Page 10 of To Redeem an Earl

“Yes, milord. Miss Ridley promised me that once she was married to you, she would help me with an investment using her pin money. She was to assist me in purchasing a dressmaking shop. We discussed finding one in a market town. I could not … I could not believe I betrayed her in the manner that I did. It was … so utterly foolish. I have worked hard since the stable incident to prove to myself that I was ever worthy of her support. Now you say you want to make amends.Thatis the path you interrupted.”

Richard sat back in his armchair, stunned. Not only had he betrayed Annabel and ruined a vulnerable young woman in the process, he’d also permanently severed the close friendship shared by the two women and laid waste to all of their hopes and plans. He really was a blackguard of the worst sort. In light of the new information, he was truly humbled by Annabel’s integrity in doing right by her former friend after the incident and respected Caroline’s current bravado.

“You wish to own a dressmaker’s?”

“I do, my lord.”

“Well played, Mrs. Brown.”

She gave a nervous smile in response.

He thought about it for several moments. “I will task my man of business to work with Mr. Long to locate an appropriate shop, and I will loan you the funds to purchase it. The loan will be interest-free, and you can repay me from your profits. Will that do?”

Sheer joy blossomed, a smile spreading across her face while tears welled in her eyes. “That will do,” she croaked out.

Richard cleared his throat, his eyes prickling in response, which he furtively blinked away. “I am so happy to hear that. Thank you for the opportunity to remedy this, Mrs. Brown. And for agreeing to come to London to see me. I am … quite heartened to have this chance to talk with you.”

Caroline appeared too overcome to speak. She nodded in acknowledgment and looked relieved to hear Radcliffe return with the tea tray. Richard realized she needed time to compose herself after making her impudent demand. He was infinitely grateful she had agreed to come, and even more grateful that she was allowing him to assist her in her dreams after the damage he had wrought on her young life. Women were so vulnerable within their society, and since his rude awakening, he had been battling with self-loathing for his predatory behavior. With each of these meetings, his conscience was eased, and he looked forward to the day he no longer had to squirm in discomfort for his callous and depraved past.

Speaking with Radcliffe to give her the time she needed, Richard felt well pleased with her audacious negotiation in response to his proposal to rectify his past mistakes with her. Caroline was going to own a dressmaking shop, and he was responsible for improving a young woman’s circumstances instead of worsening them. Richard observed from the corner of his eye when she did a happy bounce on her chair at the unexpected turn of events and smiled in secret pleasure to have done something so momentous for a woman he had wronged.

* * *

Malevolent yellow eyesstared into her own as she fought for breath from the crushing weight on her chest. Struggling, she tried to scream, but no sound escaped her lips. “You are all mine now, Sophia,” whispered Lord Leech while panic assailed her. “Soon we will reach Gretna Green …”

Sophia sat up in a cold sweat. It was the fourth time tonight, not to mention the previous three nights of sweat-soaked nightmares. Panting for air, her hand sought under the pillow on the other side of the bed. When her hand made contact with the cold steel of the knife she had been bringing to bed since the night of the Moreland ball, she blew a sigh of relief. Taking hold of the knife, she quietly slipped from her bed to check her room once more. First, she padded over to the door to verify that it was locked and the chest she had dragged in front of it was still there. Then she felt carefully in the dark to verify that there were still three china figurines carefully balanced along the edge to fall, shatter, and raise her from her sleep if anyone tried to break through the door.

Once she was certain the entrance was barred, she carefully made her way to the windows across the room. She checked that each one was securely locked, each with a figurine placed on the ledge to fall and sound the alarm if Cecil or Leech attempted to climb through one of the windows.

This was her new nightly routine. She stayed awake until all hours securing her room and then checking and rechecking it. She was exhausted beyond anything she had ever experienced before, but she was not going to wake up a trussed-up victim in Leech’s carriage headed north to the Scottish border.

Sophia climbed back into her bed, her eyes wide open in fear.

The problem she now faced was that Cecil could enact his plan anytime. Now, six months from now, or even next year, and it would still work in his favor. It was not whether Sophia could hold out and defend herself. Eventually, she would let her guard down, and Cecil only needed one opportunity to snatch her along with a willing conspirator, and her freedom would be gone forever. And, considering who his current co-conspirator was, her life could very well be forfeit. As long as she remained unwed, she remained a target for such a plot.

If she approached her uncle to inform him of Cecil’s plans, the viscount would likely insist she immediately marry someone suitable to secure her safety. Or, in an effort to protect her, her freedoms would be further curtailed. And, if she did not marry, there was little to stop her brother from continuing to plot her abduction to Gretna Green because there was nothing her uncle could do to prevent the dowry from being paid out in the event of her marriage. As Cecil had figured out, it was possible consent was not required for his plan to proceed. Sophia was hazy on the details, but from what she understood, all her brother needed was a wedding in Scotland conducted by someone willing to turn a blind eye to any reluctance on the part of the bride.

None of these possible outcomes were appealing. The common thread was her lack of control and her inability to choose her own course in life.

For the first time in her life, she wished … she wished … she had a protector. A husband who did not care about her large dowry, but who cared forher. Someone who did not imbibe like her father or her brother, and who possessed his own wealth so did not require hers. Someone who could make her feel safe. Someone who could stand up to, and protect her from, her despicable brother. Someone of her own choosing.

Her thoughts wandered over to a certain devilish earl. Did Saunton drink to excess? Would he be willing to stop drinking altogether if she requested it? Surely he had little interest in her dowry? From all accounts, he had walked away from last Season’s wealthiest debutantes after a single dance because he had not found what he was looking for.

Now he was expressing his interest in her, and the amount of her dowry was a closely guarded secret. Perhaps she should hear him out, as he had requested. She did not think she could handle many more nights like this one. Her nerves were shot, and it had only been four nights and three days. She was uncertain how much longer she could live under this strain, and thus far, she had failed to think of any alternative plan to evade her brother’s plotting.

* * *

Richard wasanxious to see the young woman again. He had thought of Miss Sophia Hayward many times since their last dance together. The young woman of sharp mind and tongue who was so different from the women of his past. There was a quality about her that called to him. An intuition that he would never grow bored with this unusual creature.

He stood on the steps descending into the Yardley ballroom and sought her fair, oval face and distinctive hair coloring in the crowd of dandies, debutantes, and watchful mamas.

He did not know what it was about the young woman that stirred his senses, but since that night on the balcony, his thoughts kept returning to her. He wanted to touch her face with his bare hand. Take possession of her full lips and discover if she was as honest in her kisses as she was in her brutal assessment of his character.

Finally he found her, standing across the ballroom near the terrace doors with her aunt standing by her side. He descended the steps to make his way over to her. Perhaps she would be more receptive to his suit this evening.

* * *

Sophia scanned the ballroom,looking for Lord Saunton. Would he be there as he had promised? She felt quite desperate to see him after another restless night. She needed to find out if he was serious in his interest. Her very life might well depend on that interest.

---