Page 2 of A Dreamy Match Made in Heaven
“Whatever do you mean, Mama?” she asked.
“I was just curious if you had heard any news from them about Thomas,” she clarified.
“Certainly not. I cannot think why I ought to have kept up with him. The Gregorys have their own life and Mr. Gregory is off and away with the military,” she added.
“Yes, but that is very much why I should like to know how he is doing,” Lady Silsby said, looking at Sophia as if she were a fool or, at the very least, a callous young woman for not considering him.
“I am certain that if anything had happened to him, we would have heard by now,” Sophia remarked. “Mr. and Mrs. Gregory would notify us of that at least. But if there is no news at all, I shouldn’t wonder at their silence. What more would they have to say?” Sophia asked.
Hoping that the conversation would go no further, Sophia buried her face in the embroidery again. It was clear that Adrianna’s eyes were upon her, curious about the matter, but Sophia would not look up.
She felt the heat in her cheeks and wished to push away all thoughts of the man she had once known who was now an Officer, far away from them, fighting a battle.
It had been nearly two years since their friendship had changed. Sophia had never quite forgiven herself for that.
And she had never forgotten the man who had been her childhood sweetheart. She had never forgotten the days of riding horses and reading and enjoying their time together from a young age.
She had never forgotten the days when he had chased her about, being cruel towards her when they were very young because he was a few years older and thought that women were to be teased. And she had never forgotten the moments when they would share an apple and allow their eyes to lock with one another as they sought to spend time together.
Sophia cleared her throat and, with it, the memories. She did not need the memories. She did not need the guilt or the shame. She needed to focus on the marriage that was soon to take place.
“So you do not care at all about his well-being?” Lady Silsby asked.
Sophia opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, a great disturbance occurred.
“Lady Silsby! Lady Sophia!” called Miss Honeycutt, bursting through the door.
“Good heavens, Miss Honeycutt, what is all of this about?” Lady Silsby asked, clearly upset that the housekeeper would cause such a great mess by coming in with such dramatics.
“I have terrible news, Lady Silsby. Terrible news indeed. And I cannot bear to say it,” the woman cried in distress.
“Well you had best be out with it because I shall not contend with this behaviour in our household staff,” Lady Silsby warned.
Sophia knew Miss Honeycutt to often be a dramatic woman. Aged well beyond her prime, the woman was constantly in search of theatrics. Whatever this issue was about, Sophia imagined it was simply another of the housekeeper’s overreactions.
“A scandal, Lady Silsby. Such a terrible scandal. About the…about the Earl of Bastion,” she finally said, whispering the final words as if to avoid Adrianna hearing them.
Sophia’s heart began to pound. She could not imagine what sort of scandal might have come about regarding such an upstanding man as the Earl. But whatever it was, she knew that she did not wish to hear it.
“Miss Honeycutt, we have no desire for gossip,” Sophia said quickly, terrified by what it might be. She was growing overwhelmed, frightened that this might be something that could truly change her circumstances forever.
“Hush, Sophia,” her mother hissed. “If there is a scandal afoot, we must learn what it is. Now, out with it,” she demanded.
Miss Honeycutt drew in a deep breath, enjoying that she had the attention of the room for something so important.
“I was at the market, gathering the preparations for dinner. And while I was there, I heard some of the ladies talking amongst themselves. Of course, they had no idea that I am your housekeeper or I imagine they would not have spoken so freely,” she began.
“But it was spoken of rather widely. It was discovered this morning that the Earl has lied to everyone. He is not in London on business as he claimed. Rather he has run off. Off and away with some young woman from the countryside. A young woman who is far below his own station,” Miss Honeycutt managed to say, her eyes wide amidst an already wide face.
Sophia put a hand to her mouth in shock. She felt numb. She could scarcely believe the words that were coming out of the housekeeper’s mouth. Certainly it could not be true.
She wished that she could feel enraged, that she could be angry and in despair. But none of that had come yet. For now, she sunk to the couch in disbelief. It could not be true. He could not have done that to her, not after all this time and all of the planning and arrangements that they had been working on in advance of their wedding.
Sophia would not believe it.
“Miss Honeycutt, you cannot be telling the truth. Or you have heard a falsehood and you have brought it into this home,” Lady Silsby steamed.
“I wish it were a lie. But I fear that it is the talk of the town. The whole market was abuzz with the news. There is no question, Lady Silsby. The Earl of Bastion has run off with another woman. He has shamed himself and his family. And there is no sign of his ever returning to right his wrongs,” she replied.
