One Night Scandal (10 page)
“Are you certain?” Avis asked softly.
Sophie tilted her head and stared at her best friend. “We have been through this already, Avis. He is in love with another woman, and I will not be a party to that.”
“Very well,” Avis said in a resigned tone. “So there is no chance you and he . . . ?”
“ No.”
“Have you seen Jennette?” Avis asked, obviously attempting to change the subject.
“No, why?”
“I’m worried about her. She hasn’t been herself for the past few weeks. The last time I spoke with her she said that she’d had an argument with Blackburn.”
Sophie shrugged. “Oh, Avis, most married couples fight at times. I would hazard a guess that even you and Selby do, too. What did they fight about?”
“She wouldn’t tell me.” Avis sipped her lemonade. “And that’s what has me concerned. It’s not like her to keep so quiet about something.”
“Of course it is. Think about how long she kept quiet about her fiancé’s death. Perhaps she felt her argument with Blackburn was too personal to discuss with her brother’s wife.”
Avis laughed. “That has never stopped her.”
“True enough.”
“There’s Banning. I must be off.”
Sophie scanned the room for Nicholas and found him immediately. Even with his mask on, she knew his form. The large expanse of shoulders, the breadth of his muscled chest, the deep dimples of his cheeks when he smiled. Oh, damn. Just the sight of him across the room sent her heart pounding and warm sensations flowing through her body.
She moved away to find a secluded spot where she could watch him undisturbed. He was having an animated conversation with Elizabeth’s husband until Elizabeth interrupted them. The duke took his wife to the dance floor, leaving Nicholas alone.
He glanced about the room, his gaze landing on her for a brief moment. Thankfully, he continued to look around. His gaze finally landed on Miss Amanda Wainscott. The young woman stood next to her mother on the edge of the dance floor. Her face was flush with excitement but as Nicholas approached, she paled.
If only she could hear the conversation, Sophie thought. Amanda’s mother all but pushed her daughter into Nicholas’s arms. The young lady stared at the floor as they walked toward the dance floor. Guilt speared Sophie when she noticed Amanda gaze longingly at Lord Claybrook.
She would have to stop this madness. But, not yet. Instinctively, she knew Claybrook might need this to force his hand with Amanda. A little jealousy would not hurt their situation.
A stab of envy poked her when she watched Nicholas take Amanda to the dance floor. Sophie wished she could be in his arms, floating across the floor. But she couldn’t. He wasn’t the right man for her. If only she knew who the right man was.
She could not take her eyes off them as they glided with the music. Amanda finally smiled up at Nicholas as they made polite conversation. As the music slowed, he positioned them near the terrace door. Sophie’s hands fisted as she watched them walk out on the terrace alone.
How dare Nicholas do such a foolish thing!
Could he truly be that desperate to marry? She hadn’t felt his anguish when she discovered that his father wanted him to marry. He’d seemed resigned to the idea but not worried. She marched across the room and noticed Claybrook doing the same. Oh, God, she had to get to them before Claybrook.
She reached the door and walked out into the cool April air. “Ancroft,” she whispered, strolling along the path. “Where are you?”
“What do you want?”
She peered around a hedge of roses and found them both on a bench. “Claybrook is coming.”
Amanda blushed and stood up quickly. “Thank you, Lord Ancroft. Your words were a tremendous help.” She ran from the scene.
Nicholas stood and stared down at her. Sophie could feel his fury emanating from him even though she was steps away. She forced her feet to step backward until he caught her arm and brought her close.
“Why did you follow me out here, Sophie?”
“Why were you out here alone with her?”
“What I do is none of your business. Besides, you told me she was the woman for me so why are you upset that I brought her out here?”
“Miss Wainscott is not the woman for you,” she whispered, staring at his brown eyes behind the mask. “And I am not upset!”
“You told me she was the perfect woman for me.” The grip on her arm tightened. “Were you lying to me?”
“No . . . yes . . . I didn’t mean to,” she admitted. She had to tell him the truth. “When I tried to ascertain the right woman, I didn’t see anyone. So I told you it was Miss Wainscott because I felt she might come to love you.”
“Why did you change your mind?”
“The other day Miss Wainscott came to me for a reading and it was clearly Lord Claybrook whom she should marry.”
He released an angry breath. “Then why didn’t you tell me days ago?”
She glanced away from him until he tipped her chin upward. “I had to be certain. I knew if I saw you dance together then I would know.”
“And now that you have?”
“Miss Wainscott belongs with Lord Claybrook,” she replied softly. “I’m sorry, Nicholas.”
“I didn’t need you or your sense or intuition or whatever you want to call it to come to the same conclusion. I realized it the moment I took her to the dance floor. That is why we came out here, to make him jealous.”
He released her and walked back to the stone bench. After sitting, he stared at the ground for a long moment and finally said, “So there is no one for me?”
Her heart went out to him. She understood his feeling of rejection and loneliness, and the wondering if there is anyone out there for him. The only time she hadn’t felt that way was with him.
“It may be too soon, Nicholas. Perhaps your perfect woman hasn’t entered your life yet. Maybe that is why I can’t see her yet.” Although, she knew it didn’t work that way. She had seen Kendal for Elizabeth before he returned to England. She just couldn’t determine his name then.
“Or maybe it just isn’t meant to be.” He stood and looked down at her. “And if that is the case, I will not bother you again. It doesn’t matter who I marry.”
He started to walk away, but this time, she caught his elbow and stopped him. “It does matter, Nicholas. Tell me about your parents’ marriage.”
“Why?”
“Did they love each other?”
He looked away from her, staring at the small petals opening on the rosebush. “I do not know.”
“What do you mean?”
“My mother died in childbirth with my younger brother. I was only two at the time. If not for the portrait at the estate, I would not know what she looked like.”
“I had no idea.” Sophie bit down on her lip. Why did she sense there was more to this? “I did not know you had a brother. Tell me about him. What is he like?”
She felt his muscles tense under her hand. Closing her eyes for a long moment, she knew what had happened to his brother. “Smallpox,” she whispered.
“Is there nothing I can keep from you?” he asked roughly.
She shrugged. “When you try, I can’t read you. In fact, most of the time I cannot read you. It’s only when you let your guard down that I can.”
“None of this matters. I need a wife. You don’t want to be my wife. So I am going back into the ballroom to find one. Good evening, Miss Reynard.”
Sophie watched him walk away and her heart ached with sadness. He had lost so much in his life. She wondered briefly what it would be like to marry him. Shaking her head, she knew she could not let her thoughts wander such a dangerous path. She was a bastard. A nonentity in the eyes of Society.
Chapter 10
Nicholas danced with a few beautiful, young women but none of them held his interest for the short time they danced. He wanted more out of a woman than the latest gossip or fashions. Unfortunately, most of the ladies he knew who could carry on real conversations were married. He sipped a brandy and glanced around the room. His gaze immediately found her.
Surrounded by her friends, Sophie appeared content and smiled at them. But as he studied her, he noticed her smile never reached her eyes. She looked lonely. Before he could stop himself, he walked over to the group of ladies.
“Nicholas, I would recognize you anywhere,” Jennette said with a forced sounding laugh.
For once, the sound of her voice didn’t affect him. Odd. Normally just hearing her speak would send warmth all over his body.
The rest of the ladies murmured their greetings, except Sophie. Her gaze darted between him and Jennette. He could feel Sophie’s jealousy from the short distance between them. A slight smile raised his lips. He wanted her to be jealous. At least that meant she felt something toward him.
“Jennette, would you do me the honor of a dance?”
Jennette’s dark brows rose, but she nodded. “I would love to, Nicholas.”
Sophie’s gray eyes turned cold as stone. “I’m sure he would love that, too,” she mumbled.
Nicholas choked back a laugh as he held out his arm to Jennette. Walking to the dance floor, he said, “You look lovely tonight.”
And she did. Her sapphire gown matched her eyes. The low décolleté of her gown emphasized her full breasts. While a few weeks ago it would have been torture to hold her so close, knowing he could never go farther than a dance, tonight his mind and gaze remained on Sophie.
“You are very quiet tonight, Jennette. Are you well?”
Jennette blinked and then nodded slowly. “I am well, thank you.”
“I have known you too long to accept that distressingly polite response.”
“Not now, Nicholas. Not here.”
Nicholas wondered what could possibly be wrong. Glancing around, he realized he had yet to see Blackburn. “Where is your husband tonight?”
“He wasn’t feeling well and stayed home.”
Perhaps that was all there was to it. If Blackburn was ill then Jennette might be coming down sick, too. Or she might be worried about her husband as a loving wife should.
“Enough about me. What lady has caught your eye tonight?”
Nicholas smiled, feeling strangely comfortable with Jennette. It had been several years since he felt this way with her. And the sensation was lovely without the tension of his attraction getting in the way. “I am a gentleman, Jennette. I would never dishonor another woman by discussing her with another.”
Jennette laughed. “Of course you are, Nicholas. Nonetheless, I cannot help but wonder if you are dancing with me only to make another woman jealous.”
“I would never do such a thing,” he replied with a smile. “Besides, you are married.”
“Oh, I am quite certain you would do whatever it took to win a woman.”
“Perhaps.”
“Will you tell me who she is?”
Nicholas shook his head. “No, I will not. She doesn’t believe she is the right woman for me.”
“And you do?”
“I am beginning to believe she is exactly what I need.”
Sophie blinked to keep her eyes from welling with tears. Watching Nicholas and Jennette dance together, left her feeling dejected and more alone than she’d ever felt. She had to leave before her tears fell. As she gazed at them, she wondered if the reason she saw nothing for Nicholas was because Jennette was the right woman for him.
Could two men have the same perfect woman?
She had never encountered this before but it appeared to make the most sense. She wished her mother were here. She would be able to give Sophie advice since she had the same gift.
Maybe she had mixed up Blackburn and Nicholas. That wasn’t possible. She had clearly seen Blackburn for Jennette, not Nicholas.
“Perhaps we should get some refreshments,” Avis said, clasping Sophie’s elbow.
Sophie nodded.
Instead of leading Sophie to the refreshment table, Avis walked them both outside. She found a quiet place to sit and then turned toward Sophie. “He’s in love with Jennette?”
Sophie couldn’t swallow down the lump stuck in her throat. Tears tracked down her cheeks as she nodded her reply.
“Oh,” Avis whispered. “I always thought that they considered each more like siblings.”
“Jennette did,” Sophie managed to answer. “But at some point his feelings changed.”
“And he never told her?”
“No. He was certain Selby would be angry that his best friend wanted his little sister.”
Avis shook her head. “Banning would not have minded. He has nothing but respect for Nicholas.”
“Perhaps.”
“Maybe Nicholas was afraid of Jennette’s rejection.”
Sophie frowned in concentration. Could that have anything to do with it? He had told her about his mother’s death but nothing about his life after that. She’d sensed his brother died young and Nicholas’s loneliness. If he didn’t have a good relationship with his father, perhaps fear of rejection was the reason he’d gone no further with Jennette. Yet he’d shown no such reticence when he proposed to her. Perhaps his proposal had been nothing but the demands of honor.
“What do you know of his family, Avis?”
“Not much. I know he never wanted to go home during the holidays from school so he spent a great deal of time with Banning’s family. He and his father do not appear to enjoy each other’s company.”
“Why not?” What would make a man not love his own son? From what she knew of Society, the most likely cause was an affair by his mother. Although, it was unusual for the wife of a duke to have an affair before the heir and spare were born.
“They think differently on many subjects,” Avis replied. “When Nicholas decided to take his daughter in, his father was most vocal in his objections.”
Sophie’s lip trembled. “Well, his father’s opinion is not that unusual.”
Avis put her arm around Sophie’s shoulders. “I’m sorry for the reminder.”
Sophie still believed there was so much more to Nicholas than he showed the world. She wanted to discover his secrets. Even though she knew, she shouldn’t. “I should leave,” she muttered.
“Why not stay a little longer,” Avis urged. “You don’t get the chance to attend many balls.”
Sophie nodded slowly. Not because she wanted to enjoy the ball but she needed to watch Nicholas’s interaction with women and find him the perfect match. Now that she was certain Miss Wainscott wasn’t the right woman, she had to find a woman who would love Nicholas.
She and Avis walked back into the warm room.
Nicholas and Jennette were still dancing and they both had smiles on their faces. Sophie could not stand to watch them a moment longer. She walked to the refreshment table and grabbed a glass of champagne from a footman.
“That really won’t help matters.”
She took another long sip and then turned to her brother. “Indeed? I believe you have been known to imbibe to forget something.”
“Something? Or someone?” Anthony asked with a smirk.
“You are becoming rather tiresome since marrying, Somerton.”
“Perhaps the answer is to make him jealous.”
Sophie looked up into her brother’s hazel eyes. They danced with amusement. “What are you talking about?”
“You need to dance,” he said, holding out his arm. “Shall we?”
“No, he won’t be jealous of you.” She sipped more of her champagne. “He now seems to understand that we have a strictly platonic relationship. And the last thing I want to do is make him jealous. I am trying to find him a wife.”
“Of course, you are. I still say you must dance with someone.” He glanced about the room. “Brentwood.”
“Brentwood is young,” Sophie complained.
Anthony smiled. “Even better. Brentwood is three and twenty—young and very virile.”
Sophie looked longingly at the dancers. She rarely had the chance to join them. “Perhaps a dance would not hurt.”
“Not a dance,” Anthony said with a low chuckle. “A waltz.”
Sophie bit down on her lip. Many people did still not accept the scandalous waltz. “I am not certain that would be the best dance.”
“I will arrange it.” Anthony walked away with a wide smile.
As her annoying brother deserted her, Sophie glanced back at Nicholas and Jennette on the dance floor. How she wished she could determine with whom he should be matched. She needed to finish this obligation quickly so she could stop thinking about him.
Anthony returned with Brentwood at his side. The younger man smiled at her in such an immature leering manner, she almost laughed at his attempt. Since he had taken her brother’s position working for a secret arm of the government, Brentwood had visited her several times when he needed her services as a medium.
“Good evening, Miss Reynard,” he said, bowing over her hand.
“Lord Brentwood,” she replied with a nod.
“Would you care to dance?”
“Certainly.”
She took his outstretched arm and they walked toward the dance floor. The younger man was handsome with his blond hair and blue eyes, but he did not affect her as Nicholas did. The musicians stopped and waited for the dancers to gather on the crowded floor.
She and Brentwood waited for the musicians to start the next piece. Sophie scanned the room for Nicholas. He had escorted Jennette to her brother and then walked away. She’d lost him in the crowd. It mattered not, she scolded herself. She highly doubted dancing with Brentwood would make Nicholas jealous.
As the music started, Sophie relaxed and enjoyed the moment. Dancing with Brentwood was far more pleasant than she had expected. He was a lovely dance partner who smiled down at her and made polite conversation without the tension associated with other men.
“Miss Reynard, thank you again for your assistance with my last assignment.”
“You are very welcome,” she replied.
“Is it true that you can find the one person you are meant to be with?”
“Yes.” Most of the time.
He tilted his head slightly and smiled. “I shall keep that in mind when the time is right.”
She laughed softly. “Love does not always happen when the time is right, my lord. In fact it is usually when both people believe the timing is completely wrong.”
“Is that a warning? Is there a woman about to enter my life?”
“I cannot do a reading here. If you are truly interested, then you can call on me.”
“Perhaps I shall.”
Once the dance ended, she picked up a glass of wine and headed for the cool air on the terrace. A few torches lit the gravel paths but Sophie decided it was far safer to remain closer to the house. Until a firm gloved hand landed on her elbow and led her down the path.
“Why are you taking me away from the house?”
“We need to talk.”
She glanced over at Nicholas’s dark face and a quick flash of nervousness came over her. “Why?”
Nicholas continued walking to a seat far away from the house. He wanted no disruptions. He only wanted answers. He led her to the small stone bench.
“Sit,” he demanded.
Instead of listening to him, she continued to stand only now she had crossed her arms in front of her chest. “You stand to ruin my reputation, Lord Ancroft.”
“Oh, so formal, Miss Reynard. Did you enjoy your dance with Brentwood?” He had been utterly jealous when he’d seen them dancing a waltz together. He’d almost gone out on the dance floor to interrupt their dance, until he realized how foolish that would make him appear.
“Brentwood is a fine dancer and conversationalist. So yes, I did enjoy my dance with him.”
He clenched his jaw. “I’m glad.”
“Did you enjoy your dance with Jennette?”
He slowly smiled at her. “Indeed, I did.”
“Excellent. Now that we have both determined that we enjoyed our dances, I will return to the house,” she said, then started to walk past him.
He caught her arm and brought her closer to him. “He is terribly young,” Nicholas commented nonchalantly even though jealousy spread through his veins.
“Are you speaking of Brentwood again?”
“Of course!”
She tilted her head and smiled. “Jealousy does not become you, Nicholas.”
Damn her for sensing his feelings. She’d said if he tried, he could conceal his thoughts from her. He wondered if that would work.
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