Dominic (37 page)

Sophie
gave
no
answer,
her
t
houghts
were
still
at
the inn
with
her
brother
and she
was
seeing
again
his cu
m
berso
m
e
fo
r
m
left sprawled on the bedroom
f
l
oor.

“How
the
deuce
did
you
know where
to
find
m
e
?
” commanded
Vale,
as
he
threw
h
i
m
self into
the
se
at
be
s
i
de her. “
W
hatever induced you to take a hand in the
m
atte
r
? Had I not pro
m
ised you that I would settle the affair?”

“You
very
nearly
did
not,
sir,”
s
m
iled
Sophie
weakly as she at la
s
t
raised
h
er
h
ead.

“No,
I
very
nearly
did
not,
c
h
ild,”
he
agreed
softly.
“If it
hadn’t
been
for
my
pupil
it
would
have,
in
all probability,
been
m
y
fra
m
e
now
lying
on
those
boards. But you still haven’t told
m
e how you ca
m
e there.”

“Lord
W
roxham
explained everything to
m
e.”

“He
betra
y
ed
m
y
trust?”
asked Vale
with
harsh incred
u
l
ity.

“It
had
not
been
his intention, Do
m
i
nic. I
m
ade him tell
m
e.”

“How
?
”

She
gave
a
half
s
m
ile.
“I
s
c
o
lded
a little,
and cried a little. He has not your resolve you see.”

“Too true! That would not have
w
o
rked
with me,
Jack, and well you know.”

“But
then
he
is
not
you,
sir. I
would
never
attempt
such ploys with you.”

“That
you would not, my Jack, and if you had I would have boxed your ears sound
l
y. How were you able to escape
from
Blake
House
without being noticed?”

She chuckled. “Oh that was quite easy. Everyone has gone to the opera; I just plea
d
ed a headache
and re
m
ained at ho
m
e. When they r
e
turn they
w
ill a
s
su
m
e
m
e
to be asleep
and
no
one
will
check
m
y
roo
m
.
As
for
esca
p
ing the
house—I
left
by
the
kitchen
door,
w
earing
m
y breeches.
Anyone
who
saw
m
e
would think I was just a young foot
m
an or some such.”

“How will we be able
to return y
o
u,
the
k
itc
h
en
door will have
be
en locked
fo
r the
n
i
ght?”

“I left the pantry window on the
l
a
tch,
so th
a
t
is
not
a proble
m
.”

“You seem to have thought of everything.
Quite ingenious,”
said
Vale,
amu
s
ed by her resourcefulness.

“You
know,
I
think
I
w
ould
have
quite
liked
to
have
been
a
boy,”
she
confided,
resting
her
head
against
his
shoulder.
“Then
I
would
have
been
able
to
acco
m
pany you when you go out of an evening.”

Vale s
m
iled into the darkness. “I trust you
w
ill not beco
m
e
too attached to masquerading as a boy
. The ti
m
e is approac
h
ing
when you will have to put
your breeches
aside.”

“Never!” s
h
e declared
h
otly.

“That
is
a
matter
we
will
have needs
to
discuss,
though now is not perhaps the best ti
m
e.”

The carriage ca
m
e to a halt outside
B
l
ake House just as the first fingers of dawn were beginning to appear over the skyline
and, telling
the
driver
to
wait
f
or
hi
m
,
the
e
a
r
l acco
m
panied Sophie around to the kitche
n
s at the rear of the house.

“
W
e
m
ust
hurry
to
get
you
i
n
side,” he said keeping his voice
low.
“You
have
not
long
to
get
to
your
room as
you must
not
be
seen.
I
will
c
o
m
e
for
you
shortly
after
noon and
we
will
drive
o
u
t.
No
Isabella
o
r
Regina,
ju
s
t
you
and
I.”

“It
will
be
as
if
we
were still
at
Sto
v
ely,
Do
m
i
nic,”
she s
m
iled tiredly, “but won’t it cause comment?
”

He grinned. “Com
m
ent be da
m
ned. Just
m
ake
s
ure you don’t wear your breeches, whi
c
h
w
ould cause a scandal, and
that
is
definitely
so
m
ething
we
could
do
without. Now, in with you,” and linking his fingers for her to step on to, he threw her up to the
window,
m
aking sure she had gained
entry
be
f
ore
r
et
ra
cing
his
steps
and
r
e
t
u
rning
to
the
waiting coach.

*****

“I cannot understand this penchant you have for Do
m
i
nic’s
co
m
pany,
”
complained
Regina when Sophie
m
entioned the projected drive as the fa
m
ily sat over breakfast a few hours later. “Your headache has left you looking so
m
e
what worn this
m
o
rning. I
w
ould have thought
you
would
have
been
better
resting
t
h
is afternoon as
we
go to a
soi
r
ee
at
Lady
Buck
m
aster’s
this
evening.
I believe Do
m
i
nic also to have been invited. Could you not have waited until then if you have need to see
hi
m
?
”

“But
I enjoy
driving
out and have
had so little opportunity,” replied Sophie.

“Sophie
is free
to
do whatever
she wishes,” interrupted the
d
uchess, “and
if
Do
m
i
nic
has offered
to
escort
her,
so much the better.”

“He
never
o
ffers
to
esc
o
rt
m
e,
his
sister,”
co
m
plained
Regina petulantly.

“And tell truth y
ou don’t wish it,” replied the d
uchess cal
m
ly.
“Besides,
you
have
your
Anthony
and
I
am
sure he is only t
o
o willing to drive o
u
t with you at any
ti
m
e.”

“He’s co
m
i
ng to see
m
e
this
m
o
rning,” said Regina enthusiastically.
“Perhaps
if I
ask
hi
m
,
we
could
add
to your nu
m
b
e
rs
, Sophie
?
”