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James continued to stare at her for a moment and the
n suddenly his face cleared. “Baillieu was protecting Evelyn. It was staged. Baillieu has broken his engagement in a way that will save Evelyn’s reputation but destroy his own.”
“And Adam and Harry have always been close. I can’t imagine Adam allowing today to happen on purpose, unless it was on purpose.” She grasped his arm so tightly it probably hurt. “Sir Arbuthnot will be furious.”
Harry’s words returned to her, reminding her again of that long ago day in the study at Pendleton, her hiding under the desk and Harry’s stoic silence as his father thrashed him with the cane for something he hadn’t done. Harry was long past being thrashed by his father but Sir Arbuthnot would still try to wound him in other ways. Bully him into doing as he was told. Lie. She shuddered.
James gave her a little shake to gain her attention. “He did it for you,” he said. “He let Oscar hit him and turned himself into food for the gossips. For you.”
Sophy felt the colour drain from her face.
“He told you he loved you and to wait. Sophy, he did it for you. A last heroic throw of the dice.”
“It wasn’t goodbye after all,” she whispered.
She glanced at James and saw him watching her. “Evelyn will be free too,” he said, as if he’d read her mind.
“Yes,” she agreed.
“She must have known about Baillieu’s plan. He wouldn’t have put her in that awful position without talking to her about it first.” His face brightened. “She knew, Sophy, and she went along with it so that she and Harry could be free.”
“Can you ask her again, James?” Sophy said, eyes shining. “Perhaps she wants you too?”
But the light had gone out. “You’re forgetting what happened before. She thinks I lied to her. I hurt her and she doesn’t trust me. Oscar will make certain she never hears my side of the story, and if I try to see her then he’ll have me beaten. Again.”
“If she knew her brother was threatening you like that, surely she would see—”
He broke in before she could finish. “Evelyn would be in danger too, if she stood up to him. No, Sophy, no matter how much I might want it to work, I know it can’t.”
“Do you really believe that?” she insisted.
“Whether I do or not, I would never do anything to risk Evelyn. Better she spends her life without me than suffers because I am too selfish to let her go.”
Sophy wanted to groan in frustration. James was being very noble and she understood why, really she did, but she wished he would be less noble and take a risk. If she was Evelyn then she would prefer him to take a chance, rather than step aside and leave her to live her life without him.
“Before you danced with Baillieu I was going to ask you … That is, I was wondering if you and I might make a go of it, Sophy. But now I think we should wait. Baillieu probably has another plan up his sleeve, and I …” He shrugged.
“You think you may try and win Evelyn around after all?” she said with a pleased smile. “I hope you do, James.”
“You’re a romantic,” he mocked gently. “I wish I believed love could conquer all, but I don’t. Not anymore.”
“Sophy!” Mrs Harding was hurrying toward them, momentarily forgetting herself and almost running. Sophy could see she had heard the news and braced herself for what was to come. “Sophy, I have heard the most alarming report.”
“Mrs Harding,” James stepped in front of her, and began to talk about the beautiful grounds, distracting her for a moment.
Sophy tried not to smile as her chaperone struggled between the need to be polite and her desperate urge to ask her charge what had happened. Charlotte slipped an arm through Sophy’s and Lucy leaned close on her other side. “Don’t worry about Mama,” she whispered.
“Was it true that Mr Baillieu had a baby?” Charlotte asked, wide-eyed.
Lucy snorted a laugh.
Thankfully Sophy didn’t have to answer, because their mother had finally escaped James and was announcing it was time to go, chivvying them toward their carriage.
James bowed over her hand before she climbed up the steps and inside. “I will be travelling to my estate tomorrow but I will call on you in the morning to say goodbye,” he said. “Goodnight, Sophy.”
“Goodnight, James.”
Mrs Harding overheard and once inside the carriage, her chaperone stared at her with a curious look in her eyes.
