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Thomas faded out of their bickering, staring into the gentle rippling of the brook close by. His thoughts went back to Sophia and their little interaction in the vegetable garden. He would have liked to have been able to talk to her a bit longer or even bring their conversation into the house, but then that wouldn’t have gone down well.
They would have to explain why they were so familiar, and Thomas was meant to be there to meet Aimee, not Sophia. He didn’t want to get Sophia into trouble over that.
One thing Thomas did know was that Sophia had piqued an interest in him. Far more than her sister. If he were being arranged to marry Sophia, Thomas would be quite content with that. There was something in the air between them, and Sophia was possessed with beauty as well as wit and brains.
Aimee could be the same, for all he knew, but Thomas hadn’t got that when they were talking. The two sisters couldn’t have been any different if they had tried.
Yet again, Thomas began to wish he wasn’t the oldest son. But for a different reason.
Chapter 6
“Where are you going, Sophia?”
Sophia turned to see her mother coming out of the drawing room. She carried on putting her gloves on.
“I was going for a walk, Mother. It’s a little cooler now, and I want to make the most of the weather.”
“Again?” Lady Westbury frowned. “I’m sure you go outside all the time. Why don’t you stay indoors?”
“There’s nothing wrong with going outside. And it’s a lovely day.”
“And where’s your chaperone? You’re not going out alone.”
“Diane is going to join me, Mother,” Sophia lied. “I’m not going out alone.”
For a moment, she thought her mother was actually going to pay attention to her and ask more about what she was going to do. But, predictably, the viscountess sniffed and turned away with a shake of her head.
“Just don’t be too long. We’re going to be having dinner soon, and I want all the family present.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Although Sophia was sure nobody would notice if she weren’t at the dining table later. There had been quite a few times in recent years when she had been absent due to other things, including her own social engagements with Christiana and her family, and her own family had had dinner, and nobody noticed that she wasn’t there. The only people who noticed were the husbands, but they kept things quiet; it was clear the women were in charge in Sophia’s family.
It was a little demoralising to know that she didn’t matter enough for her own family to notice if she was present or not, but Sophia was used to it by now. It happened quite a bit, and she had decided the best thing to do was ignore it and continue with her life. Her parents lived in their own bubble and had drawn their other daughters into it. If what she saw was what happened when pulled into their little bubble, Sophia wanted nothing to do with it.
She just wanted her parents to accept her for who she was. She even wondered if they actually loved her. Sophia couldn’t remember the last time they had said they loved her.
If only Aimee hadn’t turned into her sisters. Because they were so close in age, they had grown up playing together. In the beginning, they had been pretty similar until Aimee turned eighteen and went to London for her coming out. Sophia and Aimee spent all their time running around and doing whatever they wanted. Their nanny tried to keep them in line, but she hadn’t been able to do it very well. The two of them had been as thick as thieves.
Now Aimee had changed, and they weren’t the same anymore. She was just … horrible. She had turned into a snooty little brat, looking down on Sophia all the time and sneering at things she and Aimee had found enjoyment in together. Now she saw them as embarrassing, calling Sophia the same.
Sophia kept her composure – she wasn’t about to let anyone in her family know she was upset – but she had cried in the beginning about not having her sister around. Aimee seemed to relish trying to get a rise out of her like it was a new hobby. Sophia couldn’t understand it.
She didn’t begrudge Aimee for looking for a husband, but why did it have to be Thomas Ford, her gentleman from the walks? That didn’t sit well with Sophia. It almost felt unfair.
Why was she getting upset about it? Sophia didn’t really care for marriage. If she were honest, she was very reluctant to be involved in something that meant marriage at the end. The thought of losing her independence and having to be her husband’s possession didn’t sit well with her. Although that didn’t always happen – Sophia only had to look at her sisters’ marriages as examples – she was sure it would be attempted with her. Sophia wasn’t one to bow down, and she wouldn’t start once she was married.
Being the focal point of someone’s attention was going to feel strange as well. Sophia was used to people ignoring her.
Even if she found Mister Ford attractive, nothing further would happen.
Despite the fact he actually listens to you and doesn’t scoff at your interests and talents?
It wouldn’t last. He was just being polite.
Was he really?
Sophia pushed those thoughts away and started towards Christiana’s house. She could only hope that her mother didn’t bump into Diane and notice that she was still in the house instead of accompanying her mistress. Then again, because she was Sophia’s maid, Diane got lost in the woodwork as well. It was rather shocking how Sophia was treated by her family.
