Page 17 of The Duke’s Cursed Virgin (Cursed Brides #3)

Chapter Sixteen

“ Y ou disappeared again, last night,” Anna remarked, looping her arm through Sophia’s. Her eyes were as sparkling as her smile was bright. “I didn’t expect you to do it again.”

Sophia liked Hyde Park. Her years in Scotland had given her an affinity for nature that she didn’t used to have. Before, she was one of the girls who whirled and smiled, enjoying balls like there was nothing to worry about. They were the belles of the ball, the talk of the town, and the precious gems that their families favored.

Except she had no family to favor her. And her friends had moved on as duchesses by marriage.

She was still alone, and she… well, she didn’t exactly dislike it.

It was why she liked immersing herself in nature. The people were somehow minding their business—ladies chatting and walking with their chaperones or mothers, and gentlemen riding their horses.

Sophia glanced behind them to see if Lady Holton and Aunt Mary were paying attention. They were a bit further back, fully engaged in their own little chat while they walked at a slower pace, not because the latter was already sixty but because the former took dainty steps.

“I… I needed to get away from the whispers,” Sophia said softly, although she couldn’t stop her cheeks from reddening.

Her friend’s face softened. It was certainly fortunate that Anna could not read her mind. Her mind was full of chaos—of filthy, delicious things that involved a certain duke.

“I should not have let you fend for yourself,” Anna murmured regrettably.

Her pinched face made Sophia feel guilty.

“Remember why we had separated,” Sophia reminded her. “You can’t be too close to my tragedy. They must see you as you are—full of life. Capable. They must not shun you because of me. I would be devastated if that ever came to be.”

“But I am close to your tragedy because you are my friend. I wish to be close to you,” Anna insisted. “Still, when I saw you later that night, I could tell something was amiss. Something was different. Your eyes were darting left and right.”

Sophia hesitated. Secrets began to swirl around her, one more dangerous than the other. It was one thing to be a victim of tragedy, and possibly a harbinger of evil tidings, but another one to be suspected of being a strumpet.

At least, she didn’t think she was one. Was she? The Duke of Wolvesley simply had a pull she couldn’t resist.

To her relief, Anna changed the topic.

“Have you seen how the Earl of Longford pays attention to me?” she asked. Her voice had taken on a more vulnerable note. “He can be very charming. Don’t you think so?”

Sophia narrowed her eyes. She did not show the surprise she felt. No, she wasn’t surprised that Lord Longford would pay special attention to her friend. Anna was young and beautiful, while he was a rake. She was surprised that her friend would think his attention notable. And pleasant.

“He is, indeed, charming. But several other women find him charming, Anna. He’s, at the very least, not a proper gentleman,” she warned.

“He was nothing but proper with me,” Anna scoffed playfully.

Sophia wasn’t certain she was happy about the sparkle in her friend’s eyes.

“It does not matter, Anna. You know what men like him are like. He is known for his flirtatious streak,” she said. “You must have heard how he treats women as amusement. If he is proper now, he may not always be so.” Then, she continued in a whisper, “Especially if he takes what he wants. Aren’t rakes like that?”

In her mind, she wondered if Theo was the same—if he was only there for the thrill of the chase. He had probably gotten bored with his lonely but experienced widows. So, why not seduce a cursed spinster like her?

“Oh, Sophia. Now, I know what it must be like to be under Lady Rossburn’s wing. You sound like my mother!” Anna laughed.

“I’m not discounting that I may be quickly turning into Aunt Mary or your mother, but I am concerned for you. For now, since we don’t know much about his intentions yet, think of his attention as fleeting.”

Anna playfully pouted at her. Sophia could tell that her friend wasn’t that disappointed by what she had to say about the Earl of Longford, but she also enjoyed the rake’s attention.

“I truly appreciate your concern, dear Sophia. I can assure you, however, that I am not a fool. Handsome face? Sweet talk? They are nothing to me but a source of enjoyment.”

Anna’s lips twitched. There was a faint blush on her cheeks, though, and the sparkle in her eyes was still there.

She liked talking about the rakish Earl.

“I suppose everyone likes a little bit of special attention,” Sophia conceded, though her stomach tightened at the thought of the kind of attention the Duke gave her every time they were alone.

Dangerous.

“I have not forgotten what I was asking about earlier,” Anna said, her voice quieter but a little more mischievous. “You still have not told me why you were distracted last night. I can tell because you are also terribly distracted at the moment.”

Sophia did not answer right away. Instead, she continued walking, keeping her ears strained for the conversation between the older women a few steps behind. The chatter seemed to continue—bickering, laughing. It was the usual for them.

“I, uh, saw the Wolf Duke again.”

“Saw him? What do you mean? I did notice him standing close to you in the middle of the ballroom, and I thought it was rather bold of him,” Anna remarked.

“Bold of him? What do you mean? He is a man, after all. His reputation won’t take a blow if he becomes associated with me. Mine will.”

“He does not like being associated with marriageable ladies, only widows,” Anna replied with a smile.

“I am not marriageable.”

“I didn’t mean that! You are marriageable, Sophia! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You should tell me about what happened! Tell me everything!”

Of course, Sophia could not tell Anna everything. But she was also eager to tell her friend at least one little thing. That could not hurt. Right?

“He, well, kissed me,” she said softly, her cheeks burning. That wretched, wicked man had the power to elicit such a reaction from her.

Anna bit her lip, but Sophia could sense the excitement she was trying to contain.

“Oh, I know how to restrain myself,” she said. “But you must tell me more.”

“There is nothing much to say,” Sophia lied. “The Duke was talking to me in the parlor, and I felt it was too much in front of people. They were already looking at us, wondering how he knew me and why he was speaking to me at all. So, I left. He followed me. I told him to leave, but he was quite persistent.”

Anna’s eyebrows rose, but she looked absolutely delighted. Her eyes were dancing as she regarded her friend.

“Persistent? That sounds promising. Do not keep me in suspense, Sophia. What else happened? Did you have to push him away? Did you even want to?”

“I did not,” Sophia admitted ruefully. “I-I let him.”

“Oh,” Anna gasped. “Do you have feelings for him?”

“I don’t know. I am afraid that I let something happen th-that should not have happened,” Sophia sighed. “I think it’s best to avoid him.”

“Avoid him? Why? There must be some connection between the two of you for that to happen. He does not get involved with inexperienced women.”

“Ah… he may not know I’m inexperienced,” Sophia answered in a low voice.

“W-What?”

Anna’s eyes were as large as Aunt Mary’s saucers. Suddenly, Sophia was aware of every person walking around Hyde Park. Carriages trundling. People chattering. Children laughing.

“I may have been reading a book that I was not supposed to read the first time we, uh, met,” Sophia finally said, not yet ready to divulge everything else that happened.

“Oh. That does not make you experienced! I have so many books that my mother would gladly burn, but I am still a maiden,” Anna said teasingly, batting her eyelashes at Sophia, who could not help but laugh.

“Which is why you are too happy about this whole situation, isn’t it?”

“Yes. A dashing duke and a mysterious beauty in a secret romance,” Anna breathed, gesticulating in the air. Her fan and the reticule dangling from her wrist almost hit Sophia in the face.

“Stop that. Aunt Mary may be looking!” Sophia protested, stopping herself from swatting at her friend’s hands.

The two were quiet for some time. The playfulness in Anna’s eyes had wavered a little.

“I cannot trust the Wolf Duke,” Sophia continued. “It may seem like I have nothing to lose, but?—”

“Yes. I understand,” Anna interrupted. “Your reputation isn’t what you’re worried about right now. It’s your heart. Isn’t it?”

“It’s not as simple as that,” Sophia murmured. “What happened had nothing to do with the heart, and it was frightening to know that it was something else entirely. I can’t be that?—”

“Wanton?” Anna supplied, giggling.

Sophia bristled. She was about to answer when Lady Holton called from behind them, “Ladies, slow down. You two are walking like criminals being hunted down, not like young, reputable women!”

“Reputable?” Sophia mouthed, widening her eyes as Anna giggled again.

Then, the younger woman sighed as if deeply disappointed.“I suppose the rest of our conversation can wait.”

Sophia simply nodded.

She knew that Anna would not rest until she shared every detail. At this point, though, she did not know how much she could share. It was not just about trusting somebody else with the story, but also about knowing what exactly was going on.

Which she did not.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she adjusted to the slower pace. The Duke’s face flashed in her mind’s eye. She was already caught. She could no longer ignore him and his effect on her.

“You two seemed deep in conversation earlier,” Aunt Mary observed, almost sulkily.

Sophia did not know whether to laugh or cry. Aunt Mary had eyes like a hawk.

“We were merely discussing how successful the musicale was, and if we will host another one in the future,” Anna explained, glancing back at the older woman with a sweet smile.

“Ah! Well, I am not surprised that you are discussing that. It was a fine gathering, if I may say so myself,” Lady Holton declared, puffing out her chest with pride.

“Many people. Many fools,” Aunt Mary grumbled.

“I am certain that you enjoyed yourself, Auntie. I saw you hobnobbing,” Sophia reminded her.

“I enjoyed the music, but Society tires me with its endless prattle,” Aunt Mary said, but there was a slight smile on her face.

Oh, she enjoyed the musicale!

“Any company can be good company if you give it a chance, Lady Rossburn,” Lady Holton interjected good-naturedly.

“Good company?” Aunt Mary huffed. “If by good company you mean a collection of the ton’s finest gossipmongers, then yes, we’re practically in the midst of a parliamentary debate on everyone else’s business. Honestly, I half-expected to see a betting pool on who’d scandalize the most before dessert. If that’s ‘good,’ then I’m the Queen of Sheba.”

“That’s the reality of these affairs,” Anna confirmed, nodding her head enthusiastically. “But I cannot say I’m against that. Not wholly. They make things interesting.”

“I still think it was a success,” Lady Holton insisted.

“It was lovely,” Sophia said softly, which was the right thing to say, given the way Lady Holton’s face glowed afterward.

“Indeed. With the Season far from over, there will also be more opportunities for the two of you,” Lady Holton said.

Sophia and Anna exchanged glances. The former was surprised that she was included in that statement. She thought that everyone believed that she was a hopeless case.

Neither young woman argued. They knew they had no choice but to attend more social events.

For Anna, it was to find a match.

For Sophia, it was to accompany her aunt.

Their walk suddenly felt like something else to Sophia. She glanced left and right to see if she could get a glimpse of the Duke of Wolvesley.

Opportunities? She had to remind herself that the Duke was not included in that kind of thing. He was never one for marriage.

Nature was a brief respite from the more grueling demands of Society, but Sophia still felt relieved to be back at the Holtons’ townhouse. It was not her home, but it was still a shelter from prying eyes.

Walking around Hyde Park was pleasant, but there was always that slight chance that the group might meet with the Duke of Wolvesley. Or was that wishful thinking?

As Sophia was removing her gloves in the foyer, a footman approached her with a sealed letter.

“Someone left a note for you, My Lady,” he said politely, handing her the missive.

Sophia’s heart soared at the thought of receiving a letter from Genevieve. Connecting with her and Rosaline certainly made her days brighter. If they could be happy, then perhaps she could be, too.

“Thank you,” she said quickly as she rushed up the stairs to the privacy of her room.

With the door closed, she examined the letter. Her hands became clammy, and her cheeks flushed when she saw the wax seal.

A wolf.

Could it be? No. It could not possibly be.

She hastily broke the seal and unfolded the letter.

Her suspicions were right. It was from the Duke of Wolvesley. His handwriting consisted of bold, confident strokes—consistent with his personality.

Sophia,

At midnight tonight, go to the servants’ entrance. There, you will find a carriage waiting for you. It will bring you to me.

No one will see or know.

Theo.

P.S. Your taste is still on my tongue.