The Duke And His Four Wards

Chapter 10.1

   Execution of the first phase of the Flemings' master plot to rescue Antonia and Sir Jack from the machinations of Mrs. Norwood fell to Sophia. An evening concert was selected as the venue most conducive to success. As Sir Jack was tone deaf, enticing him from the real pleasure of listening to the dramatic voice of Señorita Muscariña, the Spanish soprano engaged for the evening, proved easier than Sophia had feared.

   Sir Jack was quite content to escort Miss Sophia for a stroll on the balcony, ostensibly to relieve the stuffiness in Miss Fleming's head. In the company of the rest of the ton, he knew Sophia was pining away and thus, he reasoned, he was safe in her company. That she was one of He more outstanding opulent beauties he had ever set eyes on simply made life more complete. It was rare that he felt at ease with such women and his time in London had made him more than once, wish he was back in the less demanding backwoods of Gloucestershire. Even now, despite his successful courtship of the beautiful, the effervescent, the gorgeous Maribella Fleming, there were tunes Helen Fletcher's face reminded him of how much more comfortable their almost finalized relationship had been. In fact, although he tried his best to ignore them, doubts kept appearing in his mind, of whether he would be able to live up to Maribella's expectations once they were wed. He was beginning to understand that girls like Maribella—well, she was a woman, really—we're used to receiving the most specific advances from the more hardened of the male population. Sir Jack swallowed nervously, woefully aware that he lacked the abilities to compete with such gentlemen. He glanced at the pale face of the beauty beside him. A frown marred her smooth brow. He relaxed. Clearly, Miss Sophia's mind was not bent on illicit dalliance.

   In thinking this, Sir Jack could not have been further from the truth, Sophia's frown was engendered by her futile attempts to repress the surge of longing that had swept through her—a relic of that fateful evening in Lady Langdon's shrubbery, she felt sure—when she had seen Daniel Hammington's tall figure negligently is propped by the door. She had felt the weight of his gaze upon her and, turning to seek its source, had met his eyes across the room. Fool that she was! She had had to fight to keep herself in her seat and not run across the room and throw herself into his arms. Then, an arch look from Maribella, unaware of Lord Daniel's return, had reminded her of her duty. She had put her hand to her head and Emma had promptly asked if she was feeling the thing. It had been easy enough to claim Sir Jack's escort and leave the music-room. But the thunderous look in Daniel's eyes as she did so had tied her stomach in knots.

   Pushing her own concerns abruptly aside, she transferred her attention to the man beside her. "Sir Jack, I hope you won't mind if I speak to you on a matter of some delicacy?"

   Taken aback, Sir Jack goggled.

   Sophia ignored his startled expression. Helen had warned her how he would react. It was her job to lead him by the nose. "I'm afraid things have reached a head with Maribella. I know it's not obvious; she's so reticent about such things. But I feel it's my duty to try to explain it to you. She's in such low spirits. Something must be done or she may even go into a decline."

   It was on the tip of Sir Jack's tongue to say that he had thought it was Sophia who was going into the decline. And the suggestion that Maribella, last seen with an enchanting sparkle in her big eyes, was in low spirits confused him utterly. But Sophia's next comment succeeded in riveting his mind. "You're the only one who can save her."

   The practical tone in which Sophia brought out her statement lent it far greater weight than a more dramatic declaration. In the event, Sir Jack's attention was all hers. "You see, although she would flay me alive for telling you, you should know that she was very seriously taken with a gentleman earlier in the Season, before you arrived. He played on her sensibilities and she was so vulnerable. Unfortunately, he was not interested in marriage. I'm sure I can rely on your discretion. Luckily, she learned of his true intentions before he had time to achieve them. But her heart was sorely bruised, of course. Now that she's found such solace in your company, we had hoped, my sisters and I, that you would not let her down."

   Sir Jack was heard to mumble that he had no intention of letting Miss Maribella down.

   "Ah, but you see," said Sophia, warming to her task, "what she needs is to be taken out of herself. Some excitement that would divert her from the present round of balls and parties and let her forget her past hurts in her enjoyment of a new love."

   Sir Jack quite carried away by her eloquence, muttered that yes, he could quite see the point in that.

   "So you see, Sir Jack, it's imperative that she be swept off her feet. She's very romantically inclined, you know."

   Sir Jack, obediently responding to his cue, declared he was only too ready to do whatever was necessary to ensure Maribella's happiness.

   Sophia smiled warmly, "In that case, I can tell you exactly what you must do."