Chapter 9 #2
He tilted his head, becoming thoughtful. “I enjoy many instruments. The piano is one of my favorites, but I must admit to also having a fondness for Irish fiddle music. I know that may give away my humble background, but I find it uplifting.”
Sophie beamed. “Fiddle music is such good fun. I don’t know how to play it, but I do enjoy listening to it when the opportunity arises.” Which, admittedly, wasn’t often because the establishments she frequented didn’t play music that most would consider lower class.
Nicholas nudged her arm, but she ignored him.
“Do you play an instrument yourself, Colonel?” she asked.
With a self-deprecating smile, he replied, “I’m afraid not. I had piano lessons when I was younger, but they never stuck.”
“Lady Sophie,” Nicholas muttered. “Your mother is trying to get your attention.”
Sophie glanced over, but she didn’t have time to verify that Nicholas was correct before he tugged at her elbow and she was forced to murmur farewells to Mr. Garfield and Colonel Moore.
“Stop manhandling me,” she hissed as he guided her across the room. “What is so urgent?”
“You’ll have to ask your mother,” he gritted out.
As they approached Lady Carlisle, her mother’s eyebrows rose. “Why are you marching over here so purposefully?”
Sophie huffed. “Mr. Blackwell was of the opinion you were summoning us.”
Lady Carlisle’s forehead furrowed. “No. You seemed to have things in hand. “
Sophie glared at Nicholas. “What are you about?”
He wouldn’t look at her. “I must have been mistaken. I could have sworn she motioned for us to join her.”
Lady Carlisle checked the clock. “Well, if you’re done socializing, we might as well be off.”
“But I—” Sophie started.
“Let me escort you to the door.” Nicholas offered an arm to each Carlisle lady. “Have you spoken to our hostess and thanked her for having us?”
“Of course,” Lady Carlisle confirmed.
Sophie huffed. “I—”
“Then there is no reason to linger,” Nicholas said firmly.
Sophie bit the inside of her lip so that she wouldn’t snap at him. There was every reason to linger. She had finally caught Colonel Moore’s attention. She should be capitalizing on the moment. Solidifying herself in his mind as a marriage prospect.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t say as much to Nicholas in front of her mother without revealing that he wasn’t a genuine suitor.
Hopefully there would be further opportunities to speak more with the colonel. Preferably when Nicholas wasn’t present to behave so strangely.
Outside, they all climbed into the Carlisle carriage, and Nicholas made inane small talk with her mother while they drove to Blackwell House.
Once there, Nicholas hurried out like the devil himself was on his tail, waving awkwardly as he backed toward the house. He almost crashed into Kate as she strode briskly through the front entrance, beelining toward the carriage.
Uh-oh. That didn’t bode well.
Sophie wriggled lower down in her seat. She had a sinking feeling that her friend intended to have stern words with her. She just didn’t know exactly what about.
Kate popped her head through the doorway. “Good afternoon, Lady Carlisle. May I borrow Lady Sophie for a few minutes, please?”
Lady Carlisle nodded, completely unconcerned. Perhaps because she knew that Sophie and Kate were good friends, she assumed that Kate’s sudden appearance was nothing to be concerned about.
Sophie, on the other hand, was convinced that she had a very real need to worry.
Disembarking from the carriage as slowly as possible, she wished she had a deeper pool of confidence to draw on, but she’d used up much of what she had during her performance.
“What is it?” she asked, following Kate farther from the carriage. “Is something the matter?”
“Is something the matter?” Kate demanded incredulously. “Yes, it most definitely is. My best friend is sneaking around behind my back, making plots with my irresponsible brother-in-law. Why did I have to hear about your latest scheme from Theodore instead of you?”
Sophie cringed. Was it too late to run back to the carriage and urge the driver to pull away? “I didn’t think you’d approve, and I didn’t want to worry you.”
Kate’s expression softened. “I only disapprove because I want to protect your heart, and spending more time with Nicholas surely won’t do that.”
“I’ll get through it.” It wasn’t a lie, exactly, but it didn’t quite feel like the truth either. “I’m sorry if I upset you.”
Kate touched her arm. “Next time you’re plotting something, please tell me yourself.”
“I will.” Impulsively, Sophie hugged her. “I’m sorry, Kate.”
“It’s fine. Just….” She sighed. “Don’t expect Nicholas to keep secrets from Theodore. Assume that I’ll find out anything you say to him. The brothers are close.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She hadn’t intended for Nicholas to hide things from them. She’d just assumed that he wouldn’t mention it. In hindsight, that had been a mistake. Of course he’d want them to know the truth so that they didn’t worry about his intentions or her reputation.
Kate hugged her back, then released her, and Sophie returned to the carriage, emotions swirling through her. She wasn’t quite sure what she felt. Relieved that Kate was in on the secret and hadn’t reacted too badly but also unsettled for a reason she couldn’t put her finger on.
“What on earth was that about?” her mother asked.
Sophie smiled distractedly as the carriage rolled forward. “The ball she’s planning.”
Lady Carlisle’s eyes widened, and she leaned forward. “She’s planning a ball?”
Good. She was successfully distracted.
Sophie shared the few details she had, relieved that her mother hadn’t pushed and asked why Kate had been so serious about a ball, of all things.
As they arrived outside Carlisle House, Lady Carlisle’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh! I almost forgot something important.”
“What’s that?” Sophie asked as a footman opened the carriage door and stood beside the step with his arm out to assist if required.
“Lady Wembley is hosting a house party next month.”
“A house party?” Sophie asked as Lady Carlisle preceded her from the carriage. “During the season? Whatever for?”
When she reached the ground, her mother linked arms with her and they walked together up the stairs.
“It’s been unseasonably warm, and Lady Wembley fears that if she leaves it much later, the weather will become too extreme,” Lady Carlisle explained.
“I know it’s unusual, but keep in mind that she doesn’t have any unmarried daughters, so there’s no reason for her to remain in London for the duration of the season. ”
“Did she invite you to join her?” Sophie asked as Alfred held the front door open for them to enter.
“Yes.” Her mother steered her into one of the drawing rooms and sat on a chaise, tugging Sophie down alongside her.
“Apparently, her son is good friends with Baron Sylvestor, and the baron will also be present for some of the party—although not the entire duration because of his commitment to the House of Lords.”
“I see.” Now it made sense why Lady Carlisle was bringing this up. It was a golden opportunity. If she and the baron were confined to one property for a reasonable length of time, she could become far more familiar with him than she would be able to during the course of normal social events.
Lady Carlisle flashed her a smile, but it was obvious from the brackets around her mouth that she wasn’t sure how Sophie would receive this news.
“Lady Wembley will gladly extend you an invitation if you wish to attend and attempt to get closer to Baron Sylvestor. Of course, given the time you’ve spent with Mr. Blackwell recently, I wasn’t sure of your thoughts on the matter. ”
Quite frankly, neither was Sophie.
The opportunity Lady Wembley offered was tempting, but without support, Sophie may fade into the background again, which would render the whole thing pointless.
Her tongue darted out to soothe her dry lips. “Do you think Lady Wembley would be amenable to inviting Mr. Blackwell?”
Her mother stared at her. “Er, I don’t see why not, but are you sure it’s a good idea to pursue multiple suitors while you’re all under one roof?”
Sophie grimaced. “Perhaps not. I’ll think on it.”
Of course, it didn’t matter the way her mother assumed it might, but she had to appear to reconsider or it could raise questions that she didn’t want to answer.
Instead of retiring to her chamber, Sophie excused herself and headed to the drawing room. Sitting at the piano, she stopped trying to think so hard and allowed her fingers to dance over the keys in a soft lullaby that was one of the first pieces of music she’d been taught.
As she played, her mind wandered. It would be nice to have Nicholas with her at the house party, even if only for moral support.
Men at a house party were likely to be occupied by sporting activities, to which the women may not be invited. If Nicholas was there, he might be able to keep the gentlemen from completely overlooking her.
Yes, inviting Nicholas was a good idea. Hopefully, he would agree. He had, after all, made it clear that he could turn down anything she proposed. It was only fair, since he was helping her out of the goodness of his heart. She couldn’t push him into something he didn’t want to do.
She hoped he would, though. All she could do was ask and hope.
So thinking, she rose from the piano and strode to her room, where she picked up a quill, dipped it in ink, and began to write a letter.