Chapter Sixteen
Sofia went in search of the dog, she felt closer to the place she still considered her real home when with him. He greeted her enthusiastically and she set out for a brisk walk keeping a close eye on the drive so she could return in time to meet her new relatives.
She couldn't see the gates as they were in a dip and by the time the first carriage was visible there would be no more than a quarter of an hour to return to the house if she wished to be there to greet them. As they were coming mainly to see Perry, she hardly thought it mattered whether she was there or not.
She kept to the paths in the hope that it would keep her gown clean and so far she had been successful. 'Come along, Zorro, we shall return along the terrace. I am sure the visitors will be here very soon.'
This route took her past the recently converted wing that was now the home of Perry's twin brother and his wife. The door flew open and if she hadn't known she would have thought it was her husband standing there.
'Sofia, what a magnificent dog.' Aubrey smiled. 'I beg your pardon, I am Aubrey, I should have introduced myself first.'
'I'm delighted to meet you. This is Zorro, he was given to Perry when he was blind, but now he has transferred his affection to me. Do you not keep dogs here? I've yet to see any wandering about.'
'Beau is not overfond of them, but the others have several. Is your animal aggressive?'
'Not at all, although he is very protective of me. I must go, the first carriage is approaching.'
By the time she had rushed upstairs and Polly had brushed down her skirts she was sure the first arrivals would be there. Why hadn't Perry come to fetch her? She would feel more confident with him at her side.
When she approached the large gallery she could hear laughter, the shrill sound of children in the grand hall below. She was hesitating when her husband arrived at her side.
'There you are, I just went to your room to find you.' He took her hand and led her to the balustrade and leaned over and shouted at the people below. 'Good morning, I cannot tell you how glad I am to be able to see you all.'
There was a tall, dark man very similar to Beau, he must be Bennett who had returned from London, the lovely red-headed young woman holding an infant must be his wife. A toddling child was clinging onto Bennett's leg and babbling nonsense.
'This is my wife, Sofia, I shall bring her down to meet you.'
She was hugged and kissed and welcomed into the family with as much affection as she could have wished. Before they moved to the drawing room the remainder of the family, and their children, trooped in.
Eventually things were a little calmer and she was able to sit quietly with a sleeping child in her lap and observe without being obliged to participate. She recalled that Perry had said he came from a family of attractive individuals and he had not been exaggerating.
Beau joined her on the sofa. 'We are an exhausting lot when altogether, I do not blame you for taking a break from us.'
'It is Perry they have come to see, I am just…'
'You are just what?' The duke was looking at her seriously.
'I was going to say that I am just an unfortunate extra.'
'You are neither of those things, my dear. You are one of the family, as important a member as anyone else. Are you not happy to be Perry's wife?'
'I love him, but I'm not sure that will be enough. I can never be the sort of wife he needs. I feel claustrophobic here, hemmed in, unable to behave naturally. We should never have got married.'
'My brother fell in love with you almost immediately – did you not do the same with him?'
'I should never have done so if I had known who he was.' The child began to stir giving her an excuse to end this awkward conversation. 'Please excuse me, I must return the baby to his mama.'
The house was empty again by two o'clock and she was glad of it. She needed to get out in the fresh air, pretend she was back in Spain, and gallop around the countryside. There must be a suitable mount in the stables she could take.
Polly was elsewhere which was fortuitous as she had decided she would put on her breeches and ride astride. She would not be foolish enough to go out of the park, but today a side-saddle would just not do. She was about to pull them on but hesitated. She was sure that Mama had included a riding skirt, one that was divided into two, this would be a compromise and would surely not offend anyone.
There was a long glass in her dressing room and she viewed herself from all sides. She was satisfied she looked perfectly respectable. The secondary stairs were closer and meant she was unlikely to be seen by her husband or her brother-in-law who must be downstairs somewhere.
After the flurry of visitors the house was quiet and had resumed its gloomy feel. The stables were empty of grooms, which was odd, she must suppose that they were allowed a short break mid-afternoon. This meant she had the pick of the horses.
As always Zorro was beside her and Billy's large head appeared and he whickered a greeting. 'I shall take you, there can be no objection to that as you belong to Perry.'
His saddle and bridle were hanging neatly on the pegs outside his stall and he made no objection to her tacking him up. There was an entrance at both ends of the large building and she led him to the far end in the hope that it would emerge somewhere less public than the stable yard.
'Good, a mounting block, that will make things easier for me.' The horse flicked his ears as if listening to her nonsense. Once settled in the saddle, her feet firmly in the irons, the reins in her hands, she squeezed him gently and he moved away without hesitation.
Billy was a stallion, more than sixteen hands high, and must be considered quite unsuitable for a lady to ride. But a lady would not ride astride which was far safer on a horse of this size. Her lips curved. She had never thought of herself as a lady, but now she was Lady Peregrine Sheldon and part of one of the most prestigious families in the country.
She had noticed on her walk that morning a wide path leading into the wood that surrounded the park. This would be ideal as it was unlikely she would be seen by anyone who happened to be looking out of the windows. Neither Perry nor Beau would be impressed by her behaviour, but if she was to be happy here she must be allowed a certain amount of freedom.
*
Perry had spoken to Sofia's maid first thing so the girl had been aware before his wife of the change of plans. The girl had been told not to speak of it to her mistress. His valet had packed what he would need for two nights in a saddle bag and then his man would follow in the carriage with his trunk.
Beau had wanted him to take a groom, but he had refused. He would travel more speedily on his own. If he could wander about the continent behind enemy lines then he should be safe enough in the green fields of England. He had two loaded pistols in his greatcoat pockets so in the unlikely event of being held up by a footpad he could deal with it speedily.
Sultan was also available, but in his opinion Billy was the better horse. He looked for his wife, he was unhappy about deceiving her, but she was nowhere to be found. He left the letter he had written her on her pillow. He hoped she would understand why he had gone without her when she read it.
He was going to London first to see the eye specialist, would stay at the town house tonight and then leave for the north tomorrow. With his saddle bag over his shoulder he stepped out through the front door fully expecting his horse to be waiting for him on the turning circle.
It was not there. Mildly irritated, as he had sent word down to the stable in good time, he strode around to see what the delay was. The place was in uproar. The head groom blanched when he saw him approaching.
'My lord, Billy ain't there. His tack has gone as well.'
'There is no need to panic, I believe I know where he is. Lady Peregrine is an expert horsewoman, I rather think she has taken him out herself.'
If he had announced his wife was a devil worshipper he could not have got a more astonished response. 'I'll go after her. Saddle Sultan and be quick about it.'
Zorro was also absent, he would be at his wife's side as always. He guided Sultan through the archway and into the park and sat for a moment or two considering which would be the best way to go. His eyes narrowed and he put his hand above his eyes hoping to be able to see better.
Where would he go if he didn't want to be seen? The woods – no doubt about it. He kicked his horse into an extended canter, his hooves dislodging large divots from the immaculate lawn as he thundered across.
He kept up this rapid pace for a mile and then drew rein. He put his fingers in his mouth and whistled, something that had proved useful when he had to attract the attention of his men, and waited to see if the dog would come to his side.
He whistled a second time. Sure enough, there was the sound of undergrowth moving and then the hound arrived, long pink tongue lolling from his jaws and his tail wagging wildly.
'Good boy, well done. Now, take me to Sofia.' The dog looked at the undergrowth from which it emerged and then barked. 'I cannot go that way, you must take me along the tracks.'
The animal bounded off down the path and he followed. He wasn't worried that Sofia had come to grief, Zorro would not be so lively if that were the case. He should be furious with her but he didn't blame her one jot. She was perfectly capable of riding any horse astride, but he wished she had not taken Billy as now he would be unable to ride him himself until tomorrow.
His appointment with the doctor would have to be postponed – but at least he could explain to her in person why he was going on his own and she wouldn't be obliged to read it in his note. The path was wide enough to canter without danger of being swept from the saddle by an overhanging branch.
In the distance he heard the hound barking so Sofia must be aware that he was coming. It had been some years since he had ridden this way and he had forgotten that there was a clearing where the charcoal burner, in times gone by, had his hut.
His missing horse was grazing peacefully but there was no sign of her. He dismounted and left Sultan to join his stablemate. He stood in the centre of the dell and listened. The only good thing about his weak sight was the fact that his hearing had improved dramatically.
Zorro had stopped barking. The only sounds were those one would expect to hear – nothing that would reveal the presence of his beloved. He put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. Pheasants flew squawking into the air, rodents ran in horror from the racket and the dog barked.
He half-expected her to yell back but instead there was just the faint rustling of undergrowth and then she emerged.
'You took my horse.'
'How observant of you, Perry. And you have taken your brother's. I wonder if he will come after us whistling in such an ill-bred way.'
He held out his hand but she ignored it. He had thought her remarks humorous, but now he was beginning to think he had misjudged the matter.
'Sweetheart, what is wrong? Have I offended you in some way?'
'I apologise if I sounded less than welcoming, I am out of sorts. I had thought you were busy and would not notice Billy was missing.'
There was a log large enough to sit upon at the far side of the clearing and he nodded towards it. 'We need to talk.'
He waited until she was sitting beside him and then pulled her closer so she was within his arms. For a second she resisted but then relaxed.
'I needed my horse because I had an appointment with a physician who is knowledgeable about eye problems…'
She twisted and stared at him her expression anxious. 'Are your eyes getting worse? You should have told me.'
'They are certainly not getting any better. I can still see perfectly well to get about the place, but only if I am looking directly ahead. Do not look so worried, darling, you know that I always intended to visit a doctor on my return.'
Her eyes narrowed. 'I thought I would go with you – why were you leaving surreptitiously?'
It was right that she should know the whole but now the time had come to explain he was unmanned. Then she twisted and scrambled onto his lap and began to kiss him. He responded for a few minutes but then gently lifted her aside before things led to their inevitable conclusion.
'I have written this to you in a letter, but I am glad that I can tell you in person what is going to happen next.' He explained and she listened in silence.
'I see. You are right to go away on your own as when we are together we would have been unable to stay away from each other. I am disappointed that you did not trust me enough to tell me yourself.' She stood up, and looked at him almost as if she was assessing his worth.
'I think you and your brother have bats in your attic. Did you honestly think that I would wish to return to Spain, to live as your estranged wife in straightened circumstances? The marriage could not be set aside as it has been consummated. Neither of us would ever be able to marry again.
'You cannot get rid of me so easily however much of an embarrassment I am. I am your wife. If I am with child then you must hope it will be a son as there will be no more.' She nodded and was like a stranger to him. 'I assume that you are intending to take a mistress. I have no objection to that as long as you are discrete.'
Her words were like a slap across his face. Not only was she someone he did not recognise, she was someone he could not like. Was this her true character? For a second he thought he had been deceived but then enlightenment dawned.
He would play along with this if it would make things easier for her. A few weeks apart would do both of them no harm and when he returned, if she was not increasing, then he would do everything in his power to get her back into his bed. He couldn't prevent his smile. Even if she was with child he could see no reason why they should remain apart.
He was jerked back to the present by a sharp kick in the shins. Sofia was standing with her hands on her hips glaring at him like an enraged fishwife.
'I have just told you I have no wish to share your bed, intend to live at your expense a life of luxury whilst giving you nothing in return – and yet you smile?'
'I was, of course, eagerly anticipating being able to sample more interesting wares. I do beg your pardon if I gave you an erroneous impression.' He turned his back on her. 'If you are thinking of attacking me, I should reconsider, my dear.' He heard a sharp intake of breath and braced himself but she heeded his words and remained where she was.
He wanted to turn, to snatch her up and kiss her breathless, to tell her that he loved her and would never be unfaithful to her, but if he was to win her back he must remain aloof and let her come to the conclusion herself that they were meant to be together.
*
Sofia watched him walk away taking her heart with him. What had possessed her to say such stupid things? To behave in such a cruel and beastly way? She loved him but had driven him away. What he had intended to do was the kindest, bravest thing any man could do and she had thrown it back in his face.
Then to her horror he untethered Billy, vaulted into Sultan's saddle and cantered away leaving her to walk home. It was no more than she deserved and she wasn't going to call him back. Fortunately, her boots were comfortable and she enjoyed walking.
'Zorro, we had better follow as I believe I heard an ominous roll of thunder in the distance. We don't want to get soaked, now do we?'
The dog wagged his tail and pressed himself against her side. He might not understand the meaning of her words but he knew she was distressed.
They were still a mile away when the rain started and when they eventually arrived she was drenched and Zorro's coat was flat against his skin. He seemed unbothered by this, whereas she was cold and miserable.
A groom appeared. 'I'll take the dog, my lady, I'll see he's nice and dry.'
She stopped at the side door to remove her boots. When she upended them water trickled out. The door opened and she was enveloped in a large blanket.
'Oh, my lady, I have a hot bath waiting for you. You must be wet through.' Her maid was stating the obvious but she was too dispirited to respond.
An hour later she was snug in bed with hot bricks at her feet. 'I do not require anything else today. I have a headache and intend to sleep. Kindly draw the bed curtains and close the shutters before you go.'
No one came to see her, no tray of tasty morsels was brought to her, she was left to wallow in her misery and had no one to blame but herself.