Miss Sophie's Secret (13 page)

“Well!” her ladyship exclaimed in a hearty voice. She marched into the room and gave both of them a stiff smile. “It is as I had hoped. Sophie’s gown is quite delightful.”

Jonathan was silent.

Sophie, for some reason, felt guilty, and her cheeks flushed hot.

“Sophie’s gown is delightful, is it not?” Lady Biskup repeated.

“Yes, it’s very nice,” Jonathan answered. “And she’s very beautiful. In fact, I’ve just told her that I love her and wish to marry her.”

Lady Biskup’s smile hardened. She tilted her head archly to one side. “It is early times yet, is it not?” she said. “When all is made clear to us . . . well . . . come along now, let us put such serious things out of our minds and turn our entire attention to Countess Dangerfield’s ball. We shall speak of love and marriage and family ties at another time.”

There was a long tense moment during which Jonathan considered his aunt and his beloved, and Sophie turned from one to the other, her mouth opening and closing. Then there was a commotion in the vestibule, a clatter of feet across the floor, and Lady Englewood trotted into the room with Lord Edgar, Nicky, Jeanette and Fairmont trailing behind her.

“Ah!” she exclaimed. “Here you are. We have come to carry you off to the ball. There is just enough room for two more. Jonathan, you will be obliged to find other transportation.”

“My dear!” Jeanette said. “Your gown is wonderful. I expect to see the butterflies take wing at any moment and go off in a flurry. Is it not wonderful, Roger?”

To Sophie’s amazement, Fairmont smiled. “Yes, Miss Althorpe, it is thoroughly enchanting.”

Lady Englewood caught Nicky by the hand and led him to Sophie’s side. “Is it not the most delightful gown, my love? Have you ever beheld a more beautiful girl?”

Nicky nodded, smiling. “Dashed pretty, Sophie. Never thought I’d see you looking so fine. You’re as pretty as Ellen.”

“What!” Lady Englewood screeched. “Ellen, indeed. Our Sophie is infinitely prettier!”

Nicky shook his head solemnly. “Dashed pretty—both of them.”

“Pooh!” Lady Englewood snapped. “Put on her cloak and come along. And I shall ask you please to spare me the sound of that odious Ellen’s name henceforward.”

“Very well,” Nicky said. “But one is as pretty as the other.”

Sophie stole a glance at Jonathan and found him covering a smile.

Lady Englewood waved a hand at Lady Biskup. “Come along, Ruth. We must arrive during the next half hour if we wish to make a fashionable entrance.”

“No, Aunt Blanche,” Sophie contradicted, smiling slyly at Lady Biskup. “The moment which we choose to arrive at the ball will be the fashionable time for all the others. My Aunt Ruth has explained it to me.” She cast a mischievous glance at Jonathan, who promptly chuckled.

Lady Biskup laughed. “Yes, yes, it is true that our prestige will carry us whenever we choose to grace the party with our presence. But let us be on our way. Sophie will ride with you and I shall accept Jonathan’s gracious company in the Vaile landau.”

“No, no,” Lady Englewood protested. “You must come with us, Ruth. Jonathan can hire a chair.”

Lord Englewood took his wife’s arm and guided her out into the vestibule.

“Do you hear me?” she called back to them. “You are to come in our carriage, Ruth!”

Snow was falling steadily as they descended the front steps. Sophie kept her hood drawn over her head and leaned heavily on Jonathan’s arm to keep from slipping on the icy stones. When the carriages drew away from Vaile House, she was wedged between the baron and baroness. She feared for her butterflies and wished with all her heart that she had declined their invitation and ridden with Jonathan and Aunt Ruth. It would have given her an opportunity to hold Jonathan’s hand in the dark.

“Sophie?” Jeanette said. “Are you ill, my dear? I have asked you three times if you wish to view the Elgin marbles tomorrow afternoon.”

“Oh, yes, indeed,” Sophie replied. “I can think of nothing more delightful. I have heard that the dust of ancient Greece is still on them. How romantic . . .”

Her thoughts drifted back to Jonathan. She remembered the way he had looked at her as he said “I love you.” His expression had sent the blood racing through her veins, to the very tips of her fingers and toes.

“Do you hear me, my love?” Lady Englewood said in a shrill voice. “Please follow your Uncle Edgar and step down out of the carriage.”

“Oh.” Dutifully, Sophie pulled her cloak around herself and stepped to the door.

To her relief, Jonathan was standing outside on the cobbles. He reached up both hands and lifted her down in such a way that she was able to hold her cloak away from her butterflies. Lady Englewood scowled at him.

Inside the vestibule the entire party divested themselves of their wraps and climbed the staircase to the ballroom. The dancing had already begun, and an orchestra was emitting mellifluous sounds as six rows of dancers in colorful attire bobbed happily across the floor. Sophie stood for a moment with her hand on Jonathan’s arm, watching the exquisite gowns swirl and ripple past them. Overhead six elaborate crystal chandeliers picked up shimmering glimpses of red and blue and green from the dancers’ clothing and scattered them over the rest of the crowd. Everywhere people were laughing together, their jewels aglow and the hum of their voices covering the room with a warm blanket of sound.

When the music stopped, the new arrivals moved to the side of the room where they greeted their hostess, an angular lady with long teeth and a gracious demeanor. They were just turning away when they were assaulted by a vivacious blond woman of lush dimensions who fell upon Lady Biskup’s neck and shed several genuine tears.

“Ruth, my dearest, it is indeed you at last! I had heard that you were returned to town after all these years, and I have been rushing about the room asking for you. Come sit down with me and describe every breath you have taken since I saw you last.”

Lady Biskup returned the embrace. “Indeed, Sally, it is wonderful to see you. Allow me to present my ward, Sophia Althorpe, and my nephew, Jonathan Gray.”

Sophie executed a pretty curtsy.

The woman smiled and cupped a hand under her chin. “So this is she. Ah, yes, she is beautiful indeed, my love. We shall allow Trowbridge to pay her court—she must settle for nothing less than a duke.” She turned to Jonathan. “And you, my dear boy, have grown into a wonderfully handsome rascal. You must tell me all the latest on-dits from the Peninsula.”

As Lady Biskup and the woman walked away together, chattering steadily into each other’s ears, Sophie turned to Jonathan. “And who is that, pray? I don’t know quite how to take her.”

“That’s Lady Jersey,” he told her. “She’s a charming tyrant and a devoted friend, when she likes you.”

“Then I shall hope to be able to win her confidence.”

Jonathan squeezed her hand. “You shall, rest assured. The entire ton will be charmed. How could they be otherwise?”

Nicky stepped up beside them. “Well, I shall be obliged to ask you for the first dance, Sophie, as I fear that Ellen has not arrived.”

“Sophie is dancing this set with me,” Jonathan told him. “You may have her for the next.”

“Very well,” Nicky said, shrugging. He brightened then. “Ah, here is Ellen. Good evening, Miss Joysey. You’re looking especially beautiful tonight.”

“Indeed?” she said, turning her head slightly to one side and putting her nose in the air. “You are very kind, sir. I trust that you are well.”

“Eh?” Nicky exclaimed. “Well? Of course I’m well! Dash it all, Ellen, I’m sorry I didn’t call today, but the mater’s kept me running about like a headless chicken, doing this and that. Can’t imagine what she’s been about. I barely had time to dress for the ball.”

Ellen made a moue and turned her attention to Sophie and Jonathan. “Ah, Mr. Gray and Miss Althorpe. You are well, I trust.”

Somewhat taken aback by this formality, Sophie hesitated. Then deciding in favor of candor, she leaned toward Ellen and smiled.

“How beautiful you are tonight,” she told her. “We have been looking for you. Nicky wishes to dance his first dance with you.”

Ellen raised her eyebrows. “I believe he should dance with you first, Miss Althorpe.”

“Dash it all,” Nicky protested. “I don’t want to dance with Sophie. I want to dance with you. Let’s put all this nonsense aside and behave like civilized human beings.”

She stiffened. “Civilized, sir? Indeed!” That said, she turned indignantly away and marched off, her back rigid.

“Devilish creature!” Nicky muttered. “It’s m’ mater’s fault. Gotten her into a snit.” And he strode off in pursuit.

Jonathan smiled at Sophie. “They’ll work it out—don’t be alarmed.”

The music had stopped and the dancers were beginning to move off the floor. Sophie caught sight of Ferguson staring at her over the top of Kathleen’s head, but he promptly disappeared into the crowd.

“We shall dance this set,” Jonathan told her, “and one other, if you’re in agreement. The rest, you may dance with whomever you please—or I shall fill your card for you, if you wish. But you must not dance more than once with any other man or it will indicate a marked preference and approaching engagement. I’ll also escort you down to supper, if you’re agreeable.”

They stood for a moment, smiling at each other, until they were roused by the sound of Jeanette’s voice.

“Here you are,” she said. “Is this not a delightful room?”

The orchestra was beginning the opening strains of the next set, and as Jonathan led Sophie to her place, Fairmont led Jeanette into line beside her. To Sophie’s surprise there was the same look of pain on Fairmont’s face that she had seen her first morning in London.

She followed his gaze and saw that it was on Jeanette, who was watching Jonathan in a strange way. When Jeanette chanced to glance around and find Fairmont watching her, she smiled at him—but casually—then turned to smile in the same manner at the girl on the other side of her.

Good heavens,
Sophie thought
, Jeanette is in love with Jonathan. How dreadful! She will certainly be hurt, since he is in love with me. And Fairmont will be hurt. And poor Ellen is hurt by Nicky’s neglect and by Lady Englewood’s attempts to fob me off onto him. What a wretched coil.

The lines of dancers began to move then and Sophie was obliged to concentrate on the steps for a time. But she was soon able to move easily with the flow and look around at the brilliant assembly.

“If only this were a waltz,” Jonathan whispered to her. “I could take you in my arms without fear of censure.”

She cast a quick, shy glance at him and then turned her gaze away, her cheeks and the tip of her nose beginning to tingle.

“If you will look toward the draperies at the far end of the room,” he told her, “you will see Nicky endeavoring to reingratiate himself with his love. And I fear he is not succeeding.”

Sophie peered in the direction he had indicated. She could see Ellen with her back against a pillar, her nose high and her lips pursed, shrugging her shoulders every few seconds as Nicky spoke to her. He waved a hand, apparently trying to make his case. Finally, he bowed to her, turned on his heel, and marched off. He began to survey the dancers, stretching his neck and frowning. The moment he caught sight of Sophie he relaxed and strode along the side of the room to a spot where he joined three of his friends. Once he glanced back toward Ellen but quickly turned away again.

“A lover’s spat,” Jonathan observed. “They’ll make it up before the night is over.”

When the music ended, Nicky pushed his way across the floor to them.

“Well, old man,” he announced, “it is my turn now. You don’t mind if I’m damned attentive, do you, Sophie? I’m going to make Ellen sorry she’s being such a widgeon.”

Almost immediately Ferguson appeared, hurrying up to them. “Miss Althorpe, how beautiful you are!” he exclaimed. “May I have the pleasure of this country dance?”

“You’re too late” Nicky told him. “I’m dancing with her, can’t you see?”

“Oh.” Ferguson’s face flushed red. “Then the next, perhaps.”

“I would be pleased, sir,” she told him.

“Dashed popinjay!” Nicky muttered after he had left them. “Couldn’t even see that you had a partner. He’s nothing but a pretty face, hasn’t a feather to fly with, and he’s one of the most corkbrained gudgeons in the empire. Something missing in his upper works, I daresay. You’ll do well to avoid him, Sophie. Let Kathleen Bingham have him. Her money might be the saving of him, don’t you see? And those good looks of his ain’t likely to last.”

“Oh, I’ve no intention of becoming seriously attached to him, I assure you,” she told him.

“Good,” he declared. “I’m glad you ain’t as empty-headed as you look.”

She struggled to think of a fitting rejoinder, but before she could formulate a sufficiently sharp retort, the orchestra struck up the strains of a minuet and Nicky guided her to her place. She soon discovered, somewhat to her surprise, that he was an excellent dancer. As he led her smoothly up and down the room, she gave herself up to enjoyment of the evening.

Once, as they passed a cluster of spectators, Sophie caught sight of Ellen chatting animatedly with a young man in a cavalry uniform. The officer was obviously enraptured with the girl, but Sophie suspected, from the way she kept blinking eyes, that Ellen was fighting tears.

“Ellen is a charming girl,” Sophie said to Nicky.

He scowled. “I’ve been of that opinion these past months, but it seems I’ve misjudged her. She’s a peagoose.”

“Oh, no!” Sophie protested.

When the dance concluded, Ferguson hurried up to them, towing his partner by a hand. She was a pretty blonde with a petulant mouth and a waterfall of pears mixed into her elaborately curled hair.

“Miss Prowse,” he began, “Miss Althorpe and Mr. Nicholas Althorpe.”

“Ah, Patricia,” Nicky greeted Miss Prowse. “May I have the pleasure?”

She smiled. “If you wish.”

The moment Nicky and Patricia moved away, Ferguson grabbed Sophie’s hand and kissed the back of it.

“Dearest Miss Althorpe,” he breathed. “I have been in agony since we last parted. Have you also suffered?”