One Night Scandal (21 page)
She couldn’t do this. It was wrong.
“Are you all right?” he whispered as they reached the bottom step. “You look a tad peaked.”
“No, I need to leave.”
He pulled her closer until she wanted to drown in his intoxicating scent. “You will go nowhere.”
She yanked her arm out of his grip and stepped away from him. “You have no say in what I do.”
Nicholas clasped her hand and led her into the small receiving parlor. Closing the door behind him, he said, “What is wrong, Sophie? Are you upset because I followed your demand and proposed to Miss Littlebury?”
“No,” she almost shouted. “I am upset that you are here tonight instead of with her. At the very least, you should have let her accompany you.”
He shook his head. “Are you mad? I went to White’s where I met the other gentlemen who invited me to dinner. Should I have invited Miss Littlebury to White’s?”
“Of course not.”
“Do you honestly believe she could handle herself with any of our friends?”
Sophie knew enough about the girl to realize that her friends would dislike her immediately. They would consider her too young for Nicholas and only interested in gowns and fashionable balls. “No,” Sophie finally admitted.
“So I should stop seeing my cousin and friends on the off chance you are there, too?”
“No.” Sophie turned away from him. “It is not right that you stop calling on your family and friends. Therefore, I should leave. My friends will call on me at my home.”
He blew out a long breath. “I never wanted this, Sophie. Besides, your brother is here, too. It’s hardly fair to keep you away from him.”
“I know that.” She turned around and faced him again. “But again, Somerton can call on me. I will take my leave now.” She walked past him only to have his large hand grab her arm. “Good-bye, Nicholas.”
“Sophie, do not do this,” he warned in a low tone. “You have as much a right to be here as I do.”
She pressed her lips together and nodded. “That I do. But I just cannot be in the same room as you now. Good night.”
Sophie twisted out of his grip and walked out the door. As she rode home, she realized that leaving London, and quite possibly England, was her only recourse.
Nicholas stared at the closed door for a long moment before moving toward it. He was quite certain he had lost her for good. Never again would he see her face brighten as she smiled up at him. Or hear her infectious laugh. Or her glorious cries of satisfaction as her climax washed over her.
“Where is Sophie?”
He looked up to see Somerton frowning at him. “She decided she could not be in the same room as me and left.”
“Can’t say that I blame her,” Somerton retorted.
“She told me to propose to Miss Littlebury.”
“Of course she did. Her father won’t acknowledge her so she believes you are better off with Miss Littlebury,” Somerton said, still glaring at him.
“And yet, we both know who her father is and he is far more influential than Lord Witham.”
“You both know who her father is?” a feminine voice sounded behind Somerton.
Nicholas groaned seeing Jennette standing there with a look of amazement on her face. “Yes, Jennette. We both know.”
“How?” Jennette asked. “I have known her for over five years, and she has never told a soul. Does anyone else know?”
“I’ve known Sophie for ten years. And Victoria guessed it,” Somerton said offhandedly.
Jennette’s dark brows furrowed. “How in the world would she have guessed it?” Her mouth dropped as she stared at Somerton. “Oh, my God!”
“And now Jennette has figured it out,” Nicholas commented with a pointed look at Somerton.
“I never noticed the resemblance until now,” she said with a hint of awe to her voice.
“The resemblance?” another feminine voice asked. “To whom?”
This time Somerton groaned as Avis stepped forward. “No one, Avis. Go back to your dinner.”
“I believe I would prefer to hear this discussion, Somerton.”
“Avis, did Sophie ever tell you who her father is?” Jennette asked.
“Of course not and I never pressed her. Why?”
Jennette waved her hand at Somerton and Nicholas. “They both know. As does Victoria.”
“Victoria knows! How?” Avis said.
“Sophie and Somerton have known each other for ten years,” Jennette started.
Before she could continue, Somerton blurted out, “Sophie is my half sister. God, what a bunch of gossiping women.”
Avis stared at him. “Your sister?”
“Yes, my sister.” Somerton flexed his hands. “Now you all know.”
“What do we all know?” Elizabeth asked from the threshold of the dining room. “All I want to know is why people are in the hall instead of the dining room. And where is Sophie?”
Both Somerton and Nicholas groaned.
“You might as well tell them all,” Nicholas said to Somerton as they herded everyone to the dining room.
Chapter 21
Sophie shuffled through the stack of correspondence on her desk to see if her father had sent a reply yet. Finding nothing, she bit down on her lip. If she didn’t hear from him by tomorrow, she would have to use her last possibility.
After her encounter with Nicholas at Elizabeth’s house, she could not stay in England any longer. The idea of watching him marry that little tart would destroy her.
“Miss Reynard, Lord Westbury is here to see you, ma’am.”
He was here! In her home! The last time he had come by to see her was when she was fifteen and had the measles. The majority of their communication was short notes written when her expenses ran higher than normal.
“Send him in, Hendricks,” she managed to say.
Her hands shook as he approached the room. Should she order tea? She glanced down at her dress and thanked God she had the sense to wear one of her better gowns today. Her mind raced with nervousness.
“Good afternoon, Miss Reynard.”
“Good afternoon, Lord Westbury.” She moved around her desk and pointed to the chairs near the fireplace. “Shall we sit here?”
“Of course.” Once Hendricks closed the door, her father sat down and stared at her openly. “You remind me of Genna.”
Sophie nodded. “Thank you.”
“I didn’t mean it as a compliment. She has a headstrong manner about her too.” He sat back and folded his arms over his chest. “Your note sounded urgent. Exactly what trouble have you gotten yourself into?”
She swallowed down the lump of fear in her throat. He had changed in the past few years. His dark hair was streaked with gray and his face seemed to hold a perpetual frown.
“I am in trouble, Father.”
“Whose is it?”
She blinked and looked up at him. “Whose is it?”
“I can only assume you are with child. I always knew this day would come. Who is the father?” He tapped his finger against the arm of the chair impatiently.
“I would prefer not to say,” she replied, staring at her skirts.
He stood and walked to the fireplace. “I can only assume you want my permission to tell him my name.” Before she could interrupt, he continued, “Well, I will not give you that. You have known all your life what would happen if our names are connected. Don’t think you can toss my name out and expect the bounder to fall to his knees and propose.”
“I had no plans to break my promise to you, Father.”
He turned and stared at her. “Then what do you want?”
“I need to leave London.”
“Why?”
“The man is a marquess,” she whispered.
“Who is it?” he demanded.
If her father was half as stubborn as his son, she knew it was pointless to ignore the question. She closed her eyes and said, “Ancroft.”
“That bastard. He already has one bastard daughter. Does he plan to take the child away? Is that why you must leave?”
Sophie shook her head. “He doesn’t know about the baby. And he cannot find out. He is betrothed to Miss Littlebury.”
“I knew you would eventually take after your mother,” he muttered and moved toward the door.
Anger flooded her. She rose from her chair and stared at him. “Did I really take after my mother? Or maybe my whoring father who couldn’t even remain faithful to the wife who loved him?”
His hand held onto the door handle for a long moment. “You know nothing about my life.”
“I know everything about your life. My brother has told me everything he learned from his mother. Your
dead
wife.”
dead
wife.”
“I am finished with this business. I shall continue to pay your expenses while you are here. What you decide is your choice.” He finally turned the handle and left the room.
Sophie collapsed into her chair and wept. Now she had only one other option.
Nicholas watched as Justine danced with Lord Brentwood. This was the last place Nicholas wanted to be tonight. He had become embroiled in an argument with his father about escorting his betrothed to the Huffington ball. He finally relented when he realized the ball gave him the opportunity to watch her with other men. There had to be someone else she had an interest in.
Seeing the bored expression on her face, he doubted she had any attraction to Brentwood. The musicians ended their quadrille and Brentwood escorted Justine back to him.
“Thank you, Lord Brentwood,” Justine said as they arrived.
“My pleasure.” Brentwood bowed over her hand and then left them.
“My, what a bore that man is,” she said with a touch of scorn.
“Why is that?”
“He is dancing with me but telling me I should meet a friend of his.”
“What is wrong with that?”
She glared over at him. “I am betrothed.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Nicholas, there you are.”
Nicholas turned his head as Elizabeth and Kendal walked up to them. He noticed Justine immediately stiffened. “Elizabeth,” he said and then kissed her cheek. “Lovely to see you tonight.”
“And this must be Miss Littlebury.”
Nicholas stifled a laugh at Elizabeth’s pretentious tone. She knew how to play the haughty duchess to perfection.
“Your Graces,” Miss Littlebury said and then curtsied.
“Nicholas, I believe Miss Littlebury and I should take a turn about the room.” Elizabeth looked over at Justine. “Come along, young lady.”
Justine leveled a worried glance back at Nicholas.
“What is your wife up to?” he asked Kendal.
“I believe she decided that Miss Littlebury must learn how to deal with your relatives and friends.”
“She will never survive that, especially not my friends.”
“No, but it might be entertaining to watch.” Kendal grabbed two glasses of brandy from a footman and handed one to Nicholas. “You do realize that none of your friends want you to marry that girl.”
“Nor do I.” Nicholas sipped at his brandy wanting nothing more than to escape this room and conversation. But as he watched Elizabeth stop her gait, suddenly Avis, Jennette, and Victoria surrounded them. “What are they up to, Kendal?”
“It is probably best if you don’t know.”
“You are most likely right.” Still, he wasn’t happy about the inferring women who had surrounded his betrothed. He’d known those women long enough to be certain they were up to something.
“Who are they introducing her to?” Kendal said, interrupting Nicholas’s thoughts.
He glanced back over to the women and stared at the younger man with blond hair. “I believe that is Mr. Heston. Ellington’s second son.”
Kendal shrugged. “I haven’t been here long enough to know either of them. So tell me, Ancroft, if you have no desire to marry the chit, why are you?”
“Surely Elizabeth told you.”
“She made some mention of the girl attempting to kiss you and someone walking in on you both. Nevertheless, I do not understand why that would cause you to marry her. It certainly wouldn’t me.”
Nicholas chuckled. His cousin’s husband had only been in England for a few months and still hadn’t learned all the social skills needed to survive. “Her reputation was ruined. No other man would have her.”
“Still no reason that you should have to marry her. Break the engagement.”
“If I do, her father can sue me for breach.”
“And if he does?”
“Again, she will be ruined.”
“But again, that was all her fault. You know Elizabeth and I will support you if you should decide to break the betrothal.”
Nicholas sighed as he watched Heston escort Justine to the dance floor. It was the first time he’d seen her smile, truly smile, since that night a week ago. He should feel a bit jealous to see his betrothed smiling at another man . . . but he didn’t.
He sipped his brandy and wondered what Sophie was doing right now. She was probably home curled up on the sofa reading. Damn it all to hell! Why couldn’t he forget her?
“Kendal, I am leaving.”
Kendal turned to him with a frown. “What about Miss Littlebury?”
“She arrived with her parents and her parents will escort her home. Good night.”
As Nicholas left the ball, a sense of relief washed over him. He hated being seen with Justine. With only seven months to find a way out of this mess, he felt as if a noose were tightening around his neck.
The cool May night smelled of fresh flowers and reminded him of Sophie. He had to see her. Tonight. But when his carriage rolled to a stop in front of her home, he noticed only one candle lit the house. Could she be out? He highly doubted it, but it was only eleven. Far too early to be in bed.
He scrambled down from the carriage and walked up the steps. The front door opened a crack and a footman peered out.
“Miss Reynard is not accepting callers at this hour, my lord.”
“Please inform her that I am here.” He pushed past the man to enter the hall.
“My lord, I must insist you leave.” The footman leaned closer. “Miss Reynard is already abed.”
“Tell her.”
Hearing a door close upstairs, Nicholas looked up hoping it was Sophie. She appeared at the rail in her wrapper with her black hair in a queue. Seeing him, her mouth gaped slightly.
“Lord Ancroft, I believe you were informed that I am not accepting callers.”
“Sophie, please come talk with me.”
“There is nothing to discuss.”
Just seeing her again made his heart melt. He wanted to rush up the steps and hold her, tell her everything would be all right. But he couldn’t. She wouldn’t allow it. And he wasn’t sure everything would be all right. It seemed there were too many obstacles now.
“Please, Sophie. I need to know something.”
She tilted her head with a scowl. “Oh, very well.”
He waited at the bottom of the steps as she descended. He held out his arm for her but she walked past him. Instead, he followed her down the marble tiled hall.
She lit a few candles and then turned to him. “What was so important that you could not wait until morning?”
“I want you to read me again.”
“Why? We have been through this before and for some reason that I can’t explain I cannot read you.”
Nicholas sat down at the table where she always did her readings. “You said you saw me when reading Miss Littlebury. Then you should see her for me if I am her match. Please try again.”
She released a long sigh. “Very well.” She brought a candle to the table and sat down across from him. “Give me your hands.”
Nicholas placed his hands in her soft hands. It felt so good to touch her even this small amount. “I know, concentrate on love.”
“Yes.”
Blocking everything else from his mind, he thought only of Sophie. He wanted her to know that she was the only woman for him.
“Nicholas, stop that and think of love.”
“What do you see?”
“You are only trying to hinder my progress. Now think only of love.”
“I am,” he whispered as he closed his eyes again and thought of her.
“No,” she said, drawing her hands away from his. “I am not the one you are supposed to love.”
He leaned back in his chair and watched as she walked away from the table. “Do you realize that you are the only one who believes that?”
“What are you talking about, Nicholas?”
“I believe you are the woman for me. Our friends believe we should be together. My cousin and your brother also believe we should marry.” He folded his arms over his chest. “So exactly why do you think we are not suited?”
Sophie paced in front of the fireplace. This conversation was mad. She had to get him out of her house now. “You know why and if that is all you came here for then you should take your leave.”
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