Page 32 of A Secret Infatuation
“It’s Evo,” Tilly said, hurrying to the door. The others followed, spilling into the corridor where the young earl, now fourteen, stood proudly.
“Halloo,” he exclaimed, taking off his hat with a cheeky grin. “It’s the hounds.”
Sophia was accustomed to his desire to shock, but this could not slide. “What is this expression, Evo? Every time you return to us from school you have grown more savage.” Despite her severe expression, she held out her arms. “You should greet us properly.”
He came and dutifully offered her a kiss on the cheek and allowed her to hug him back. He then bowed before Marie and greeted her, gave a sweeping but ironic bow to Camilla, and hugged Tilly from the side and shook her. “And here is the pup.”
She frowned at him, but Sophia could see she was not angry. Tilly had always looked up to her older brother, even at his most exasperating.
“Well, I must be going,” Marie said.
Sophie called the butler to her. “Turton, can you fetch Miss Mowbray’s bonnet please?” He nodded and disappeared into the cloak room.
Marie inhaled suddenly. “I almost forgot to tell you. There is to be a masquerade ball at Vauxhall in a fortnight, and there are to be fireworks! Papa said it is to be announced soon and that the Duchess of Wexcombe has reserved a supper box and will be in attendance. I have always wanted to attend a masquerade. My father and mother adore them, but this will be my first.”
Sophia glanced at Camilla, her brows knit. “That does sound amusing. Perhaps we might mention it to Mother?”
Camilla nodded, clearly not opposed to the idea. Although the mention of Vauxhall would give Lady Poole pause, Sophia hoped she would accept if the duchess was also in attendance. She had heard it possible to reserve a supper box to avoid mixing with any unsavory members of the crowd. However, the real difficulty would lie in convincing Dorothea of the idea, for she was the greatest stickler.
“Farewell,” Marie said, addressing them all. She looked at Sophia, and some of her smile returned. “We shall speak more about the masquerade. I will own myself surprised if we do not already have costumes stashed away in trunks for both you and I—and Camilla, too, if you wish to come.”
Sophia agreed to this and caught a glimpse of Marie’s face as she turned. Her smile had vanished as soon as it was not on display, showing that she was still not herself. Sophia wondered if it was because Marie had guessed of her feelings for Mr. Harwood and was hurt by her duplicitous nature. There was every reason to think she knew, for Sophia felt utterly transparent whenever she was near him. If only she knew exactly how he felt about her. She turned to her brother, who had been twisting the knob on top of the stairwell that had come loose.
“Evo, we will be eating in three hours. I am sure you will wish to clean up and have some sustenance before then.”
“You have set it in the wrong order, but you are precisely right.”
She smiled and turned to the butler. “Will you…?”
She did not need to finish her sentence before their two footmen—both named George and called George One and George Two—came into the corridor to bring Evo’s trunk to his room. She put her hand on her brother’s shoulder and gave him a little push.
“You go with them, and I will have something sent up to you. Mind that you dress properly for dinner. Mama has not seen you in a while.”
“Where is she now?” he asked.
“She is recovering from an illness and preferred to dine with us rather than wait for your arrival and be too tired for it.” She hoped their mother would be well enough to come down for the dinner hour.
He seemed completely unaffected by the news of his mother’s illness as he mounted the stairs, but it was more likely his confidence that nothing was seriously amiss with Lady Poole than it was a lack of affection for her.
Before dinner, Sophia entered the dining room and glanced around the table to check that all was in order. It was set for the entire family for the first time since last season. Tilly’s paper decorations were in front of every plate, and there were sugared violets on little dishes next to each glass to add color and sweetness.
Their dinners were often subdued without two members of their family—three if one counted their father. But tonight everyone would be here, including Dorothea and Miles. She looked up as the door opened and Tilly came in carrying more decorations, this time branches of rosemary tied with ribbon.
“You have done well with decorating the table,” Sophia said. “The sugared flowers are exquisite. It is just what our dinner needed.”
Tilly beamed under the praise and turned as their mother entered the room, followed by Joanna.
“Mama, let me help you to your seat,” Sophia said, coming to lend the countess her arm. She had spent every morning with their mother during her convalescence, reading to her and watching over her anxiously. She did not wish to lose her mother as well as her father. “Are you feeling well this evening?”
“Yes, quite. A sore throat followed by an infection of the lungs must take some time to fully heal, but I believe I am truly on the mend.” She sighed. “You may guess how it affected me to be struck with such an illness, with your father having been carried off in nearly the same way.”
Sophia murmured words of encouragement, ignoring the fact that he had been riding in altered spirits when he had fallen from his horse. Lady Poole had remembered that he’d had a cold before the shooting party and was determined to think that was the cause. Not wishing to see her mother fall into a dejected state by dwelling on this, Sophia attempted to turn her mind to more cheerful things and was relieved when a knock at the entrance heralded the arrival of Dorothea and Miles. Before the butler could possibly have allowed them entrance, the door to the dining room flew open, and Evo entered.
“How do you do, Mama?” He came over and gave her a kiss on her cheek in his casual manner that no one seemed to be able to train out of him.
“Evo,” Lady Poole greeted him fondly. “I am well, now that you are home.”
Sophia was glad to see the pink tint to her mother’s cheeks—hopefully of health and from the joy of having her family gathered together. The reunion was a happy one for them all. Joanna reached down to sample one of the sugared violets just as the door opened again.
