Page 29 of A Dreamy Match Made in Heaven
To see the Earl of Bastion stripped of his title would have brought a great deal of satisfaction to Sophia. She could hardly deny that.
But she also wished to put it all behind her. That had proven most difficult. Still, she thought, if she could find a way to forget it, she might be able to love again. And that was really the challenge at hand.
“Now, are you both ready?” Lord Faversham asked, grabbing his coat.
“Indeed, Uncle. Let us go,” Adrianna suggested.
The four departed the estate and Sophia looked back at the door as it shut behind them. For a brief moment, she considered running back in and hiding.
But she could do better than that. She could be braver and stronger. And she could have hope that Miss Wainwright would find the spark.
Chapter 12
Stepping into the ballroom, it was as if something else came over Sophia entirely. She could do this. She was familiar with this. And it had been far too long since she had indulged in the enjoyment of dances.
“My goodness, your face has lit up most unexpectedly,” Lady Faversham chuckled, observing her.
“Forgive me, but truly I think I had forgotten what it was like to be in such a situation. I had forgotten how dearly I love a dance and the enjoyment of balls,” Sophia replied, wanting nothing more than to spin off into the arms of a man.
Lord and Lady Faversham found dear friends of theirs and went off in conversation, enjoying their time every bit as much as the girls had hoped they would. Sophia watched them drift away and a glint came into her eye.
“Adrianna, we have such a great deal of freedom now that we are here. We must make use of every moment!” she exclaimed.
“Certainly! Shall we start with the dessert table?” Adrianna laughed.
Sophia nodded enthusiastically. To be able to indulge, as hidden as they were able to, would be a delight. With their chaperones on the other side of the room, distracted by friends, there was no one to remind them to police their figures.
Once they reached the table, Sophia took a small cake and began indulging. Just then, she saw another young woman that she knew.
“Lady Melody, how wonderful it is to see you,” she greeted, using the proper address as they were in public.
“And you. It has been such a long time,” Melody replied.
“Yes, well…” Sophia said, nodding her head as if to suggest the very thing they both knew.
“You needn’t say a word. I know all about the Earl of Bastion’s idiocy. It is entirely understandable that you might have shied away from society for a brief stint, but here you are, alas! And with a matchmaker like Miss Wainwright, I imagine you shall forget the Earl entirely,” she encouraged.
Sophia was entirely relieved to have another friend giving her these types of reassurances, but still she hoped that the whole evening would not be spent dwelling on her past failings with romance.
“But enough talk of that. I have not met your friend,” Melody said.
“Oh dear, forgive me! This is Lady Adrianna. Lady Adrianna, my dear friend Lady Melody,” she introduced.
The two greeted one another and they began to talk about the excitement in the air of the evening.
“Have you seen the gentleman in the back corner? Why, I do hope that Miss Wainwright shall decide him to be the ideal husband for me,” Melody dreamed with a mischievous grin.
Sophia strained to see him, but it was darker in that corner and far away from them. The man was standing with two others who were difficult to see as well.
“I rather find myself drawn to that gentleman there,” Adrianna remarked, pointing out a rounded, balding man who yawned and looked at his pocket watch. He was clearly the father of some other young man or woman, and it sent the girls into fits of laughter.
“Oh, you are quite terrible,” Sophia managed to say once she had calmed herself.
“Do you not think him…dignified?” Adrianna asked, squeaking out the final word and starting to laugh all over again.
“But truly, there are some devastatingly handsome men here,” Melody reminded them, shamelessly allowing her eyes to scour the growing crowd.
“Well, I am not here for a match. Just a bit of fun and accompanying Lady Sophia,” Adrianna said.
