LITMIR.BIZ

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did you meet if it wasn’t Liverpool?’ her stepmother asked in a deadly quiet voice. Even her cap radiated disappointment. ‘I think I deserve that much, Sophie.’

      ‘We met the night Cynthia Johnson eloped,’ Sophie said in a rush.

      ‘But that … But you said …’ Her stepmother’s face crumpled and she fumbled for her handkerchief. ‘How could you, Sophie?’

      ‘I know what I said.’ Sophie handed her stepmother her handkerchief. ‘I am ever so sorry, Stepmother. It wasn’t supposed to come to this. We … we never planned to marry. The engagement was false, but the marriage isn’t.’

      ‘You had best explain from the beginning, young lady,’ her father-in-law thundered as her stepmother wept. ‘You have caused your stepmother considerable distress.’

      ‘I will be happy to.’ Sophie glanced over her shoulder and prayed that Richard would arrive to rescue her. ‘Shall we wait for Richard’s arrival? It will be better if we are both here.’

      ‘No, I don’t think we shall,’ Lord Hallington said with a severe frown. ‘I take it that you are truly married? Your marriage was not some sort of attempt to trick everyone again for your own purpose?’

      ‘Of course they are married.’ Her stepmother pointed towards the door. ‘If you are going to make outrageous allegations, Lord Hallington, you may leave. Dear Richard is my son now. Sophie is properly wed and there isn’t anything you can do about it. Anyone with half a brain can see how much in love they are!’

      ‘We are truly married.’ Sophie winced. She wanted to kiss her stepmother for being such a romantic and so loyal. She was going to have to hope her stepmother would understand. But love didn’t come into it, not on Richard’s part. And some day, when she’d shown him that she was worthy to be a marchioness, it would be different. She had to believe that. Out of unpromising starts, happiness could be found.

      ‘Sophie, start from the beginning. Start with the night you met. Lord Hallington and I need to hear the truth.’

      Lord Hallington started to say something, but her stepmother hushed him.

      ‘Sophie will tell us everything, Lord Hallington. I find it best in these situations to allow Sophie to explain in her own time. My stepdaughter is normally a truthful person. I am sure there is a logical explanation. After all, they are married and the settlement agreed to everyone’s satisfaction.’

      Seeing no other option, Sophie began to explain, starting with the ball and how Richard had saved her. She skated over the kisses they had shared and the incident in the carriage where Richard had acted honourably.

      ‘In any case, what does it matter now?’ Sophie finished. ‘Richard and I are married and everyone is happy. All is well that ends well.’

      Sophie choked back the ‘in love’ part. She loved Richard or rather the Richard she thought she knew, but she had no idea about his feelings for her. He had only married her to satisfy his notion of honour. Was he starting to regret his actions already? She wished he was there and then her doubts might vanish.

      ‘Do you know why Richard was in Newcastle to begin with?’ Lord Hallington asked, drawing his brows together.

      ‘What does it matter why Richard was here? He stayed to help out Sophie and they fell in love.’ Her stepmother gave a happy sigh. ‘Harum-scarum to begin with, Sophie, but ultimately one of the most romantic things I have heard in years.’

      Richard’s father looked less convinced.

      ‘Do you know, young lady? Until I had his letter, I was unaware that he had ever visited this city. He was supposed to be in London.’

      Sophie kept her head up. Richard had never said why he was at the ball that night. It hadn’t seemed important. ‘He was undoubtedly visiting friends. There are several men he was at Eton with on the cricket team.’

      ‘But why keep it from his father?’ Her stepmother rapped her finger against the diary.

      ‘Richard is a grown man. He doesn’t live in his father’s pocket and have to explain where he is going and who he is seeing. Perhaps the invitation was sudden,’ Sophie replied evenly. ‘I know he stayed only to help me out. The events at the Assembly Rooms meant he could not just disappear. He was quite clear on that point. He had a score to settle with Sir Vincent. That was the only reason he stayed. Then there seemed to be no reason to wait after the settlement was agreed.’

      ‘I wonder why my son failed to mention his journey? He went out of his way to make me think he was in London.’

      ‘Perhaps he knew that mention of the city upsets you.’ Sophie took a deep breath. ‘Your son loves you, Lord Hallington. He knows your mother is buried here and that is why you don’t visit it. Surely after all this time, you can visit her grave.’

      Lord Hallington frowned. ‘That is not why. Newcastle is where my former wife lives, or rather lived.’

      Sophie’s mind reeled. Richard’s mother. The woman who had caused a huge scandal. If his mother was in Newcastle, surely she would have attended the wedding? ‘Richard’s mother? He never mentioned her. Does he know?’

      ‘The divorce was a bad business. I had Marguerite agree never to speak to him as a condition of the divorce. I couldn’t risk my son being hurt the way I was. The woman is a she-devil.’

      ‘Funny, Richard has never mentioned his mother,’ her stepmother said. ‘Did he mention his mother to you, Sophie?’

      ‘Only in passing,’ Sophie answered truthfully as her stomach knotted. Richard would have said something about his mother. He had no reason to hide his mother from her and he didn’t know his father would appear at the wedding, unless … Sophie refused to allow her mind to go there. Despite what his aunt thought about her lack of suitability, he had married her.

      ‘I am sure he would have done, Sophie, if his mother was the reason for being in Newcastle,’ her stepmother said soothingly, handing Lord Hallington another piece of seed cake. ‘You have upset Sophie by implying differently, Lord Hallington. Do you know if your son and your former wife are in contact with each other? Do you even know for certain that she resides in Newcastle now? People do move about so these days, not like when I was young.’

      ‘I have no idea.’ The colour in Lord Hallington’s face subsided. ‘I don’t want him being hurt. I can forgive most things, but I can’t forgive what that woman did to my boy. How could a mother treat her child like that? Even now it makes my blood boil and the doctor has told me it does nothing for my heart.’

      ‘Did you ever tell him why you didn’t want him in Newcastle?’ Sophie asked, curious.

      ‘Of course not!’

      ‘Well, then, you are making mountains out of molehills,’ Sophie argued. Her stepmother was right. Richard would have confided in her something so important as his mother living in Newcastle. ‘Think about the consequences if you had accused Richard of it.’

      Privately she decided that when they returned from their wedding trip, she’d make an effort to find the woman and see if she wanted her son in her life. She knew that if either of her parents were alive, she’d want to see them. She loved her stepmother dearly, but it wasn’t the same. Her mother might have died when she was just a little girl, but she still had memories of her gentle hand on her brow and the way her rose scent hung about her. It would be a good thing to do, she decided, feeling virtuous. But until she discovered where his mother lived, she wouldn’t say.

      ‘You are right, my dear. It is no wonder that Richard decided to act so quickly. He knew a good thing when he saw it.’ Lord Hallington mopped his brow with a spotted handkerchief. His high colour had receded, but a sheen of sweat shone on his forehead. ‘What a blessing it is to have you in my family. I hope we can become good friends. I have longed for a daughter for … for a long time.’

      ‘I hope so as well.’ Sophie took a cautious sip of her tea

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