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“I really do need to come up with a new name for you all,” he said with a laugh. “The Spinster Club just isn’t right now.”
As much as she liked Selby, his remark cut to the quick. How she wished she understood what was wrong with her lately. Every little thing seemed to make her want to cry.
“Banning, that was dreadfully unkind to Sophie,” Avis reprimanded her husband.
“I apologize, Miss Reynard.” He nodded in her direction and then glanced over at Elizabeth. “Your Grace, I have found you
r errant cousin.”
“Nicholas!” Elizabeth exclaimed.
Oh, God, please don’t let him be here, Sophie prayed. While meeting him was bound to happen, she could not deal with the explanations required today. She had been friends with these ladies for seven years and had never met him before. Perhaps her luck would continue to hold because the only other option would be to give up her friends. And she truly did not want it to come to that.
“Yes, he was at White’s this afternoon. He will be joining us for dinner tonight. In fact, why don’t you and your husbands join us?”
Avis smiled. “What a wonderful idea, Banning! I shall tell cook that we shall be ten for dinner.”
Sophie’s heart started to beat so fast she thought she might faint. “I am sorry, Avis, but I am meeting a client tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“Yes. Had I known sooner I might have been able to change my plans.”
“Very well,” Avis said, standing. “I shall tell cook to plan on nine.”
Sophie released a long held breath. Now, she had to leave in case he arrived early.
Selby inclined his head and said, “Good afternoon, ladies.”
Most of them murmured some reply but Sophie could not move. She held her hands tightly together so no one would see her trembling.
“I did not realize you hadn’t seen Nicholas yet,” Jennette said to Elizabeth. “He called on us almost a fortnight ago.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “He and Will haven’t become the friends I’d hoped for yet.”
Nicholas had seen Jennette already. Sophie shook her head. What a fool she’d been to think she might mean something to him. He was still in love with Jennette.
“So who is your client?” Victoria asked Sophie.
“Lady Cantwell.” Sophie stood. “It was lovely seeing you all but I must leave now.”
“So does anyone want to guess what that was all about?” Avis said after walking back into the parlor.
Elizabeth shook her head. “I would have to say Sophie fell in love while in Venice. I have never seen her act so oddly.”
“Damn,” Jennette muttered. “How are we supposed to introduce her to Nicholas if she won’t stay for dinner?”
“We don’t,” Victoria said with a smirk. “Anthony told me that Ancroft said he would start his search for a wife when he returned. And he might even pay a visit to a certain matchmaker in town to find his true love.”
Avis smiled fully. They had all decided over the winter that Sophie and Nicholas would be perfect for each other. Now that they had both returned from their travels, it was time for an introduction. Since Sophie had matched all of them, they had determined it was their turn to find her love.
“Then all we need to do is push him in that direction during dinner,” Avis commented. And everything would work out as planned.
Nicholas handed his greatcoat to the Selby’s footman and then followed the butler to the salon. He smiled hearing the sounds of laughter coming from the room. While it felt good to be back home, that feeling of something missing had been with him since he awoke to find Sophia gone from his room.
He had asked around but no one seemed to know of her. With nothing more to go on, he had given up his search for her and decided to return home. Still, he needed to know who she was. He’d stupidly forgotten to withdraw from her during intercourse. He knew better. That was how he ended up with his darling ten-year-old daughter.
“Lord Ancroft, my lord,” the Selby butler announced.
