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Sophia’s father smiled with a hint of sadness in his eyes. “She has always been exquisite, Lydia.”

“Oh, hush, Charles, you know what I meant.”

Sophia pulled back. “Thank you, Mother. Thank you, Father. But, in truth, I do not feel exquisite. I feel as if I can hardly walk for fear of ruining this beautiful gown. I suppose that is the trouble with pretty things—they break so easily.”

Fortunately, Thomas has already approved of the color.

Sophia pressed her lips together to stop a smirk from appearing, for if he dared to so much as tug too hard on the capped sleeves or the seams ofthisdress, she would flatten him.

James stepped forward, stealing her from their mother to hug her tightly. “I expected to see a wreck of a woman,” hewhispered. “Yet, here you are—resplendent and inspiring awe in all who see you. I am very pleasantly surprised.”

“Well, maybe I am stronger than you thought, James,” she teased.

“No. You are stronger thanyouthought. I told you, you have the heart of a warrior, and I, for one, couldn’t be happier to see that it is still beating ferociously.”

“So, how’s life in the snake’s nest?” asked Samuel, clearly deciding that he didn’t want to be left out of the conversation.

Lydia smacked him lightly on the arm. “Do be quiet, Samuel—we are in public. We can’t let anyone hear us say such things, or you will undo all the obvious progress that our dear Sophia has made.”

“Understood.” Samuel pretended to lock his mouth. “Must not speak the truth under any circumstances.”

Charles shot him a harsher glare that did, in fact, keep him silent.

For the following minutes, the five of them existed amongst each other in a contented bubble, conversing and laughing as if they were not all standing in the gardens of a manor that, until recently, all would have happily watched burn.

Sophia was ecstatic, not merely at seeing her family again, but at watching them be at peace in enemy territory. She had missed them terribly, even the hotheaded mess that was Samuel, and hoped that this might mean they would visit her often at her new home.

“Hold on a minute…” She frowned, realizing there ought to be six of them, not five. “Is Uncle Frederick not here?”

“Sadly, no. He said he had some business to attend to,” Charles responded. “But I can tell he still doesn’t approve of the marriage. I think he figured that he better stay out of it so as not to sour the relations between the families.”

Sophia’s shoulders almost sagged with faint relief, certain that Samuel would behave if Frederick was not there to egg him on. Then, she noticed her mother looking at something behind her, her mouth hanging open.

Sophia turned.

A towering, imposing, unfairly handsome figure in a tailcoat the same green as Sophia’s gown cut a swathe through the crowd, the guests parting for him without hesitation. His wolf-like eyes were fixed on Sophia, his dark hair tousled as if someone had recently run their fingers through it, the ghost of a smile playing on those infuriatingly kissable lips of his.

“Husband,” she murmured as he halted beside their party.

“Wife,” he replied, before bowing respectfully to Lydia and Charles. “Lord and Lady Alderley. I am delighted you are here.”

Lydia waved off the remark. “The pleasure is all ours, Your Grace.”

“We were… grateful for the invitation,” Charles said more stiffly.

Thomas held out his arm. “I hate to intrude on what I’m sure is a happy reunion, but I should like to borrow my wife for a dance.”

“Now?” Sophia grabbed his arm instinctively, remembering her lessons.

“I could not think of a better time,” he replied.

The Kendalls nodded quietly as Thomas whisked Sophia to the marble piazza that had been transformed into the garden party’s dance floor. She caught her mother waving at her with a worried expression.

But there was no time for that. She had work to do, and she had not spent the past few days, between Pietro’s lessons and this garden party, practicing for nothing.

The performance of a lifetime.

And she had a trick up her sleeve.