Page 2 of Sophia’s Letter (Ladies of Munro #1)

A driana flounced into the room and threw herself upon Sophia’s bed, her curls—short and dark, like her sister’s—bouncing as she did so.

“Freddy is a coward!” she announced to Sophia, who was sitting up in bed and reading a book, or trying to. Adriana sighed and rolled onto her back, staring dreamily at the ceiling. “I do love him so. Why can he not be a man and stand up to Papa? What is the worst that can happen?”

Sophia closed her book. Once Adriana had started on the topic of Freddy, she was as relentless as a bulldog.

“I think we both know exactly what would happen, Deedee,” Sophia replied quietly, using her sister’s childhood nickname to soften the severity of the unspoken truth.

Adriana sat up at once, her eyes wide, her youthful cheeks flushed. “He wouldn’t, really. Would he, Fee? Not to family! Not after he lost Mama!”

Sophia shook her head, her expression grim. “If you marry Freddy, you will not be family anymore. Not to Papa.”

“Well, I don’t care!” Adriana lied. “Freddy loves me, and I love him. And if Papa is going to be mean about it, he doesn’t deserve to have me for a daughter.”

“Deedee! You can’t mean that!”

“I can, and I do,” Adriana replied sulkily, crossing her arms. “I’m already four and twenty, Fee. I want to have a home of my own. I want children. Papa should not deny me that. I know Freddy isn’t wealthy, but he is a gentleman of good character. Any other father would be happy to have him as a son-in-law.”

Sophia lowered her eyes. She knew her sister was right. The things she wanted were all quite reasonable. Her own situation was different. At fourteen, she had been forced to make peace with a future as an old maid. With her thirtieth birthday just around the corner, the reality of that future was now confirmed. But Adriana had not had the paralysis fever. She was not confined to a bed or chair. She had much to offer. And a full life to live.

Instead, their father was determined to keep his children around him. He had always been a difficult man—something Mama had managed to tame to some degree with tact and subtle manipulation. Yet even at his most stubborn, he had never been cruel. Mama’s death had changed him, made him hard and unyielding. And blindly possessive. He would never again give someone up. He saw in each of his five children an echo of his wife, and he would not be parted from any of it.

At first, they had tried to reason with him, reminding him that a bride or groom might be persuaded to stay in the family home. But even this did not change his mind. His children could neither alter his thinking, nor understand it fully. It became a shameful secret they were all forced to share. In time, when Bess did not come out in society, the world would know. Then again, perhaps it would not matter, since they so seldom moved within that world.

Though the years had brought a measure of understanding of their father’s behavior, it had not made it easier to live with. Their brothers—knowing a young wife was always available to them no matter how old they grew—were willing to wait until their father passed on to defy his will. For Sophia, Adriana, and young Bess, the situation was more complicated. Well, Sophia had to admit, really only for Adriana. Bess had scarce been a babe when Mama had died. Now, at fifteen, she wasn’t quite ready yet to enter society, even if Papa would let her. As for herself…Sophia looked at her long, pale fingers. They would only ever hold books and pens. No man would want to take her limp body into his arms. No, when it came to his eldest, their father had nothing to worry about.

“If you leave,” Sophia said in a small voice, “I shall not be able to see you again. Our brothers are studying and working and living full lives. And Bess is too young to grasp the finality of my situation. Who would be left to comfort me if I lost you?”

“Oh, Fee!” Adriana flung her arms around her. “I would never leave you! You must come with me. Freddy wouldn’t mind.”

Sophia gave a wry laugh. “Freddy will barely be able to support you. And there will no doubt be a string of noisy little Freddies and Deedees to take care of. I would only be a burden. I cannot allow it.”

Adriana was silent. Sophia knew this did not mean the end of the argument. Her sister had merely grown thoughtful. That did not bode well. Adriana’s personality was spontaneous and bright. She dealt with all challenges head-on, including their father. She argued fiercely and passionately where Sophia would have shrunk within herself. If Adriana went quiet without having won the debate, it meant she was plotting a more creative way to succeed. Yet, even though Sophia knew this, she was wholly unprepared for what came next.

“I shall have to find you a husband.”

Adriana said it with such solemnity that Sophia was momentarily struck mute. Then anger boiled up.

“That is not funny!”

“I did not say it in jest.”

“Then you have lost your wits! You know full well there is no dowry in the world that could make a match for me. And if such a sum existed, our father would not pay it.”

“Well, there is that. Papa’s selfishness really does complicate matters.”

“That is the least of it. Husbands want wives who are healthy and can bear them an heir. I can barely walk across the room! Really, Adriana, if I didn’t know you loved me, I would think you are being cruel to even speak of marriage for me.”

“But you deserve it just as much as the rest of us, dear Fee! You are clever and beautiful and thoughtful and…”

“That is irrelevant,” Sophia interrupted. “There are many such ladies who also play piano and ride and show off their accomplishments. What is the point of a beautiful bride if a man cannot parade her upon his arm?”

“You are very negative,” Adriana complained.

“But I am right.”

Adriana sighed. “Yes,” she conceded reluctantly, “you are right.” The fight seemed to drain from her. “I wish you weren’t. You should be happy.”

“You make me happy.” Sophia smiled bravely.

“But if I leave…”

“I will manage.”

“You will be lonely.”

“I will have Katie for company.”

“ Hmph . She is not enough. You need someone to spar with, dear sister, lest you withdraw even further into the dark corners of your mind. Someone like that Mr. Mannerly, with whom you correspond so frequently.”

“Oh, him ,” scoffed Sophia. “We merely discuss my writing.” Her heart fluttered a little, but it was hidden in her bosom, safe from view.

Her sister gave a look both mischievous and indignant, a look only Adriana could manage.

“Ah, yes,” she said with a knowing nod, “you think me a simpleton. You use the word ‘merely’ when there is no such thing. I see with what eagerness you await his letters.”

“I don’t know what you mean!” Sophia said a little too loudly. “He is a perfectly decent gentleman with whom I discuss literature. And he is not the first.”

“No, but he is young, younger even than yourself by several years. And his uncle is an earl. If Papa did not have such ridiculous notions about us marrying, he would be arranging the engagement himself.” She grinned, an action which infuriated Sophia.

“There is nothing to it!” she almost shouted, which only caused Adriana’s grin to widen.

“I think we should have him ’round to dinner one evening.”

Sophia relaxed and leaned back against her pillows. “Well, now I know you are joking. You had me concerned for a moment.”

“Oh, but I wasn’t joking in the least.” Adriana threw up a hand defensively as Sophia made to swipe her with a pillow. “Wait! Hear me out!”

“No, indeed, I shall not. You have never used those words but as a preface to some harebrained scheme, which I want no part of.”

“I think you will like this one.”

“No, Adriana! Even if I were comfortable inviting Mr. Mannerly to our home—which I am not—Father would take one look at him and forbid me to ever write to him again.”

“Ah, so you do like him. Why else would it matter if your correspondence ended?”

Sophia pursed her mouth primly. “He has worthwhile commentaries on my writing.”

“Oh, pooh! You have written to such men before. They carry your esteem, but not your affection. I can see the difference, you know. There has been a glow about you ever since his letters started. It’s obvious to anyone with eyes.”

“It is?” Sophia was horrified. “Do you think Papa has noticed?”

“No doubt he has. Though it is unlikely he has made the connection between your girlish blushes and the letters. Not yet, anyway.”

“This is terrible! He mustn’t!”

“So, you admit I am right? Mr. Mannerly means more to you than mere academics?”

Sophia felt the heat of embarrassment flood through her body. “It seems I am no good at keeping my own secrets.”

“Truly, I am hurt that you even have secrets from me,” Adriana protested. “Why, when you know all about Freddy?”

Sophia laughed. “Freddy is no secret. Even Papa knows about him. Honestly, Deedee, you haven’t even tried to be subtle to keep the peace.”

“I suppose that is true.” Her sister shrugged. “I don’t like to be silent in the face of injustice. And Papa just sets me off.”

“Deedee.” Sophia’s voice was serious now. “You must restrain yourself. For my sake. I am not a fighter like you. If Father finds out that Mr. Mannerly makes me feel…well… anything , that will be the end of it. I shall be quite devastated. Do you understand? You are not to cause a scene on my behalf. Promise me.”

There was a long pause. Adriana appeared to be wrestling with herself. Finally, she nodded. “All right. I agree. On one condition.”

Sophia was almost afraid to ask. “What is it?”

“Papa will be going to London in the spring. He will be away for several weeks. And we will invite Mr. Mannerly and my darling Freddy to dinner.” She put up a hand to stop Sophia’s cry of dismay in its tracks. “Either you don’t like young Mr. Tobias Mannerly and then it doesn’t matter what Papa thinks. Or you do like him, and then, my dear sister, you should at least meet him. That is what normal people do. And for once, we are going to behave like normal young ladies. We will have our brothers here as chaperones. It will all be very proper and, I daresay, very pleasant.”

Sophia groaned. She sank lower onto her bed and pulled a pillow over her face. From beneath its down-filled bulge came a dissatisfied mumble.

“This is extortion.”

Adriana reached down and gently peeled the pillow back until she could see Sophia’s scowling eyes.

“Call it what you like, but I’m doing this for your own good. You can thank me later.”

And then, as if nothing had happened, Adriana left the room, swinging her arms happily and humming a tune Sophia did not recognize. Probably some romantic ditty their father would despise.