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“I’m sorry, love.”
“It’s sensitive right now. It will heal.”
“Still doesn’t make me feel any better. Here”—he held the rag to her nose—“hold this until the bleeding stops. I need to tend to…other things.”
Zach gently spread her legs and placed a warm cloth against her swollen folds. “Not a lot of blood. That’s good. Are you sore, my love?”
“A bit. But it’s…a good sore.” And it was. Sophie didn’t know how to explain it any better than that. All she knew was that she welcomed the pain that had come with giving Zach this most precious of gifts.
“Hold this against you,” he said, placing her hand on the rag between her legs. “I would do it myself, but I want to take care of your nose.”
Sophie smiled.
He was such a gentleman. Somehow, she had to get her stepfather to change his mind about their courtship.
“Zach?”
“Yes?”
“Would you…call on me tomorrow evening after dinner? I would like to speak to my stepfather with you. If you’re still interested in courting me, that is.”
“Of course I am. You are very special, Sophie. I… I believe I could…”
“Could what?”
He gingerly cleaned the blood from Sophie’s nose and lips. “Still the same perfect shape. Thank God she didn’t break your nose.”
“Could what?” Sophie said again.
“Never mind. I’m so thankful you’re all right. I’ll have Nanette banned from the theatre. I’m so sorry.”
“I was rather embarrassed. I mean, here I was, sitting on your divan, naked as a bird.”
Zach smiled. “You have no need to be embarrassed about that, sweet. You are quite exquisite naked.”
Sophie warmed all over, tingles shooting through her.
“And I will be happy to call on you tomorrow evening. At what hour?”
“Perhaps nine o’clock. We should be done with dinner, and the men will be smoking their cigars. I will try to speak to my mother and stepfather before then, and then perhaps all of us can talk together.”
“I will be there.” Zach smiled.
* * *
The next day, when Sophie returned home from rehearsal, she found her mother taking tea alone in the smaller parlor.
“Hello, Mother. I wonder if we might speak.”
Iris took a sip of her tea. “Of course, my dear. What is on your mind?”
“Did the earl tell you that Mr. Zachary Newland requested permission to court me?”
Iris nodded, setting her tea on its saucer. “He did, Sophie.”
“Then you know that he did not allow it.”
Iris nodded again. “Is this Mr. Newland a man who interests you?”
