A Bright Particular Star (23 page)

“
C
ou
ldn
’t
agree more,
”
murmured
Grey.

“
I’m
going to sleep in Olivia
’s
room,
”
said Sophie.

Theo
nodded.
“
E
xcellent idea.
Y
ou will
both
feel
more comfortable that way.
I
’
ll help carry your things.
”

Mr
Grey and Peregrine departed and, when
Theo
had helped to move Sophie
’s
belongings,
he
waited while Olivi
a went on ahead
.
Then he squeezed Sophie
’s
hand.
“
I
’
ll be listening out, but make sure you lock the door.
”

“
I will.
”
She lifted her gaze
to his and said simply,
“T
hank you.

He smiled, wished her goodnight and set off back to his room.

Exhausted
, Sophie turned the key in the lock and climbed into
bed, still trembling
a little
with shock.
She had
snuffed out the candle when Olivia
’s
whisper reached her through the darkness:
“S
ophie, I have just remembered
…
when I encounter
ed
Mr
Grey earlier
, he advised me to lock my door.
Could it have an
y connection with what has
happened?
”

Leaving Olivia dressing, Sophie went downstairs early the next morning
.
She had slept hardly at all
and fe
lt tired and anxious
.
Daylight
had made last night
’s
e
vents seem even mor
e absurd
, but she only had to recall those long
fingers curled
around her throat
to have the
reality
confirmed
.
S
he touched the cornflower pin
pushed into
her hair to reassure herself it was safe and forced her thoughts to the day ahead.

As she walked
to
ward the parlour, she
prep
ared for the encounter
with Perry and her aunt,
antici
pating
a
difficult battle
.
There was no sign of Theo and she assumed he had already gone to the stable
s to check his horses
.
She opened the
door
and stopped
dead on the threshold:
Perry and
Aunt Eudora were already seated
at one of the tables.
It appeared they had been there for some time as they had finished their breakfast. Sophie, recovering quickly, walked in and their low-toned, urgent conversation ceased at once.

“
Ah, good morning,
”
said Peregrine, raising his quizzing glass and raking her with a glance.
He
was dressed
in an olive green coat,
hessians and pantaloons of
a
delicate yellow.
His mouth creased into a smile,
his
eyes glintin
g like polished
obsidian.
“
I trust you are feeling none the worse for your nightmare?
Do come and join us.
”

Sophie blinked
.
T
his was not his usual manner of greeting and she had been
expecting an outburst
of
recriminatio
n.
Sitting down, she peered at him
suspiciously.
Peregrine
’s
comment suggested as far as he and his mother were concerned, last n
ight
’s
events had been
dismissed as a figment of Sophie
’s
i
magination.
The thought infuriated
her, but she determined not to discuss it furt
her
. I
t would serve no purpose
.

“
I am a little tired, but noth
ing of consequence
,
”
she replied.
“
I hope
your headache is better,
aunt
?
”

“
Yes, thank you.
”
Two
bright
spots of colour burned in Eudo
ra
’s
cheeks and she looked
nettled, but she, too, offered a clipped, if forced, smile.

Sophie frowned.
Both
of them were behaving strangely.
Perhaps it was a ruse to get her to return to Ludstone.

“
We have been discussing this unfortunate situation,
”
said Peregrine, pouring out some tea
and pushing a cup in Sophie
’s
direction
.

“
Indeed?
”
she queried, warily.

He stirred his cup.
“
You are, I take it, still of a mind to go to London?
”

“
Of course,
”
said Sophie, giving him a cold glance.
She sipped her drink, wondering what was coming next.

“
I thought so.
”
T
ouching his napkin to his mouth, Perry lounged back in his chair.
“
You
might like to know
,
then
,
I have persuaded Mama to let you continue on
your journey
.
”

Sophie spluttered over her tea.
Sh
e put her cup down
and
after a
pause
she manage
d
to reply
,
“
Indeed?
I am surprised.
”

“
But only on the condition
Peregrine accom
panies you,
”
said Eudora.

Aghast, Sophie stared at h
er aunt.
A few hours ago, she
woul
d have welcomed any
method of getting to London
, but not this
one
.
Impinging
on Theo
’s
good nature
was
far
preferable to
Peregrine
’s
co
mpany.
“
But
Mr
Cavan
agh is escorting me!
”

Mrs
Sloane gave a disapproving sniff
.
“
While I deplore
Mr
Cavanagh
’s
role in this affair, I do not wish to offend him or cause another unpleasant scene.
I will
therefore
allow you to con
tinue
as long as Perry goes too.
Indeed, I insist upon it.
What could be more proper than a young man escorting his cousin?
”
Clasping her hands in her lap,
Mrs
Sloane
’s
colour rose a little higher as she observed,
“
Peregrine has also pointed out that the way I have encouraged your relat
ionship with him in recent months
has been, shall we say, insensitive.
Naturally, it was done with the best of intentions
.
I st
ill believe
Peregrine will
be a brilliant match for you
,
b
ut now I see
you have perhaps not been
in his company enough.
You need more time to appreciate what an excellent man
he is and, like most young women
, you want
your head filled wit
h romantic nonsense
.
In short, you want to be courted.
”

“
But
—
”

“
Let me finish,
”
said her aunt peremptorily.
“
If he accompanies you to London and takes you to see the sights and amusements
there, you will be more
disposed to marry him
afterward
.
It cannot be otherwise.
His character, looks, sense of style and disposition must, in time, prove attractive to any woman, especially when seen against the backdrop of London and the
haut ton.
The
re you will see him at his best.
”
Her indul
gent gaze rested
on her son.
“
A man of exquisite taste and manners, mixing with the most cultured society in the world
…
you cannot fail to be impressed, and come to appreciate your good fortune i
n having Peregrine as a husband.
”

In Sophie
’s
view
a trip to the moon with Peregrine would not be
enough to convince her of that
.
She pondered on this
curious turn of events.
Their manner this morning was warm, borderin
g on friendly.
Their change of heart
about her journey to London, while welcome, was so blindingly obvious as to be laughable.
An argument had clearly taken place and Perry, always able to twist his
mother around his thumb
, must have convinced her that charm was now a better option than force.

Well, if Perry thought he coul
d charm her into marriage
, he would be disappointed
.
Sophie would never be persu
aded. Was he planning to force her
once they reached London?
She doubted it.
By then,
she should be under the Verneys
‘
protection
.

He was, though
, conceited enough to think a week or two escorting her aroun
d
while he puffed off his consequence would
be enough to
convince her, and of course, he had no knowledge
yet
of James.

“
But
I demand to know where y
ou are planning to stay
,
”
her aunt was continuing, glaring
down her patrician nose.
“T
he prop
rieties
must be ob
served at all times
.
N
o
scandal must attach itself to Pe
regrine
’s
name.
Despite the atrocious
manner of your departure, I presume you have made arra
ngements for when you reach London
?
”

“
I am going to stay with Lady Verney, the mother of my childhood friend James Verney,
”
replied Sophie, deeming it best
not to give
more details
.

Eudo
ra gave a nod
of approval
.
“
I have heard of Lady Verney.
She is well thought of in London circles, I believe.
Very well, if Lady Verney is expecting you,
I
give my consent
.
You will go with Pe
regrine.
Later
, he will call upon you regularly and do all that is right and proper.
Matters will reach a satisfactory conclusion soon
afterward
, and I shall post up to London to receive the news.
In the
meantime
,
I shall return
h
ome and say your trip
had been planned all along.

“
No one will believe you
,
”
Sophie could not help observing.

Her aunt gave a thin smile
.
“
You always underestimate
me, Sophia.
Everyone will b
elieve it by the time I have finished
.
Perhaps some good will emerge from
this dreadful imbrogl
io after all.
Once
your betrothal has
been announced
, we must consider whether it is best for you and Peregrine to marry in London or in Bath.
London
, I think.
And the sooner
the better.
“

Sophie
realize
d that
even now
her aunt w
as confident of
a successful outcome
.
Eudora was blin
d to her son
’s
flaws
.
For Sophie, the concept of Perry as a charming nonpareil who
, after a week or two
spent
in his company
in London
,
she would be willing to love, honour and obey
,
was as implausible as it was nausea
ting.
And s
he had no intention of correcting her aunt
’s
assumption that Lady Verney was exp
ecting her
.

“
Well, what have you to say?
”
prompted Peregrine, swinging his quizzing glass back and forth at the end of its silk ribbon.

At that moment, Olivia,
Mr
Gre
y and Theo came in
and Sophie, conscious of the way her heart leapt at Theo
’s
tender
look and sm
ile
, was glad of the interruption.
It appeared Olivia and
Mr
Grey had met on the landing and come downstairs together
.
Theo had, as Sophie surmised, already breakfasted and been to the stables.