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“I have known him far, far longer than I have known you.”
And obviously, they had not been lovers, he thought. So why did they seem so close? Their interaction was intimate and Somerton appeared protective of her. There was something between them, but what?
“What is Somerton to you?” he asked quietly, hoping she would offer him the truth.
“A very good friend,” she replied. “A man I can talk with who gives me advice when I need it since I don’t have a father to guide me.”
He glanced down at the rug and then back up to her. “You can come to me.”
“No, I cannot,” she said adamantly.
“Why not?”
“Nicholas, there is too much between us.”
Nicholas sighed and dropped into the same wing-back chair where he’d made love to her only weeks ago. “Sophie, I assume you heard about Somerton’s wager at White’s.”
“Yes, Elizabeth told me.”
“I see. Why would a man you consider a friend place such a bet?”
She pressed her hands to her temples as if fighting back the pain. Pacing the room, she said nothing for several moments. He wondered if she was trying to determine an acceptable lie to tell him.
“He knows about us,” she finally whispered.
“You told him?”
She stopped pacing and glared at him. “No, you told him.”
“I most certainly did no such thing,” he said, coming to his feet.
“Somerton gave me a pair of earrings as a birthday gift last year. The same earring that I lost in your bed in Venice. That is why he told you to come to me.”
Nicholas muttered a curse. “Well at least that explains both the wager and his protective attitude. I suppose he wants to call me out.”
“No, he would not do that.” She pressed her lips into a frown. “What are we to do, Nicholas?”
“Since you will not marry me, we apparently do nothing,” he said in a resigned tone. He brushed his hands through his hair. “The wager will blow over as long as we are not seen together. No one will believe that it is anything but an odd bet by Somerton.”
“Considering how few balls and parties I attend, it should not be difficult to stay apart. As long as you stop showing up on my doorstep and pinning viscounts against my front door.”
Her words make perfect sense, and yet, he had no desire to stop calling on her. He was drawn to her, fascinated by her. But she was right. They needed to have no gossips inventing stories about them. And the more time he spent in her company, the more he ached for her. Separating was the only option. No matter how much that hurt.
“Very well, then. I shall leave.”
She nodded and pressed her lips into a thin line. “Good-bye, then.”
Nicholas sighed and then walked out of her house. The only thing on his mind was getting mind numbingly drunk. He didn’t want to think about Sophie anymore. And he certainly didn’t want to desire her again.
He laughed harshly as he entered his carriage. The yearnings he felt for Sophie were unlike any he’d ever had for another woman. Even his infatuation with Jennette seemed like a distant memory. The only woman he could think of was Sophie. The only woman he wanted was Sophie.
He wondered how long it would take before he could crave another woman.
Would it be possible to want another after having Sophie?
Sophie arranged the mask on her face before stepping out of the carriage. The dark purple feathers of her mask accented the pale lavender silk gown Sophie wore. She was certain no one would recognize her. At least she hoped one particular man did not notice her tonight.
She had already decided that she would be as inconspicuous as possible. She hadn’t even told her friends that she would attend the ball. Her only reason for being here was to watch Nicholas mingle with some of the ladies during the evening.
