A Most Unlikely Betrothal by Alice Kirks
Chapter 20
"These pork chops are divine," the Duke declared, adding another one to his plate.
"That's your fourth one, dear," his wife reproved. "Do you not think you should slow down?"
The Duke narrowed his eyes, keeping his hands on the meat. “What are you trying to say, Diane?”
“Nothing, dear. Only that too much of a good thing is never healthy.”
“In that case, perhaps I should lessen the nip money I give you.”
Richard's mother's eyes grew so wide that he could see the whites all around. “That is not what I meant. I do not think you give me too much money.”
“Are you saying I am stingy?”
Richard groaned, gripping his forehead. His parents could go on for hours like this and then kiss and make up as though nothing had happened. Were all married couples like this, or was this the mark of a couple who loved each other?
Richard's parents had always seemed in love to him, but apparently, that had not always been the case. Theirs was an arranged marriage, and like most marriages that started out in this way, his parents had not known each other well. It was only when he was born that his parents bonded and eventually fell in love. Now, they were inseparable, although they could also drive each other up the wall.
Will Sophia and I end up like them? It's not a terrible fate, but I could do without the daily arguing.
“You're smiling again, son,” his mother commented.
“I am?”
His father nodded. “You are. I thought you would be begging us to stop this wedding by now, but you seem at peace with it. Have you reached an understanding with Sophia? She is a good girl, you know. I do not think we could have done any better had we chosen her ourselves.”
Richard couldn't deny his father's opinion. “Sophia will be a good wife, Father, of that I am certain. I have no objections to marrying her.”
“Do I detect some affection for her?” the Duchess asked. “You always appear softer when you speak about her.”
Richard flushed. “Why must you dig so much? You should be happy that I am prepared to marry Sophia without argument or pleading to save me.”
“Just admit that you like her, son,” his father insisted. “We like her as well. I still find her rather curious, but I like her. I look forward to having a daughter in this family.”
“I am the one who should be happiest about Sophia joining this family,” the Duchess said. “I have been the only woman among two men for twenty-five years now! 'Tis time another woman joined forces with me.”
The Duke groaned. “Do not rope my daughter into one of your hare-brained schemes, my love. I cannot handle much more of them.”
Richard would have laughed, but his mother might not take his reaction lightly. She was touchy about her failed schemes and maintained that one of her ideas would eventually work. Last year, she had bought several hundred swans to draw her carriage instead of horses. She had believed it would look majestic and make her the envy of every woman.
The swans had ended up tipping the carriage over and dropped their faeces all over the contraption. Their poor driver and footman had escaped with a few scratches and swan droppings, but his mother had suffered a mild head injury that had made her scream like a banshee every time she heard a swan's cry.
That was just one incident, but there were many more others that Richard looked forward to sharing with Sophia. She would surely enjoy hearing them.
“You will all eat your hats when I make a success of my dream,” the Duchess stated.
“Which dream would this be?” her husband asked. “You have hundreds of them a day. I do not think I have ever met a woman with such a vivid imagination. The good Lord must have given you triple the usual amount.”
“I think Sophia will challenge Mother for the most vivid imagination,” Richard claimed. “Some even consider her a witch, although that is just nonsense. I suppose she could be a witch if she wanted to, but one of those good ones that live in the forest.”
Perhaps Sophia could set up her own little hut in his escape and brew potions, or at least pretend to. She would find it amusing and might use it as a scare tactic for those that annoyed her.
I could truly see her doing that. I shall never have another dull day once I am married to her.
“What backward buffoon would ever think Sophia is a witch?” his mother asked.
"Several people I know," Richard replied. "Some have even suggested that she consulted a gypsy and was given a love potion to capture my heart and marry me."
Richard let that sink in as he scooped up a few carrots and forked the lot into his mouth. He was no longer angry about the rumour—he now found it amusing. Once a person was able to step back and really look at something that sounded ridiculous, they could see the humour in it.
“I cannot believe anyone would accuse our Sophia of such a despicable thing,” the Duchess said, shaking her head. “She is the last person I would ever expect to do such a thing. People are cruel, and she has had to face them for so long.”
“Some might say that she has used the potion on you as well because you like her so much,” Richard pointed out. “People expect us to behave in ways that they deem acceptable, even when it's clearly wrong. I don't want to be part of that society.”
The Duke slapped his shoulder, startling Richard. “You're growing up, son. It took you long enough, but I'm glad to see Sophia has had a positive influence on you. I can only imagine what good fortune she will bring to you when you finally become man and wife.”
Richard covered his father's hand with his own. “I suppose it was about time. You and Mother have been pestering me about getting married for so long that I was given a wife before I even knew about it. Are you certain you didn't plan this entire thing?”
It would be quite an elaborate scheme if his parents turned out to be the ones who planned the mistaken identity kiss and spread the rumour, but Richard didn't think they would go that far.
“I almost wish I had,” his mother admitted. “But this worked out better than I could have ever imagined. The Season hasn't ended, but I get to throw a wedding, gain a wonderful daughter-in-law and a confidant. We women must stick together."
The Duke groaned, rolling his eyes. "Do not start with that, Diane. I am your confidant and have been so for over twenty-five years. That has to count for something."
“It does, dear,” the Duchess assured. “I simply meant that having another woman to talk to about things a man has no knowledge of will be a blessing.”
The Duke seemed happy with that explanation because he resumed eating and said nothing more. Richard followed suit and tucked into his food, not wanting it to grow cold. Most of it was already, but what mattered was still warm.
They were interrupted some moments later when Cavendish stood at the door and announced he had a letter for him.
“For me?” asked Richard. “At this time of the day?”
"Yes, my lord. Shall I bring it to you or leave it in your room?"
“I'll take it now,” he replied, holding out his hand.
“Who is it from, dear?” his mother asked.
Richard turned the letter over, his frown turning upside down. “Sophia.”
But why would she send him a note at this time of the day? Richard's smile fell as his stomach clenched. He could tell that something was wrong. He didn't know why, but he could just sense it.
“That's lovely!” his mother exclaimed. “Are you now exchanging secret letters confessing your undying love for each other?”
“Ever the romantic,” the Duke muttered. “Let the boy open his letter in peace, my dove. Can you not see he is troubled? This is a rather odd hour to have a letter delivered. Sophia could have waited until the morning, but something must have driven her to send it now.”
The Duchess's expression quickly changed. “What does it say, son? Is something wrong with Sophia?”
Richard didn't want to open the letter in front of his parents. What if it held bad news? He wanted to be able to process it alone before informing his parents about it.
Why do I sense it's bad? Surely, Sophia could not have changed her mind about me again?
“Please excuse me,” he told his parents. “I wish to read this in the other room.”
“But—” his mother protested, getting up.
The Duke immediately put his hand out, shaking his head. “Let our son handle the matter. Whether good or bad, I'm sure he will let us know.”
The Duchess nodded reluctantly and settled back in her chair. “We'll be right here, son. I'm sure it's nothing terrible. 'Tis too close to the wedding for it to be anything but good news.”
Richard's mother sounded hopeful, but there was a false note to it. She was as doubtful as he was and was struggling to hide it.
He left them, clutching the letter tightly between his fingers. Sophia might have a question for him and couldn't wait until morning to ask him. That was a possibility, wasn't it?
“I suppose I'll find out soon enough,” he muttered.
Richard gravitated towards the drawing-room, not bothering to find a chair as he tore the letter open. He read through the letter quickly at first but wasn't entirely confident he had understood its message. Richard took his time the second time, his fingers tracing the words.
“What is this?” he cried.
Had Sophia lost her mind? How could she make such a decision on her own? Richard did sit down this time, his hands falling on either side of the armchair as though he couldn't hold them up.
Sophia wanted to end their engagement and clearly expected him to be happy about it. She was giving him a way out of a previously unwanted marriage, and he wouldn't be at fault because she would take all the blame. Did she even think this through?
“Her reputation will be in tatters, never to be fixed again,” he protested, holding the letter to his face. “She doesn't understand it, or she has truly lost her mind.”
Richard didn't want to end the engagement; he wanted to get married to her. What right did she have to play with their lives like this?
Richard reread the letter, stopping where Sophia wrote that he could be with Elizabeth and ask for her hand in marriage instead.
“Oh, Sophia,” he cried, shaking his head. “You still believe I should be with your sister.”
But that wasn't so. Perhaps, in the beginning, Richard did believe Elizabeth would have been the better sister to marry, but not anymore. It had taken being with Sophia to see Elizabeth's shallowness and her selfishness.
The day she had complained about an injured ankle had been enough proof that Richard had narrowly missed a catastrophe by marrying the woman. All she had wanted to talk about was herself and had even lied about her ankle, yet Sophia had tried to cover it up.
Richard had noticed it all, but he had said nothing. It wouldn't have done anyone any good to uncover Elizabeth's nasty ways, so he had let it be. At least now he knew he would have never been happy with her in the long run.
However, Sophia would make a wonderful companion. The woman was worth her weight in gold and would never give him cause to regret marrying her.
“She will be a life partner who will respect me,” Richard declared to the room. “Someone who will be my friend and…and…”
Richard couldn't say the next few words out loud because he still didn't know how to approach his feelings. Simply put, he was attracted to Sophia and probably had been from the moment he had kissed her so many moons ago.
Richard had not been able to admit this to himself, but he had never forgotten about the kiss. It had been branded on his mind and continued to haunt him whenever he thought about it. Not even Nicholas was aware of these feelings.
“I suppose I kissed the right person after all,” Richard mused to himself.
What would everyone say once they knew that he was genuinely attracted to someone everyone had rejected and labelled ugly and unworthy of attention? Richard laughed—they would think he was insane and suffering the effects of Sophia's love potion. If there had been a potion, it would have been on her lips, because that was where it all began.
It seems that the more I see of her, the more I'm drawn to her. I'm attracted to everything about her, from her glorious hair to her extraordinary mind, her luminous eyes, her beautiful smile, and her kind heart. I am mentally, spiritually, and physically attracted to her. That has certainly never happened before.
The attraction was so complete that Richard wondered if it had anything to do with love. He might be getting ahead of himself here, but he needed to consider it going forward.
"Richard?" he heard his mother call before a soft knock came at the door. "Is everything well?"
“I'm sorry, son,” came his father's voice. He sounded out of breath. “I couldn't stop her.”
Richard laughed. “Come in, Mother.”
The door whipped open, admitting a very anxious looking duchess. “What did Sophia say, son? Is she well? Is it about the wedding?”
Should he tell the truth? No, there was no reason to worry his parents. Richard planned to marry Sophia on the day chosen, and that was that. She would simply have to give up this ridiculous notion of calling off the engagement and accept that she would be the next Countess of Brittingham.
“All is well, Mother,” he assured. “Sophia merely wished to tell me about something she recalled and didn't want to wait until tomorrow. She can be like that at times.”
“Oh, thank goodness!” the woman exclaimed, her hand going to her bosom. “I was so worried she had called the wedding off! I might have attempted to kidnap her and bring her here until the wedding and force her to marry you.”
Richard's mouth fell open. “Mother!”
"What?" she asked. "I mean it, Richard. I want Sophia Emley to become my daughter and your wife. She is perfect for you and this family, and I want nothing to come in between that. I'm actually glad that people rejected her for so long, or she might have been married by now, and I would have lost the perfect daughter-in-law. I suppose everything worked out in the end. Well, I'm off to have my dessert now—syllabub and cheesecake."
The Duchess glided out of the room, her husband casting Richard a helpless look of amusement before following her.
"I do not think I have ever realised how insane my mother truly is," Richard said aloud. "No wonder she likes Sophia so much. They are both uncommon women."
His mother must have seen a kindred spirit in Sophia and decided that the woman belonged to them. Richard agreed with his mother. Sophia belonged with them whether she liked it or not.
How was he going to get her alone and talk to her? He needed to convince her that marrying him was the right thing to do. A slow smile stretched his lips as the perfect plan practically walked into his head.
Sophia needs to grow used to the idea of being called Lady Brittingham because she is not going to get away from me.