“What did she say? Is she well? I didn’t even see her there.” Lord Durham elbowed his way between the brothers as he spoke.
Lord Tamworth turned his head to speak to Durham, and Sophie slipped her hand from his, since he appeared to have forgotten he held it.
“Durham, one of these days you’re going to regret your own rashactions.”
Lord Durham gave Lord Tamworth a smirk. “I already do, multiple times a day. But please introduce me so that I may apologize profusely.”
Ellie joined them. “Now is not the time.”
Relieved there would be no more introductions, Sophie happily accepted Ellie’s arm around her waist as they skated back to the chairs and away from the crowd.
Ellie stepped off the ice. “You can tell me the truth. Were you harmed?”
Sophie walked beside her friend across the grass, and sat in an empty chair far from the older couples and Lord Ashfield. “I’m fine. I believe that Lord Tamworth broke my fall quite well. But what will everyone think of me?”
Ellie waved off her concern. “They will think nothing untoward. It was an accident caused by Lord Durham. That man is reckless more often than not.”
At her friend’s tone of voice, Sophie stopped untying her second skate and looked at Ellie. “What about Lord Tamworth? He grabbed me and kept me from hitting the ice, but should he have done so?”
“I view his actions as heroic, but I do see your concern.” Ellie pulled a free chair over and sat then bent to untie her laces. When next she spoke, her voice was much quieter, a rare occurrence. “I think we can avoid any unfortunate gossip by focusing on Lord Tamworth’s kindness. I will also be sure to seat him far from you at dinner.”
Even at the thought of facing everyone at the evening meal, Sophie felt the blood drain from her face. “I can take my meals in my room.”
“Absolutely not. That would fuel the gossip. My guess is Lord Durham will do something else that will get people’s tongues wagging. If not, I will call on the duchess to start a rather radical conversation, which will refocus anyone’s thoughts. Why, I can eventell people about the zoo we are planning to add to Hawthorne Park.”
“A zoo?” She raised her brows, hoping Ellie jested.
Ellie laughed loudly, attracting the attention of the others seated nearby. “Yes, but you’ll have to wait until dinner to learn all about it. Now finish taking off your skates, and I’ll walk with you back to the house. I want to rearrange the dinner table.” She rose and ambled over to the older couples to talk.
Bending over her foot, Sophie untied the leather straps that held her blade on her boot. She should have never given in to the temptation to skate. She sighed and looked out at the pond. The guests had gone back to skating, some arm in arm, others speeding along while a handful moved awkwardly, and three didn’t move at all, one of whom stared at her.
Feeling her cheeks heat, despite the cold, she quickly grabbed her skates and tied them together to avoid Lord Tamworth’s gaze. She rose, faced the area where Ellie stood, and waited. Finally, her friend joined her, and they started back to the house. In an attempt to keep her mind off the fact that Lord Tamworth now knew who she was, she spoke to Ellie. “Are you truly opening a zoo?”
Ellie laughed again. “Hardly. We are building a zoo of wooden animals for the children. It will be just for us and our friends. We plan to build them to scale, so Maggie and Peter will understand the concepts of prey and predator.”
It was a brilliant idea in Sophie’s estimation, but… “That seems like a substantial undertaking for one simple concept.”
“I can always count on you to see to the heart of the matter. Yes, it is, if that were the only reason for building it. That is the reason I give to my neighbors. But to my good friends, I will confess, it’s more to provide entertainment and physical activity to the children.”
Sophie grinned. “So, you are doing it for fun.”
“Exactly.”
“I must admit I thought you would build an observatory if you hadthe opportunity.”
“Darius has already promised me one, but I thought it best to create the zoo while the children are young.”
That was so like Ellie, to think of others first. “I’m very happy that you will have all you wished for.”
Ellie halted as they stepped onto the terrace. “What doyouwish for?”
“Me? I don’t wish for anything. I am content.” Even as she said the words, Sophie wasn’t quite sure, but she repeated her statement anyway, giving a nod. “Yes, I’m content as I am.”
Her friend started forward again, and the footman opened the door, allowing them entrance into the parlor. Once inside, they left their coats and outerwear with the butler and ascended the grand stairway.
Ellie picked up the conversation again once they were out of earshot of the servants. “But you will marry someday. Do you not think about or wish for a particular type of man or family?”
“I do not think that will happen, so I don’t wish for it.”
