you are enjoying yourself rather well.’
‘I am enjoying myself immensely,’ Sophie said complacently. ‘Later today the builder arrives, and I predict that my appearance will suffer further, but my enjoyment will increase in proportion.’
‘Speaking of which, Lord Dayle,’ Sophie called. ‘Forgive me for interrupting, but I must ask if you’ve any objection to my tearing down the wall between the two parlours at the back of the first floor?’
She hesitated to ask, after his harshly declared intention to have nothing to do with the project, but did not feel comfortable undertaking such a large change without his approval. Fortunately he appeared amused instead of annoyed. ‘I give you full carte blanche, Miss Westby. The house is entirely in your hands.’ He looked directly at her, and she caught her breath. Breathtaking was how he looked, sitting relaxed, with the wind ruffling his hair and a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. ‘I only ask that you don’t attempt to bring the wall down yourself.’
Sophie gathered her composure and wrinkled her nose at him. ‘I appreciate your confidence, and promise to leave the demolition to the men.’
She smiled as little Edward, appetite assuaged, toddled over to her and patted her face with sticky hands. ‘I don’t know why you berate me for my untidiness, Lady Dayle. Just look at this little gentleman—covered in peaches and grass stains! You’ll never win the ladies’ hearts that way, my boy,’ she admonished him.
The boy laughed and plopped himself into her lap. ‘Well, perhaps you shall,’ Sophie said, gathering him close for a squeeze.
Emily smiled at her son’s antics. ‘Better grass stains than bruises, Sophie.’ She raised her face to the sun filtering through the new leaves and leaned back against her husband. ‘Oh, this was a marvellous idea.’
‘Yes, a lovely day,’ Miss Ashford agreed. ‘It is a shame that you may not relax and appreciate it as the rest of us have, Miss Westby.’
Sophie did not wish to think about how Miss Ashford had been spending her day. ‘I thank you, but beg you not to worry for me. I am more than content.’
‘It seems an odd sort of thing to gain such pleasure from,’ Miss Ashford remarked.
‘It is unusual, but there can be no doubt of your talent,’ Mr Alden intervened. ‘I wandered in earlier and caught a glimpse of some of your colour and fabric combinations. Won’t you please tell us how this project came about?’
Lady Dayle answered him. ‘Sophie is too modest to tell the story correctly, so we shall have to enlighten you. It started with the baby,’ she said, gesturing to the boy growing heavy-eyed in Sophie’s arms. ‘Tell them, Emily, dear.’
Emily rose to fetch her son. ‘It did indeed start with Edward,’ she said as she settled back with him. ‘Shortly before his arrival came the arrival of a very large packing crate at our home. I couldn’t imagine what was in it.’ She paused to adjust the baby’s weight in her arms.
‘Shall we guess, Mrs Lowder, or will you tell us?’ Mr Alden laughed.
‘I shall tell you, Mr Alden, if you will be patient.’ She smiled over at him. ‘It was a cradle. A marvellous cradle, with a mighty castle, and knights and horses, and even a princess in her tower carved right into the wood, like they had grown there. I confess, it took my breath away.’
‘Beautiful piece,’ Mr Lowder agreed. ‘Never seen anything like it.’
‘It was from Sophie, of course, and we asked her right away where she had found such a treasure, for we hoped to get some matching pieces.’
‘Was it Spanish?’ asked Miss Ashford. ‘I’ve seen some lovely pieces from Spain and they are a fanciful people.’
‘No indeed,’ replied Emily. ‘Sophie had designed it herself, and had a gifted friend of hers do the woodwork. We were amazed, of course.’
Everyone proclaimed their admiration. Sophie, blushing, tore her eyes from Charles, who had appeared very far away while Emily talked.
‘Due to some previous difficulties, the doctors had insisted I stay off of my feet,’ she continued. ‘I thought I would go out of my mind! So I struck upon the idea of redoing the entire nursery, to keep my thoughts occupied.’
‘She was the brains of the project,’ Sophie laughed. ‘I was only the hands and feet.’
‘That is not at all the truth,’ Emily protested. ‘But it turned out so well and we had such fun that, after little Edward was born, I decided to ask Sophie’s help in redoing some other rooms.’ She turned to Miss Ashford. ‘I assure you, they turned out beautifully. You’ve never seen anything so comfortable and elegant at the same time.’
‘How nice,’ murmured Miss Ashford.
‘And upon seeing their handiwork, I decided that a big redecorating project would be just the thing for me as well,’ interjected Lady Dayle. ‘I came up with the idea of doing this house for Charles’s birthday and enjoying the Season at the same time. And here we all are.’
‘Yes, here we are all, and here I am going to stay, at least for a bit,’ said Sophie, more than ready to change the focus of the conversation. She looked to Charles. ‘Your mother and I have packed a few things. We mean to stay for a day or two, to get the work started off in good fashion.’
‘Won’t you be missed in town, Mother?’ he asked.
‘No. We intend to stay only tonight and tomorrow night. We shall be back in time for Almack’s on Wednesday.’
‘Good. I would hate for Miss Westby to miss any of the excitement of her first Season.’
Irritation straightened Sophie’s spine. ‘I do not know why you must insist on thinking of me as an empty-headed débutante, intent on flirting my way through the Season and into some peer’s pocket.’
Charles cast a lazy eye over her. ‘That was not my meaning, but since you brought it up, I shall remind you that decorating as a hobby might make you an eccentric, but as a career it will place you out of consideration for nearly any gentleman of birth.’
‘That is just as well, then,’ she returned. ‘I have as much talent, vision, and will as any man, not to mention enough money of my own to gain me something that few other women possess: choice, free will, and independence.’ She raised her chin, more than ready to continue, but was forestalled by Miss Ashford.
‘I’m sorry to hear that you will not be returning with us, Miss Westby,’ the lady said smoothly. ‘I am hosting a gathering of young ladies tomorrow to discuss some charitable works, and I had intended you to join us.’
Sophie blinked. The woman sounded as if she fully expected a reversal of their plans. ‘I am most obliged, Miss Ashford, but I must stay. The plasterer cannot come until tomorrow. I must be sure everyone comprehends what I have in mind. The first stages of a project such as this are critical.’
‘Of course, I understand.’ Her tone said otherwise. She accepted a glass of lemonade from a servant and turned back to Sophie. ‘What I would like to hear is how you developed such a passionate interest in design, Miss Westby. It is a most unusual accomplishment for a young lady.’
Sophie
