Chapter 18
They were travelling through the northern part of town, heading towards Mayfair. The curtains were drawn so that no one would see and recognise Lady Rutherford and Lord Rose-Reid. They were supposed to be dead after all.
Sophia had initially wanted to go to her own house in town, but it had been decided they would all go to Beattie’s town house. Much better if they were going to spring a surprise on Mr Benson, for him not to realise that Rutherford House was occupied again. Besides, he may have decided to use it himself. That very thought had made Sophia shudder.
They were alone in the carriage since the baby was with the wet nurse and the other servants in the carriage behind.
Jason placed his arm around her. It had been two days since they had met up with Gideon. Jason and Gideon were still rather surly towards each other, which was rather stupid considering they both wanted what was best for her.
“Under any other circumstances, I would have the fall of my breeches undone and have you astride me, riding my cock to give us both pleasure.”
“I believe we did that yesterday in the carriage.”
“Yes. I keep having very vivid memories of the event. You looked beautiful.”
“Until I hit my head off the carriage roof and the driver pulled to a halt.”
“Ah well that was unfortunate. But I dealt with it quickly and the driver thought you were just standing to get a book out of your valise.”
“Do you honestly think he is so naïve?”
“Probably not but he knows better than to say anything. Now, you look nervous, place your head on my chest so I can hold you and comfort you. I hate to think of the distress this whole awful business if causing you.”
She did as he asked but did feel she had to protest a little. “I am not a wilting flower, Jason. I shall not swoon and require smelling salts.”
“I am aware of that, my darling. But it still grieves me that you are at all put out by that scoundrel Benson.”
“I shall be fine. We shall all be fine. When are you going to see the Archbishop of Canterbury?”
“The day after tomorrow.”
“Would you allow me to pay for the licence?”
“Certainly not? Why would you even ask?”
“It is my fault we need to marry by special licence and not by the reading of the banns.”
“It is no one’s fault. I wish to marry you as soon as possible. Besides, if I had a bit more self-control and could manage to withdraw from your body instead of just spilling my seed inside you all the time, then there would be less of a rush, but you are just so dashed arousing.”
“That is what I mean. I am too wanton.”
He laughed then. A hearty bone-shaking laugh. “My darling, when in the bed chamber, there is no such thing as too wanton. You are perfect. And I wish to hear no more on the subject of you paying for the marriage licence. Indeed. Whoever heard of such a ridiculous idea?”
“Fine. Do you think we are nearly there?”
He glanced through the curtains quickly.
“Aye. We are on Bond Street. Beattie said we would go in through the mews entrance so no one would see us.”
“That is sensible since we are doing this whole cloak and dagger thing.”
“It is only for one day.”
Within minutes their carriage drew up in the mews at the back gate of Gideon and Emily’s house. Of course, this was the townhouse where Sophia had come when she had been young and where she had lived during her first season before she had been married off to Octavius. She had some very fond memories of this house and the things she and Gideon would get up to when he was home from school. Not to mention their older brother Stephen, who had died when he was fifteen.
Jason handed her down and led her through the gate and up the garden path to the back door. They were about to open it when it flew open and a maid, carrying washing almost barrelled into them. She squeaked and almost tumbled back but Jason shot out a hand to steady her.
“I apologise. We did not mean to startle you. Lord Beattie asked us to use the back entrance so that we would not be seen. Our presence here is best kept a secret. Can you keep a secret?”
“Yes milord. Of course, milord.”
“Good girl.” He moved out of the way and she curtseyed and hurried past him.
“You really do have all the females at your beck and call,” Sophia marvelled.
“She’s just well-trained.”
Sophia snorted. “That’s Bella. The most sullen maid on God’s green earth.”
Jason merely shrugged and gestured for her to precede him into the house, since the staff would know her and not be shocked at a stranger wandering into their master’s home.
She said good afternoon to the staff she knew, including the cook and none of them said anything. There were a few raised eyebrows that she was sneaking a gentleman in through the kitchen. She did think once they had reached the hallway, that perhaps she should have mentioned that some staff would be arriving with the baby, but they knew she had a baby so once they had gotten over the shock of her actually being alive, she supposed a retinue of staff with a baby would not be altogether unusual.
When she arrived in the hallway of the main floor, Gideon was scowling.
“You looked tumbled.”
“Firstly, brother, it is none of your business and secondly, I have not been tumbled. I have not been in my own home or had my own clothes for weeks. I am thoroughly vexed and thoroughly in need of a bath, my own clothes and a long sleep. When I arrived at Lord Whitsnow’s I was frightened, I had a baby who was teething, grumpy and downright fractious. I was at the end of my tether. And despite the fact for the last two weeks we have almost constantly been on the road, except for a short stop at Ashgate estate and an enforced rest at an inn due to my maid and my protector being shot, I think my hair, my clothing and my demeanor have stood up well. I may not quite be ready for a visit to Almack’s, my lord but I will not have you constantly berating my fiancé for being tender and kind to me.”
As she stamped her foot on the tile flooring to make her point, she cared not that tears were rolling down her cheeks. Somehow the enormity of everything she had gone through over the past weeks had rolled over her like a huge wave. She had never felt such a huge force of emotion.
“Oh Soph! I am sorry.” And then she was in her brother’s embrace, her tears wetting his waistcoat as he tugged off her bonnet and ran his hand over her hair. “Oh Poppet, please, stop crying. It breaks my heart that I have caused this. I… I can do better. I am such a brute at times.”
“Oh Gideon, it is not just you. It is everything. It is you, and Jason and Octavius and Oscar and Mr Benson and the journey and the ton and the wedding.”
“What did he do to you?”
“Who?”
“Reid.”
“Reid?”
“Jason.”
“N-nothing…” her sobs started again. Gideon let out a growl of frustration. “Emily, Take Rosie to the drawing room and call for tea. I shall take my sister to the library and get some sense out of her.”
“As you wish. Come, my lord. Sophia shall be fine. Gideon is not the monster he is currently portraying himself to be. This entire episode has been rather vexing for us all.”
“I agree,” she heard Jason say as he left her to her brother’s tender mercies. Gideon led her into the library and deposited her on a seat.
“Now Sophia, I agree that I could have handled things with a little more sensitively. But what the devil did Reid do to you?”
“Nothing. At least nothing that I did not wish him to.” She wiped the back of her hand across her nose. “Oh Gideon, I have no handkerchief. I have been using Jason’s sister’s clothing and the maids were so kind when my courses came and I did not have the heart to ask for handkerchiefs and reticules and other silly things.”
He fished in his pocket, looking a little discomfited by her brazen discussion of womanly functions. He handed her a handkerchief and she blew her nose.
“So what did you mean about you being upset about Reid?”
Sophia sighed and sat back in the big, high-backed chair. The library still smelled faintly of her father’s tobacco and the heavy curtains and dark wood made the place look foreboding and rather unwelcoming, but she had fond memories of sitting on the older man’s knee, as he read stories of pirates and islands where treasure could be found to her.
“It is not he who has upset me. Not him personally. Just that our time together has shown me that my marriage was, well, it was much worse than I thought it was.”
“In what way?”
She felt heat flood her cheeks but she carried on. “Do you remember about six months into my marriage, I came to you to seek your advice about sex?”
“Good God, Sophia.”
“Yes, that was exactly how you reacted then too. I found it extremely uncomfortable. Sometimes quite painful but I assumed that was the way of things. And now that I have been intimate with Jason, I know that is not how it should be. Gideon, you should have listened to me. There are things I could have done to help myself. To perhaps even help him with some guidance. He did not know what he was doing.”
“How can a gentleman not know what he was doing in the bedchamber, Sophia?”
“Well, I cannot say but he only ever took me from behind, like a molly does.”
“What the hell do you know of mollies?”
“I know enough. Stop treating me like a child, Gideon, and address the point. At least promise me if anything happens to Emily and you have a daughter that comes to you with a similar problem, if you are too embarrassed to deal with the issue, at least send her to her Aunt Sophia.”
“Do you think Rutherford was a molly?”
She shrugged. “Jason thinks it a possibility, but he also thinks he may have not been able to do the deed because he was old. Apparently that can happen. In all honestly, I do not care now. I was upset because so much has vexed me over the past month or so. Other than Mr Benson who should be shot at dawn, no one caused me to become upset today. And please stop scowling at Jason. He has not taken the virginity of your innocent sister. He loves me and plans to marry me. Be happy for me Gideon. He is a good man. He loves Oscar and has already promised to be a good father to him. I even asked if Oscar could call him Papa like the children we will have together shall call him and he said he would be honoured.”
“And the Rutherford estate?”
“You are Oscar’s guardian and the trustee of the estate. We would like to take Oscar there so he will know the staff and so he can learn as he grows what the area needs.”
“I have no objections to that. But Soph, do you not think you are rushing into this marriage?”
“You mean the way you waited months to marry Emily?”
“That was different. We had exceptional circumstances.”
“Yes well, Jason and I have… forgotten to be careful and there may be consequences. If I am to have his child, I would prefer there to be as close to nine months between the wedding and the birth as possible.”
“I shall kill him.”
“No, you shall not. I made the decision with him once we decided to wed. It shall happen anyway.”
“Why are we discussing your bed chamber habits?”
“Because you insist on poking your nose in to find out why I am marrying the nicest gentleman I have ever met.”
“What about me?”
“You vex me terribly.”
“Does he not vex you?”
“Yes, sometimes. But I love him.”
“You do not love me?”
“Of course I do. But in a different way. I hope you love me in a brotherly way or I should have to call you Lord Byron.”
“What do you know of George Byron?”
“Everything.”
“Reid?”
“I asked and he told me. And you cannot say anything, Gideon. Emily told me that you told her why Byron is in exile.”
“Did you ask Rutherford?”
“I did but he didn’t answer. I believe he was embarrassed. Given what I know now, perhaps that is not so strange.”
“Perhaps not. I do promise that if any daughter does ask awkward questions, I shall send her to her Mama or her aunt. Are you satisfied?”
“For now.”
“Let us join your fiancé and my wife for tea then. I fear Reid may be having an apoplexy over what we may be discussing. He probably thinks I am talking you out of marrying the poor fellow.”
“Be nice to him, Gideon.”
“I can see you love him, Soph. That is good enough for me.”