Never Courted, Suddenly Wed (Scandalous Seasons #2)(85)

“I need to see Sophie,” he murmured.

“You need a bath,” Drake muttered.

They reached the Blue Chamber and Drake ushered him inside. He turned to leave.

“How is she?” Christopher called, his voice hoarse with emotion.

Drake paused. “Sad.”

His stomach tightened. Until the day he died, he would forever remember the lines of grief etched in Sophie’s heart-shaped face. He stared sightless at the blue floral wallpaper. He’d journeyed for two days, searching for the words to convince her that she’d not been wrong in trusting her heart to him.

He set his bundle down on a nearby bureau.

“As you know, my own mistakes nearly cost me Emmaline’s heart.”

Still, one year later, that stiff pronouncement spoken by Drake served as testament to the other man’s resentment and jealousy.

Christopher tried to imagine how it would have felt to lose Sophie, only to watch her be courted by another man. His hands curled into tight fists at his side. “I’m sorry for having courted Emmaline.”

Drake waved him off, clearly a more gracious man than Christopher. “In time, Sophie will forgive you.”

“You sound so very certain,” he said with a trace of bitterness. It was so very easy for the other man whose life had sorted itself out to speak so confidently about Christopher’s marriage.

“Do you love her?”

His throat worked convulsively. “I do.”

“Then she’ll forgive you.” Several servants appeared with a tub. “Now if you’ll excuse me.”

“Drake?”

The other man paused at the door.

“Thank you.”

Drake nodded, and closed the door behind him.

***

Sophie’s heart thundered and she looked out the window for a sight of Christopher.

“I believe he’s been granted entrance,” the duke said, leaning over her shoulder to peer outside.

Emmaline raced into the room. “He’s here,” she panted, breathless from her exertions. “Oh,” she drew to a sudden halt at the sight of her brother. “You’re spending time in the nursery?” Surprise laced her words.

“Em?” Sophie pleaded.

“Oh, yes. Forgive me.” Emmaline gave a shake of her head. “He was pounding hard enough to take the door down and Jones granted him admittance. He has the look of a madman.” Her nose wrinkled. “And he smells quite foul.”

Sophie angled her head.

“Horses and sweat,” Emmaline said by way of explanation. “I do believe he’s been traveling in search of you since you left. Or he has very poor hygiene. But having known Waxham through the years, he never struck me as—”

“Em!” Sophie said with a pained laugh.

“Oh, right. My apologies. Drake showed him to the guest chambers, and I came right here. I’ll take her.” She rushed to take a still-slumbering Regan.

Sophie spun on her heel and began to pace the floor. Her husband had come for her. If he’d merely been driven to possess her fortune, it should not have mattered that she’d left. Yet he was here. Surely that meant something. Surely.

“He loves you,” Mallen murmured.

Emmaline nodded. “He has the same desperate look that Drake had when he interrupted the dinner party with Waxham.” Her skin turned several shades of red. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly.

“It is fine,” Sophie assured her. She expected the sharp, sting of jealousy at the reminder of Christopher’s courtship of Emmaline.

Except, if Christopher had loved Emmaline, surely he would have challenged Drake for her affections.

Instead, he was here, fighting for Sophie.

The door opened and both Sophie and Emmaline jumped.

Drake’s powerfully muscular frame filled the narrow doorway. “Your husband has requested an audience with you.”

Sophie caught her lower lips between her teeth. “I—”

“You’re going,” Em interrupted with a frown.

“I’m not ready,” Sophie whispered. The ache of Christopher’s betrayal was still too fresh.

“That’s utter rubbish. You at least have to hear him out. If you do not want to leave with him afterwards, then you are free to stay. But I never took you for a coward.” Emmaline directed her attention to Drake. “Where is Lord Waxham?”

“He asked to meet in the library.”

“The library?” Sophie blurted. With Christopher’s recent confession about his struggle to read, she’d imagine it was quite difficult for him to be in a room that served as a reminder of his struggle.

“Sebastian, will you show Sophie to the library.”

The duke held out his arm.

Sophie eyed it for several moments, and then placed her fingertips along his coat sleeve.

“You do know he’s going to be horribly jealous when he sees you on my arm,” he said, as they made their way through the halls.

She pointed her eyes to the ceiling. “Then you do not know Christopher as well as you believe.”

He snorted. “You’re wrong.”

“It’s impolite to tell a lady she is wrong.”

“Is it?”

“Oh, I’m certain of it,” she said with a nod.