Page 33 of A Dreamy Match Made in Heaven
“I am shocked to see you,” she confessed.
“As am I. I must confess that I never did suspect I should see you again. Nor did I think that I should return from my duty to find you…at the hands of a matchmaker,” he remarked.
Sophia slowly nodded her head.
“It is something rather different to what I might have planned for myself,” she acknowledged.
From there, things took a turn to be even more awkward as neither of them knew quite what to say next. Sophia wondered what was going on in Thomas’s thoughts. He seemed as shocked as she was, but she could not fathom anyone being so utterly blown away as she felt.
For a moment, her thoughts flashed through the evening. She had danced with other men, but had not crossed paths with Thomas. She had seen a brief glimpse of him from a bad angle and convinced herself that she was simply lamenting her love for him.
But her heart had been the alarm that had sounded, louder than any bell which might be struck to alert for danger.
It had been beating entirely too fast as Miss Wainwright had led her to meet with Thomas. She ought to have known that there was a reason for it, something beyond anxiety. Perhaps, deep down, she even knew that it had truly been him that she had seen. And perhaps she had known somewhere inside that Miss Wainwright would match the two of them together.
Thomas seemed to be working through his own series of thoughts. They eyed one another for the longest time, each one less sure than the other as to how they ought to proceed.
“Did you see me at all? Earlier in the night?” Thomas asked her.
Sophia could not confess it, for she hadn’t known and had convinced herself otherwise. But how was she to explain that to him? How was she to tell Thomas that she had lied to herself in order to believe that she had only seen him because she was mourning him? That was hardly the sort of thing that she could have confessed.
“I suppose now I can say that I did. I had seen a brief glimpse of you from afar and believed it was merely a man who looked similar to you. I did not for even a moment believe that it truly was you,” she told him, thinking that this was the safest answer she could give, even if there was a gentle lie in the midst of it.
“I see,” he replied.
“And did you see me at all?” she asked, equally curiously.
“I did not. I came with a dear friend but it took us a fair bit longer to arrive. I was here only the span of twenty minutes, perhaps, when Miss Wainwright came to me and urged me out here, stating that she had someone…for me to meet,” he replied.
And with that, it seemed that all the air in the room was held by a cord of tension, waiting to be released.
Both of them knew what it meant for Miss Wainwright to wish for the two of them to meet. Sophia knew the implication of that and she was certain that Thomas knew it as well.
And if they were somehow meant to overcome the past and fall in love with one another, how was she meant to convince herself to do so?
She had worked so hard to let go of the love she had once felt for him. She could not now allow it to return.
Of course, there was still a bud of it within her, but she was trying utterly to suppress it. After all, Thomas had not pursued her when he had the chance. He had let her go and she was not going to forget that just now.
“You must forgive me, Thomas, but I must excuse myself. I am feeling rather lightheaded and I am in need of air,” Sophia said, knowing that she had to get away from him as quickly as possible. There was no ability to think when he was so near.
The awkwardness of their discussion had been brief but strong. She couldn’t simply remain there any longer, hoping that things would go easily when there was very little chance of any of this ever being easy.
No, she was truly feeling unwell and it was time for her to depart. Sophia could not stand there with Thomas any longer when she knew that too much had passed between them for things to ever return to normal and be the same as they had been once. He had likely never loved her anyway. So what reason was there for her to allow hope to spark once more?
“If you really must go then I understand, and I do hope that you shall feel well. But, Sophia, it is good to see you again. I am glad we have had even this brief moment,” he remarked.
She felt her eyes lock on his for a moment, taking in the kindness of his words. But Sophia knew that it would do her no good at all to stand there like a fool and hope that he meant them. He had abandoned her and she would cling to that remembrance if it meant that he would not wound her again.
“Yes…thank you,” she replied uncomfortably before turning on her heels and rushing away towards the ballroom as quickly as she was able.
Sophia nodded a goodbye to Melody, who was engaged in a discussion with the man she had commented on finding attractive. Melody looked concerned for a moment, but Sophia worked to make her smile convincing enough that everything might seem alright.
She would explain to Melody another time, although it was rare that they saw one another. For now, it was Adrianna that she truly had to find.
From the other side of the room, she spied Adrianna and rushed over to her. There were three men nearby, one of whom seemed deeply engaged in discussion with her, but Sophia gave a pleading expression and Adrianna excused herself.
“What is it now? You look even worse than before, Sophia. Are you alright?” she asked, genuinely concerned.
