Page 64 of Reading the Viscount
Unfortunately, it did little to help his rage. He stalked toward the doorway, only halting when the butler ran in. He pointed to the table. “I tripped over that. You might wish to remove it.” Then, brushing by the stunned man, he let himself out and entered his brother’s coach, which he’d borrowed for appearances. “A lot of good that did.”
The door closed behind him as he sat. He cracked the knuckles on both his hands, furious, and yet scared. He couldn’t lose Sophie. Theywere perfect for one another, something her father cared little about. She was no more than a commodity to him, a pawn in his strategy for even better social standing.
It left Christopher with only one choice—Gretna Green. Sophie deserved so much more than that, but if she was willing, they’d travel to Scotland so she could be his wife. He’d never been one to bow down to Society, skirting the edges with polite manners and a title, but Sophie was worth far more to him. At least she would think with her heart and not with her father’s damned logic.
*
Sophie stopped talkingas Mrs. Kingman rose. “Lady Dowling.”
Standing up, Sophie turned around to find her mother smiling as she walked briskly toward her, her hands extended. “My sweet Sophie. I just had to come.”
“Mother.” She took her hands and squeezed them before her mother pulled her over to the settee, completely ignoring Mrs. Kingman. Immediately, she sensed something was terribly wrong. Her mother was never so rude or so animated. She looked to Mrs. Kingman.
Her mentor quickly walked out, signaling that all was well.
“Lord Tamworth? My dear, I cannot tell you how pleased I am.”
Sophie turned back to face her mother. “Thank you, but I thought you would be home convincing Father it’s a good match.”
Her mother finally released her hand to wave away her comment. “No need to sway your father. He will approve. He has to. It’s not every day we have someone asking for your hand, now, is it?”
“No, that’s true, but Father is very particular, too.” The concern Sophie had felt the moment she saw her mother grew.
“Yes, well, he can be, but I’m quite sure he will readily accept Lord Tamworth’s suit, and here we had thought it might be a vicar or ascholar.”
Her mother was acting strangely. In fact, she seemed rather highly strung, as if on the verge of hysteria. Lady Dowling was always calm—at the most, she fidgeted. This was a completely different person, almost like Shakespeare’s distraught Ophelia inHamletafter her father’s death.
Sophie needed to understand. “Mother, your last visit, you suggested Lord Wilford.”
Her mother patted her hand frantically. “Yes, yes, but this is so much better. This viscount cares about you, and you him. It’s a love story. I couldn’t be more relieved—I mean pleased.”
As Lady Dowling clasped her hands together, Sophie felt real fear. “What’s wrong, Mother? You’re never like this.”
“I’m just happy for you. You’re my daughter and I always wanted you to be happy. I feared…”
“What did you fear?”
Her mother suddenly stood as if her agitation made her move, and she did, striding to the window and back, then to the window once again.
Sophie rose, more worried now, and walked calmly to the window, taking one of her mother’s hands. She kept her voice low and soothing. “You can tell me. Maybe I can help. What did you fear?”
“I’m not supposed to tell.”
Sophie’s heart stopped at that. “Who are you not supposed to tell?”
“Anyone. I swore an oath to keep it a secret. I’m very good at keeping secrets. Did I ever tell you my marriage to your father was arranged? But, of course, we grew fond of each other.”
Sophie’s mother didn’t always make sense, while her father was strictly logical, but in her distress, it was becoming difficult to follow her thoughts. “No, you didn’t tell me that. Was that a secret?”
Her mother nodded. “A small one, but I didn’t want you and your brothers to think you would have to go through the same arrangement.”
“That was very kind of you. Is that the reason you also swore an oath, because you were being kind?”
Her mother shook her head.
“Why did you swear it?” Witnessing a murder or stealing from a peer ran through Sophie’s mind even though she couldn’t see her mother involved in either.
“I did it for your father. He’s a very important man in the House of Lords. I also did it so I could keep you when you were born.” Her mother’s gaze softened and she reached out before snapping her hand back.
