ent
her
fingers clung
to
his
before
he
called to the groom to halt and sprang lightly down from the carriage. He stood for a
m
o
m
e
nt watching the barouche continue on its way before
m
ounting his horse and retur
n
ing to his apa
r
t
m
ents.