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“What? You said it had to be good. You should be thanking me, brother.”
Harry eyed him blearily. “A baby?”
“Belongs to one of the girls at the Masque. I thought it was a nice touch. Proves you have been unfaithful for longer than a week or two. You’re not to be trusted, Harry!”
Harry groaned.
Adam leaned back in his seat. “What about when Father hears about this? He’ll want you to come home so that he can tear strips off you.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Harry said. “Not until I talk to Sophy.”
“What were you two talking about before I arrived?” Adam asked curiously. “It looked quite intense.”
“She told me that James was going to ask her to marry him,” Harry said.
Adam took this in. “But he hasn’t yet?”
“No. I need to see her before he does. I need to explain I am not a bigamist, and persuade her to take another chance on me. There’s no time to waste. Take me home and clean me up, and then we have to go to this grandmother of hers in Lambeth.”
Harry would crawl on his hands and knees all the way to Lambeth if he had to.
“I understand why you don’t want to waste time,” Adam said. “All the same, if you don’t jump to father’s tune you might lose Pendleton. Would you risk that?”
Would he? All his life he had looked forward to taking over Pendleton from his father and carrying on the Baillieu tradition. But if he lost Sophy then Pendleton would mean nothing to him. It would be a hollow victory to have the house and the estate, and not the woman he loved.
“Yes,” he said. He closed his eyes against the throbbing of his head. “I will.”
Chapter 27
SOPHY
That woman’s words still rang in Sophy’s ears. After the appalling scene on the east lawn, gossip was flying. James had drawn Sophy away and she had not seen the Earl of Albury punch Harry in the face, or declare the engagement between Harry and Evelyn null and void, but she soon heard about it.
Guests huddled into groups, each full of news. Some had already left, eager to spread their gossip far and wide. A few curious glances were cast her way, and she wondered if her dancing with Harry only moments before would have consequences for her reputation.
It seemed the thought had occurred to James as well. “Let us hope no one thinks you were involved.”
In silence they went to find Mrs Harding. Sophy’s legs were shaking. Harry had told her he loved her and to wait for him. She was certain that he had meant to warn her of what was about to happen. Did that mean it wasn’t real? That the poor woman and her baby weren’t genuine? If only that were true. Sophy swallowed the lump in her throat.
“I am surprised,” James said as they walked. “I had not thought Harry Baillieu the sort of man to lie and cheat and ruin a woman’s life.”
She took a deep breath. “I had not thought that either. Maybe he’s changed.” she added with a glance his way, to see if he was as unconvinced as she.
James shook his head. “You don’t believe that, Sophy. I don’t think you could love a man who would do those things. What was he saying to you while you were dancing?” And he eyed her curiously. “I assume he was trying to persuade you that wasn’t your final dance together?”
Tears now filled her eyes. “He was. He said he loved me and he always had.”
“Did he?” James’s eyebrows lifted. “Left it a bit late to bare his soul. Was that all?”
“He said I should wait.” She gave him another sideways glance.
“Wait?”
“He didn’t want me to go to your estate with you. He wanted me to wait, but he didn’t say why or for what. James, I think he did it on purpose. I think it was all planned. Adam spoke to me, just before the woman started shouting. He said Harry was being heroic.”
“Heroic?” James scoffed.
“Yes. And Harry said something I remembered, from our past. It reminded me that when he was a boy he was always protecting Adam. I lost count of the number of times he was thrashed instead of his brother, even though he was innocent of the misdemeanours. Just now he was willing to take his punishment from Evelyn’s brother but it wasn’t because he had done anything wrong. Do you see?”
