Page 7 of A Dreamy Match Made in Heaven
She didn’t know if her heart was ready. Still living under the pain of what had occurred with the Earl, Sophia felt that it was too soon.
Nevertheless, in the time that she had spent getting to know Adrianna, Sophia had quickly learned that one did not simply refuse her strong-willed behaviour.
Then again, in many ways it made sense. Sophia realised that she would never find true love anyway. At this point, all hope was lost. And with that recognition in mind, she figured that there was very little risk in taking such a step.
If she could not find a match for herself, perhaps this matchmaker would do the trick for her. No matter how reluctant her feelings might be on the matter, it seemed her only hope.
It was not even so much that Sophia was desperate to find a husband. But she knew what society expected of her. She knew what her mother and father wished for her. And if the Matchmaker could find her someone even remotely suitable, she might as well marry for convenience.
With that determination in mind, she looked at Adrianna and nodded her head.
“Alright then. I suppose I have little choice otherwise. I shall be brave, like you. I shall put my fate in the hands of Miss Georgiana Wainwright if you insist that it is the best decision for me,” she decided.
“I do, I truly do!” Adrianna exclaimed, clapping her hands together.
“It seems like either madness or nonsense to me,” Sophia added.
“That is why you need someone like me. You wish to be brave and bold, but you cannot become either of those things if you spend all your time cooped up in your bedroom, mourning the love that you lost. This is a far better way to go about your future,” Adrianna assured her.
“I am certain that it is…” Sophia replied dryly, unconvinced.
“Do not be so dour. I told you this is a great decision and I stand by that. You shall see it soon enough,” she promised.
Sophia nodded. “I suppose that if she can match me so that my parents are at least happy, it shall be worth it. A marriage of convenience is certainly better in their minds than no marriage at all,” Sophia remarked.
“Oh dear, perhaps I have not explained this very well after all,” Adrianna said, looking at Sophia in concern.
“What do you mean? What have I misunderstood?” she asked.
“This is not for the matter of convenience. Miss Wainwright does not simply match you with another eligible member of noble society for the sake of wealth and status. No, my friend, she matches for love. And you can rest assured that she shall find you the one you are meant to spend your life with,” Adrianna promised.
Smiling as if she believed it, Sophia tried to appease her friend. In truth, she knew that such a thing was impossible. She would never allow herself to love again. Not even for convenience. But she would accept a match that suited her mother and father, a match that she could bear to live with. That was enough.
“Of course, you just might find yourself too frightened to enjoy it,” Adrianna said, baiting Sophia.
“Too frightened?” she echoed.
“Yes. Because we both know that you are not overly fond of doing these things outside of your comfort. We both know that you expect life to come easily to you rather than having to fight for what you truly desire,” Adrianna continued.
It was working. A fire was lit inside Sophia all over again. She would do this and she would make every effort to truly push into the possibilities that the future held for her.
And if it all fell apart, she would accept that as well. After all, she had to try and live her life.
Still, Sophia wondered what she had just agreed to. Could it possibly be the right decision? Or had she just signed away her life to a match she could never love?
Chapter 4
Thomas Gregory sat in his tent, flipping through letters that had to be sent before he could leave. He knew that his time serving had been fruitful, but he was ready to be free of the military life he had been living.
A harsh breeze suddenly ripped through the opening of the tent, pushing his sand-coloured hair into his eyes. He needed to get it cut. It was better he had that done out here rather than waiting until he got back to London.
But for the moment, he brushed it away, clearing it from his face.
Life as an Officer had been challenging, but it had not been the worst of experiences. Thomas had been given a number of opportunities that he otherwise might have missed out on while trying to find fulfillment in the obligations of a society that saw him as living just outside.
It was not that he was unacceptable in social circles, but Thomas was not overly fond of the pettiness or the expectations that society always seemed to put upon him.
Alas, however, he had seen enough of war in the previous years.
