Page 35 of Love Unraveled
“Harris, could you find some for Lord Stratton?”
“Indeed, my lady,” he said and quickly left the room.
“While we wait, shall we discuss the purpose of your visit? For surely you have not simply come for my cognac.”
Stratton glanced at the footman and back at Sophia with a slight shake of his head.
Sophia pushed from her chair. “Why don’t we withdraw to the library? Stephens, see our cognac brought there.” The footman dipped his chin in acknowledgment. “Oh, and the desserts. Don’t forget the desserts,” she said, hooking her hand in Stratton’s proffered elbow.
“But you are sweet enough, my dear Sophia,” Stratton said, guiding her out of the dining room and into the room next door.
“And you are an incorrigible flatterer,” she said, laughing. “Tell me more.”
Stratton waxed on about her beauty as Stephens poked the fire and lit a few more lanterns and candles. Harris arrived with the cognac, while another footman came in with a three-tiered plate of sweets. “Leave them on the table between us. The cognac too.” She waited until the doors were firmly closed before turning her full attention to Stratton. “Well?”
“You are a master of subtlety,” he said, chuckling, then growing serious. “Laurence has left for the continent.”
It was not what she’d expected to hear. Laurence worked covertly for the Home Office on the home front. He’d never been sent directly into war. “Whyever would he have gone there?”
“It seems Wellesley is short two trusted intelligence officers.”
“Two?”
“Yes, Leith-Hay is missing. No one’s heard from Grant. On the heels of losing Somers-Cocks, it’s a blow to operations.”
Sophia contemplated the implications. If what she’d overheard at the Bennets’ ball was true, the allies were on the cusp of turning this endless war into a win. More than ever, it was imperative to have reliable sources of information.
“Why Laurence?” Sophia asked, taking a deep sip of brandy, the desserts no longer appealing.
Stratton shrugged casually, but she could see the concern in his eyes. Sophia leaned forward and touched his hand. “I am sorry, my friend. It is not easy to see your child head into danger.”
He covered her hand with his own. “Thank you, my dear Sophia. It is not. He was keen to go, so I take comfort in his enthusiasm. It would be far worse had he been reticent. But he was reticent about one thing and asked me to keep an eye on you. It’s what has brought me here tonight. Your new friend, Gaston Durand.”
Sophia pulled away and sat back, staring at the fire, debating how much to share with Stratton. Had it not been for the map this morning, she would be less hesitant in exposing her and Gaston’s long-standing relationship. But she was now filled with dubiety. It was likely an innocent sketch, and if she mentioned it, she would unnecessarily be planting a seed of suspicion about him. Even worse, if it was not benign, if he was indeed here to ferret information for the French, she would need to act upon it. And that was a task she would do alone. While Stratton’s son was one of the best, Stratton himself had only ever been a liaison. He was no intelligence officer, no soldier. He was a man passionate about politics, his country, and his family.
She was certain Stratton would not be pleased she was entertaining a man whose occupation was entirely questionable. For all she knew, she was fraternizing with the enemy. Stratton had always been protective of Catherine, but the new baby had brought his fatherly instincts to a whole new level. It made his response unpredictable. When the war was over, she would share everything about her life, and hope her chosen family stood by her. But until that time came to pass, she would not risk losing her place in society.
“Sophia?”
“I am chasing memories,” she said truthfully, turning to look at Stratton. “Gaston is from my childhood. He is nothing to worry about.”
“Why was he skulking around your estate?”
It was no surprise Stratton was direct, but today she wished he’d stuck to pleasantries. Her mind was too full, and she needed time to sort through everything. Still, she could not avoid answering. “He’d seen me one day in London but was not convinced it was me. We had not seen each other since—” She took a sip of her brandy, eyeing Stratton over her glass. “Since we were children. People change. As did my name with marriage. He did not want to approach until he was sure. So he was watching.”
Stratton frowned, unconvinced. “What harm could it do to walk to your door and ask?”
Sophia forced a light laugh. “Have you met Raimondo?”
Stratton smiled, and tension eased from his face. “You do have a point.”
“In truth, he was unsure about Laurence. He’d seen him come and go freely from the property. He surmised he might be my lover or some such thing.”
“Laurence? Indeed,” he said and chuckled again.
“You will see for yourself Gaston is no threat to me. But enough about him. Tell me what it is like to be a grandpapa. You are in love with thepiccolo bambino, no?”
Stratton’s face shone with happiness as he talked about little Daniel, surely exaggerating the achievements of a child barely a month old. He was fully distracted from any thoughts of Gaston, so Sophia could relax and enjoy his tales.
