Three Original Ladies 02 - Lord Trowbridge’s Angel (21 page)

Frank introduced the doctor.

“Your servant, my lady,” Dr. Shelton bowed deeply.

“Let us sit,” Sophie said.

The doctor addressed Sophie. “Lord Trowbridge has told me what he knows about your discomfort with your knee. I cannot say for certain, until I examine it, but it is possible that I have some simple massages and stretches that may relieve the joint pain significantly. Particularly if continued over a period of time. They are methods you could manage yourself.”

Sophie did not want to get her hopes up, but the desire to be free of pain was a deep one. “I have consulted doctors in the past,” she said.

“Have you been to see anyone in Harley Street?”

“No. I have lived in the country all my life.”

“Some of us in Harley Street have had the benefit of further education and study than our country brethren. I have been so lucky. Will you allow me to examine you privately? The marchioness will of course be asked to be present.”

Sophie swallowed and looked at Fanny. Her sister said, “We have nothing to lose, my love. Let us go upstairs to my dressing room.”

Throwing a glance of trepidation at Frank, who was unusually solemn, Sophie rose and bade the doctor to follow her and Fanny. They climbed to the second floor, a process which Sophie managed with her usual lack of grace.

When they arrived in Fanny’s dressing room, the little man instructed Sophie to lie on the daybed. Using delicate fingers, he felt her knee and the muscles surrounding it. “Yes, Miss Edwards, I think you are going to prove an excellent candidate for what I have in mind. It helps that you have been as active as possible. The muscles are strong.” Taking her hand, he helped her to sit.

“Now, I am going to ask you to lift your gown to your thigh. You may leave your shift to cover your limb.”

With some embarrassment, Sophie accomplished this. The doctor instructed her how to place her hands, one over the other on top of her thigh above her knee. Then he instructed her how to press one hand against the other, bringing pressure against the muscles of her thigh.

At first it was quite painful, but he instructed her to continue. After perhaps ten minutes, she could feel the tight muscles start to loosen. Her arms and shoulders were very tired and she was perspiring. “I think I can feel a change,” she said.

“Yes,” the doctor said. “As your arms and hands become stronger, and your thigh muscles more malleable, the change will be greater.”

He then demonstrated several stretches. “These will help, as well. However, you will need to do them without your trappings. I have taken the liberty of sketching the positions for you.” He took a paper from his inside pocket on which Sophie could see a number of drawings.

Fanny said, “Did that really help, Sophie?”

“I can see that it is beginning to. I am cautiously hopeful.”

“After perhaps three months of this treatment, you should be able to walk without pain, Miss Edwards. But you must be consistent.”

“Do you think I will ever be able to dance?” she asked.

“It is certainly possible.”

“And horseback ride?”

“On a sidesaddle, most assuredly.”

Sophie stood and clasped her hands to her breast, flushing with pleasure. “Oh, doctor, I will be very diligent. You have no idea what this means to me!”

The little man beamed. “I have seen some miracles occur from this simple treatment. I am quite confident it will help in your case.”

“You must send us your bill, Doctor,” Fanny said. “We are profoundly grateful for your expertise.”

When they rejoined Frank, he looked a question at Sophie. Losing all her reserve, she said, “Thank you so much for thinking of Dr. Shelton, Frank! Just think, if I am diligent in my exercises, he says one day, I may dance! And ride a horse!”

Frank grinned and advanced to take her hands in his and said, “If this prospect gives you pleasure, I am glad. I thought merely to relieve your pain.” The look in his eyes was soft as he gazed into her face.

“You are very good, Frank. This was exceedingly thoughtful.”

Fanny invited both men for luncheon; however, they declined. Dr. Shelton had to return to his office.

He left her with a parting bit of advice. “Do not overdo in your anxiety to get well, Miss Edwards. Once a day. Only once a day.”

~
~*

When Frank and the doctor had gone, Sophie was both elated and confused. Never had she believed there was a chance for her to live a physically normal life.

“Fanny,” she said. “I feel like I have just been granted an impossible wish!”

“You must be thrilled,” Fanny said as she hugged her. “But remember what the doctor said. No overdoing. This will require patience.”

“I do not know whether I am happier that I may lose my limp, or that Frank would be so insightful and put himself to so much trouble.”

“I was watching Frank’s face. It was no trouble. He was exultant! When you love someone, their happiness is what makes you happy. He did this out of love for you, Sophie.”

She put a hand to her forehead. “Never was there such a confusing character as Frank’s. This man is the one I fell in love with. But how do I know that tomorrow he will not be up to another outrageous start?”

“I can tell you from personal experience, dearest, change comes in fits and starts. Frank’s years as a man of leisure have a pull on him. It is called entropy. But he is obviously making an effort to show you the person he is capable of being. It is a process. I saw Buck go through it. I experienced it myself. This kind of change is only motivated by love, Sophie. Frank does love you.”

Sophie made a fist and clutched it over her heart. “I do not want to believe it, Fanny. Not when he is engaged to Melissa. It is much easier to put him out of my life.”

“I can understand that. But I have learned never to underestimate the power of love. Look at me. Look at Elise. We married men who never thought they would marry. And both Peter and Buck are entirely satisfactory.” Fanny blushed. “I assure you!”

~
~*

Sophie was diligent in her new regime. She also improved daily in her mastery of the violin part in the Archduke trio. However, when Frank did not appear for the following four days, she realized she was regretting her little speech of rejection. Perhaps he had completely resigned himself to marrying Melissa. The irony of it all was that she no longer doubted that Frank loved her.

{ 36 }

FRANK WAS EXPERIENCING
a very difficult time staying away from Sophie while still trying to think of ways to prove to her that his love was genuine and that it was changing him for the better. One afternoon, when he was a guest at Sophie’s Aunt Clarice’s for a board meeting to discuss progress on the girl’s orphanage, he was asked to remain for luncheon. There, he received glorious and unexpected news from Lady Susannah.

“I have wonderful tidings to impart,” she said over the cassoulet of chicken and vegetables. “Devonshire has managed the nigh impossible.”

“What has he done now?” Lady Clarice asked.

“He has tempted Wordsworth out of seclusion in the Lake District to come to London for a few days. He is going to give a reading, by invitation only.”

Frank gaped at her. “Wordsworth? Here?” It must be answer to prayer. “Do tell, Lady Susannah, how does one go about obtaining an invitation? It would not be too strong to say that I revere the man. As does Sophie.”

The little woman with the iron-gray sausage curls looked at him with a twinkle in her eye. “I am invited to bring a party of five. I would be delighted to include you and Sophie, Lord Trowbridge. We were given very short notice so that all of the
ton
might not descend on the man. He does not enjoy society and is of a retiring nature.”

“So when is the reading to be?” Frank asked.

“Two days hence. Saturday evening at Devonshire House. Clarice is coming, of course, and she suggested I invite Elise. So it will be quite a family party.”

“I cannot wait to inform Sophie. Thank you so much for mentioning it today. I declare, Providence is smiling on me through you, Lady Susannah!”

The little lady blushed. “I am so glad.”

~
~*

Frank virtually flew to the Deal Townhouse following luncheon. He had not seen Sophie in four days. Before he gave Perkins his card, he wrote on it, “Wonderful news!”

When Sophie joined him in the downstairs sitting room, her face was lit candle-bright. “Oh Frank, is the engagement broken?”

“Oh, darling. I am sorry.” Going to her, he took her hands in his. “I do have good news, but unfortunately, the engagement is still intact.”

Her smiled dimmed.

“Can this mean you have reconsidered your decision that we do not suit?”

“Of course not,” Sophie said, raising her chin.” I am merely concerned for Melissa’s sake. I know that she does not want to marry you.”

Frank wanted to tell her that he was not such a flat as to believe that, and silently rejoiced.

“If you could have your choice of hearing the best poet in the Kingdom recite his verse, whom would you choose?” he asked.

“William Wordsworth. You know that.” She colored as soon as the words were out.

Frank chose diplomatically to ignore her self-consciousness.

Posing as a conjurer, he whipped the handkerchief out of his pocket and shook it before her. Pretending to draw something from it, he held out an empty hand as though it contained a treasure. “I have, in my gift, an invitation from his grace, the Duke of Devonshire, an invitation to a reading to be given by the esteemed poet, William Wordsworth, on Saturday evening. I beg that you will accompany me. Your sister Elise, as well as your Aunt Clarice, will be in attendance.”

“But I have heard that he is very reclusive and does not do readings!”

“For the Duke of Devonshire, he does. Perhaps he is a patron. Or perhaps Wordsworth hopes that he will become a patron. Lady Susannah was given an invitation for five people, and as luck would have it, or perhaps Providence, I was there for lunch today when she mentioned it. She graciously allotted two of her invitations for me and for you.”

To his complete surprise, Sophie threw herself onto his chest and put her arms around him. “Oh excellent, excellent Gorgeous Frank! What an honor! What an evening! I could not have dreamed of anything I would like better.”

He wrapped her securely in his arms. “Even if you must endure my company?”

She hid her face in his waistcoat. “You must know, Frank, that there is no one I know who appreciates Wordsworth as you do. No one else in whole company I would rather be.”

He tipped her chin up with his fingers. “And you still claim that we do not suit?” He looked at her smooth, full lips, and wondered if a kiss would be welcome, or whether it was asking too much.

As if reading his mind, Sophie put her fingers up to his mouth. “What does it matter how well we suit when you are still engaged to Melissa and the time of the wedding grows ever closer?”

Releasing her, he ground his teeth in frustration. “We will go to the reading. We will enjoy this opportunity which may never come again. Then, if things should not go as we wish, we will always have Wordsworth. We will always be able to look back on the evening as a grand apex in our personal experience.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “I want the chance to treasure you forever, darling, to smooth every frown, to lighten every cloudy sky. Ever since you walked toward me the first night I saw you, I have desired that.” Pulling her to him, he encircled her once again in his arms. “And when I heard your violin and realized how much more there was to life and love than I had supposed, I knew that we belonged to one another. Something will happen. Providence could not be so cruel to keep us apart. We must have faith.”

{ 37 }

SOPHIE COULD NOT WAIT
to tell Fanny her news. She found her in her upstairs sitting room, finishing the embroidery on Alexa’s new white lawn dress.

“What a picture of contented domesticity you present, Fan! If I did not know you better, I would think you were tamed to this life.”

“Ah, but I know Italy waits in the wings. One can endure almost anything if one knows Italy awaits. Has Frank been here? You look very cheerful.”

Sophie told her the news.

“Oh, that is famous! How I wish I could come. But Alexa would rule that out in any case. I am glad Elise will be there, as well. You and Frank have some history with Wordsworth, do you not?”

“Yes. Though events seem to have made a mockery of it.” She described their mutual feelings of having known each other before when “trailing clouds of glory do we come from God, who is our home.”

Perkins entered the room. “Lord Shrewsbury is waiting to see you,” he announced.

She sighed. “Show him in to the yellow sitting room, please.” To Fanny, she said, “Merciful heavens, what can the man want now?”

“He is truly a gorgeous man, you know,” Fanny said.

“Remember, you are leg-shackled to Buck.”

“As though he would let me forget it! And as though I would want to. Run along, dearest.”

~
~*

Sophie had never seen Lord Shrewsbury so pleased with himself. He was positively beaming.

“My dear Miss Edwards,” he announced, “I have such a wondrous surprise!”

She had a terrible presentiment. “Oh yes?”

“I have the pleasure of extending an invitation to you by way of the Duke of Devonshire to attend a reading by the poet William Wordsworth!”

Sophie gave a little smile. “That is indeed wonderful, Lord Shrewsbury. How very kind of you to think of me! However, I must tell you that I have already received and accepted another such invitation.”

The baron’s brows came crashing down. “Where did you come by such a thing?” He was clearly vexed.

“Lord Trowbridge was here before you. It was he who tendered me the invitation.”

“But where did
he
come by it? There are very few invitations available.”

“From the Duke, of course.”

Shrewsbury had never showed such poor grace. His face was in a full scowl. “Do you still hope to marry the man?”