he murmured.
‘I’m sure he will,’ Sophie assured him. ‘Robert is quite protective. He was the one who saw through Sebastian straight away. And Henri is brilliant at matchmaking. She is sure to find a reason why we wouldn’t suit if Robert doesn’t.’
The words tasted like ash in Sophie’s mouth. She wanted Richard to deny it was a good idea and that he intended to remain in Newcastle for the summer with her—in fact, that against all expectation he wanted to marry her.
‘It is good to know how long we have left. Early June after Montemorcy arrives back and sees the terms. After he has withheld his consent, we part. Amicably.’ His lips became a thin white line. ‘It is what happens in these cases.’
A pang went through Sophie. He was right. ‘It is the most sensible thing. And it has happened to other people. Our parting will hardly be remarked on. I promise you.’
‘And if it is? How will you weather the storm?’
‘I’ll go to Corbridge with Henri and Robert to ride out any lingering tittle-tattle. I won’t be judged there.’ Sophie kept her head up. It would be the perfect place to recover from the ache she felt now that the date had been decided.
His eyes became inscrutable. ‘Early June, then. It is good to know so I can make plans … for my return to London.’
Sophie brushed away the great empty hollow which opened inside of her at the thought of never seeing him again. ‘But we have until then.’
The dimple in the corner of his mouth deepened. ‘Yes, we have until then. Best not waste any time, Sophie.’
Richard stood on the pavement and looked back at the brown-brick house. The day which had seemed bright and cheerful when he went in had become gloomy and overcast, matching his mood. The first few splashes of rain fell on his hat and frock-coat. Richard ignored them.
He had an ending date for his friendship with Sophie. Early June. Somewhere deep inside him, he had known that this was going to have to end. Only he wasn’t ready. The very prospect of not being able to spend time with Sophie filled him with horror.
He had no wish to be judged unworthy by some former guardian. The man could not even take care of Sophie properly. Richard wanted to know Sophie would be looked after as she deserved to be. Her so-called friends had not even seen that she did much better when she was painting.
There was no hope for it. In order to keep Sophie safe, he’d have to marry her.
He groaned as he remembered what she had said when she refused his earlier proposal. Sophie wanted to marry for love and love was the one thing he couldn’t offer. Love only led to heartache.
‘I will find a way to marry you, Sophie Ravel, but I will not mouth lies.’
Was she truly ready to say goodbye for ever to Richard?
Sophie bit the top of her thumb and tried to concentrate on the cricket match unfolding in front of her. Richard was batting and doing a sterling job of knocking the ball all over the ground after their team had had a disastrous start. The cricketing whites suited his figure. She noticed many admiring glances from the other ladies as he strode out to occupy the crease.
Today was far worse than yesterday. Yesterday, she’d known it would happen some day in the future. Today was the start of the march towards when Robert returned and she parted from Richard for ever. Each moment with Richard seemed to take on an added intensity. It was as if some secret part of her wanted to store every second she had with him so she could remember them later.
Perhaps today, after the match when he dropped her off, she would risk lifting her face up to him and seeing if his kisses were as exciting as her memory of them. She’d use the excuse of him winning the match. With the number of runs he’d scored, he was today’s hero and heroes did deserve their rewards.
‘Are you enjoying the match, miss?’ a well-dressed woman about her age asked, bringing Sophie back to the game which was unfolding in front of her. Richard had just hit the ball for four more runs.
Sophie frowned. There was something vaguely familiar about the woman’s exotic features, but Sophie felt certain they had never met before. She rarely forgot the shape of a face or the eyes. It would come to her in a little while where she knew the woman from.
‘Yes, very much. And it is Miss Ravel, Sophie Ravel.’
The woman regarded the cricket bat which lay at Sophie’s feet. ‘Are you going to play?’
‘My fiancé is batting now and I go in after if necessary. I haven’t played since my school days so I hope I can bat well if I have to go in. It would be dreadful to make a mess of it as our team stands a chance of winning. But there is every chance I won’t have to go in. Only ten more runs. Lord Bingfield did promise he’d arrange things so that I would not have to go in. And it appears he has.’
‘I am Hannah Grayson.’ The woman said the name like she should know it. ‘My fiancé is playing for the other team. He is the bowler for this over. You know, the bowler who took all those wickets in the first few overs. Sir Ronald Ferguson. We became officially engaged last night.’
‘Congratulations.’ A pang went through Sophie. Miss Grayson seemed so happy and in love. She could well imagine how that engagement went. Nothing like her own pretend one. ‘Have you known each other long?’
‘For a year or so, but I never expected things to go so quickly. I thought we were simply friends, even though Mama had hopes.’ Miss Grayson held out her hand where a diamond surrounded by garnets sparkled. ‘Sir Ronald gave me the ring last night. It is completely perfect. I am ever so grateful to my brother. I owe everything to him. I had feared that this day would never come to pass.’
‘Your brother?’
Miss Grayson bent her head and picked at her glove. ‘He came up from London and sorted everything out. At first I thought he wouldn’t be able to stay beyond a day and a night, but he has. It turns out that Sir Ronald was the year below him at Eton and that made everything easier. And yesterday evening, everything fell into place. The settlement, everything. I feel so happy that I could embrace the whole world. Isn’t it marvellous how things work out sometimes? Love is a truly wonderful thing.’
‘Yes, it is. I am very pleased for you.’ Sophie composed her face. Somehow Miss Grayson’s unbridled joy only served to underline the hypocrisy of her own position. Getting married should be because you were in love with someone, deeply and irrevocably. It should not be because society dictates you must marry a stranger in order to save your reputation after an item has appeared in a newspaper. And it should not be because you want that stranger to kiss you. There ought to be more.
‘Do you have a brother, Miss Ravel?’ Miss Grayson asked as the bowler started his run up.
‘I’m an only child. I’ve often wished for a sister, but never a brother. Alas, it was not to be.’
‘I agree it would be pleasant to have a sister, but I shall make do with my brother … for now.’ Miss Grayson’s brow knitted. ‘It is most vexing that he remains unmarried. He truly is the most perfect of brothers. I pray he finds a woman who deserves him.’
‘Maybe he will marry and you will get a sister,’ Sophie said. Miss Grayson did seem overly keen about her paragon of a brother. She had to hope the mysterious
