Page 13 of A Sham Betrothal
It was embarrassing to speak of the marquis as though they were truly familiar, but it was the one sure way to remind Sheldon she was not completely at his mercy.
Sure enough, he folded his arms over his ample chest,although the tightness of his coat made the endeavor a difficult one. “I do not like your relationship with this man. I must tell you my feelings on the matter and will not be still.”
Sophie assessed the lavender nestled on the straw weave, wondering if she had cut enough. It was probably sufficient. This thought pulled at her attention while she considered how best to answer.
“I thank you for your thoughts, but I shall be guided by my own. Basile is an old friend, and he means me no harm.” It surprised her how easily the lie about their acquaintance slipped out, for she was in general a truthful person. But then he was easily coming to feel like a friend in their short, strange acquaintance.
“Well, as I have said before, you have a naturalnaïvetéas a young, unmarried woman,” Sheldon replied. “You cannot see the dangers he poses as clearly as I do.”
“Shall we return indoors?” Sophie asked brightly. “I wish to bring these to my grandmother. I feel sure they will do her good.”
Sheldon stood and tugged at his coat to right it. “Well, I suppose we can continue this discussion at another time.” It came out in a petulant tone.
“Perhaps.”
He turned to look at the garden. “You are most fortunate in having this outdoor space. I should have liked to have had it, but when my man of business learned of the two available properties for rent, he recommended I take the other one, for it is much larger. And indeed it is. It would take four of your sitting rooms to fill my drawing room.”
“Yes, you chose well. As for me, I am partial to our modest rooms and the garden that comes behind them. Iwould much rather have that than a large drawing room.” Sophie stepped back, allowing him to open the door to the house. “And although I have said it before, please allow me to thank you for your kindness in arranging all the details of our travel.”
“Well.” Sheldon frowned and looked down at his buckled shoes. “It was only natural if we are to be betrothed.”
Sophie froze in place and opened her eyes at him. Did he truly think it?Still?How many ways did she have to make it clear to him?
“But you understand this is not to be the case, do you not? I believed your accompaniment was done out of kindness for our family and the friendship you once had with my father, not for any unspoken promise.”
“We shall see. There is no need to discuss it now,” Sheldon replied vaguely.
Any kindness Sophie had felt for him earlier dissipated like mist. “You must please excuse me. I wish to bring these to my grandmother, and I should not like for you to fall ill by spending too much time in a household where there is sickness.”
“By George, you’re right!” he exclaimed. He made a hurried bow. “I shall bid you good day, Sophie.”
He left, and she let out a quiet huff of exasperation as she turned into the suite of bedrooms. There, she paused at the threshold and took in her normally vibrant grandmother lying in the bed, eyes shut. She brought the basket over to the dressing table and set it down before going over to pull the covers more comfortably around her grandmother.
“Sophie.”
“Yes, Grandmama?” She paused in her movements andsat on the side of the bed, taking her grandmother’s hand in hers.
“Sheldon was here. I believe it is time to think about marrying him. I want to see you taken care of.”
The words were spoken weakly and were accompanied by a fit of coughing that left Sophie uneasy but gave her the time she needed to consider how to respond.
“I wish you will not talk as though you are not going to make a full recovery, Grandmama. Do you know that the Marquis de Verdelle has promised to send his very own nurse to tend to you? Her name is Jeannot, and he assures me that you will soon recover under her ministrations.”
When her grandmother offered no response, Sophie could not resist filling in the silence. “I promise you, all will be well. There is nothing to worry about. I have everything in hand here.” She pasted a smile on her face, although her grandmother’s eyes were closed, willing the smile to sound in her voice. It did not remove the worry from her grandmother’s tone when she spoke again.
“You cannot be left to the mercy of this world with no fortune to save you.” There was a long pause before she continued in the same feeble voice, interspersed with more bouts of coughing. “When this Jeannot person arrives, I want you to go out. Sheldon can get invitations. Until we can get you some black clothes, choose the more sober colors when in society. And do try to give Sheldon a chance.”
It was the most her grandmother had spoken since she became ill, and Sophie was beginning to fear that anxious worry would hinder her grandmother from getting well. Nothing would keep Sophie from promising her whatever she desired.
She patted her hand. “Very well, Grandmama. I will do as you say.”
The dressmaker arrivedfirst thing the next morning and took Sophie’s measurements in a practiced manner as her assistant noted the figures. Madame Meriaux brought samples of what she said were being worn by everyone of note. She was quick to inform Sophie that themonsieurhad ordered her to make up three gowns from any of these fabrics. Sophie offered her a tight-lipped smile, tempted to order only one just to prove to Sheldon that she made her own decisions. However, the truth was that she would need at least three gowns, if not more. In the end, she ordered three gowns made up of varying tones of gray and black that would be distinguished by touches of white or black embellishments. These gowns were promised in a week, with one fitting midway through.
No sooner had the mantua-maker left than another knock on the door brought Sheldon into their sitting room where Sophie was picking at the stitches of a flamboyant trim to an otherwise sober-colored gown. She stood.
“Sheldon, I am sorry but I do not have the time to visit just now. We are expecting the nurse to come for my grandmother, and I want to be ready for her.”
“I will not stay,” he assured her, then proceeded to bely these words by sitting without waiting to be invited. “I merely came to ensure that the dressmaker has shown you the samples and that you’ve had those gowns made up for you as I indicated.”
