Page 74

The Mandolini piece had added twice the weight to her valise and had taken some stuffing to fit in the case, but nothing would have compelled her to leave such a gift behind.

Thomas walked away from her, his attention fixed firmly on the papers in his hands. He returned to his desk and didn’t sayanother word. He didn’t even bother to spare an eyeball to look at her.

Not even a “need anything else?”

Sophia felt her cheeks flush and felt a sudden need to disappear from this place, and so she did. She stormed out, not a word out of her mouth either. Once she was back in the hallway, a closed door between them, she felt herself stewing, not realizing she was scratching her arm in annoyance.

What else did I expect?

His note had said everything he wanted to say to her. He didn’t want to pretend anymore. He didn’t want anything to do with her, not even to insult her. Maybe their night together had been insult enough.

Sophia felt her tears welling up but immediately scolded herself and pushed them down.

No! This changes nothing. I’ll tell him about what I discovered, for our families’ sake, but I can’t care more than that. I won’t. He only lay with me because I asked him to—fulfilling a favor.

She took a few deep breaths and brought herself down to earth again. She still had a duty to herself and her own family. She returned to her room and put a leash around her thoughts, using the preparations for tomorrow as an excuse to not think about him.

The diary helped some. Her situation was nothing compared to Eliza’s, though shecouldunderstand how gut-wrenching it was to hold happiness in one’s hands for only a few seconds before it was torn away forever.

I won’t end up like that. I won’t repeat history.

Of that, she was certain.

“Thomas, you scoundrel! You thought you were going to spend the afternoon hiding from me?” Thomas heard a familiar voice behind him.

He turned with a smirk to face his old friend, Robert Skinner, the Viscount Redcliffe.

“Good afternoon to you, too.” He punctuated his sentence with an extension of his arm as they shook hands. “Exaggerating, as usual. I wasn’t hiding from anyone. Isn’t this one of the most public balconies at this party?”

He gestured towards the throngs of people talking around them, who were casting sly judgment on the dancers below. A perfect spot for gossipmongers.

“That Rutherford fellow knows how to throw a gathering, doesn’t he?” Robert said, leaning on the balustrade.

“I wouldn’t know. All parties look the same to me.”

“That’s because you are a killjoy, my friend,” said Robert with a wide smile. “I doubt you would have hosted your own party at all if it wasn’t for your wife.”

Thomas pulled a face. “My mother, actually.”

“Well, either way, I hope it wasn’t the last time. You have one of the finest manors in the country—you areobligedto show it off.”

Thomas caught a light blue shimmer walking up the stairs, holding two glasses of punch in her hands. It was the most beautiful gown he had ever seen, clusters of beads twinkling in the ambient light, the shape of it more daring than the fashion of the day. Yet, it was timeless. Exquisite. The sort of gown that royalty might wear, and Sophiadidlook like royalty, with a glittering diadem woven into her hair.

Is that why she wanted us to arrive separately?

Thomas barely had time to prepare himself for her approach.

“Thomas…” Robert nudged him. “A goddess seems to be walking in our direction.”

Thomas cleared his throat. “My wife, actually.”

Robert gasped, his eyes widening. “You lucky duck, Thomas. You lucky, lucky duck.”

She practically glided towards them, handing one of the glasses to Thomas. He took it reluctantly, realizing how it looked if his wife was the one fetching drinks for them.Heshould’ve been doing it.

“Sophia, let me introduce you to Robert Skinner, the Viscount Redcliffe, and my most trusted friend and confidant,” he said stiffly.

Robert swept in to take Sophia’s hand, kissing her silken glove with far too much enthusiasm. “Your Grace, you are positively sparkling tonight.” He flashed her a grin. “Thomas has regaled me with countless stories of your beauty and grace, yet they all pale in comparison to reality. I thought a foreign queen had graced us with her presence.”