The Hellion Bride (Sherbrooke Brides 2)

"He is wonderful, is he not?" the countess re­marked.

"That's what Sinjun said."

"It's true. Even when he behaves in a manner that provokes one to the point of madness and wanting to cosh him, he is still wonderful. I sound besotted, don't I? Well, I daresay it will go away in twenty or so years."

"I have wanted to cosh Ryder since the first moment I met him."

"Just excellent," said the countess and blew her nose. She then sneezed, lay back against her pillows and moaned. "I am so sorry not to be able to see to your comfort. But Douglas, you know, I'll wager at this very moment, he's ensuring that a maid will be assigned to you and that she will see to your clothes and that one of the footmen will see to your brother—Jeremy? Yes, a very nice name, yours as well. Please, sit down and tell me all about Ryder. That's right. Now you're more comfortable."

"He isn't wonderful!"

Alex merely looked at her new sister-in-law. "I see," she said slowly. "Do tell me more."

Sophie felt an ungrateful fool. She bowed her head and her hands fidgeted with her skirt. "I'm sorry. He is your brother-in-law and you must be fond of him. It's just that he married me only to save me from being hung. He didn't want to. He doesn't even like me. It all came about because he felt sorry for me. I do think he came to believe that I was indeed a virgin, at least before he drugged me and took me to the cottage and . . . and took off my clothes and did other things, except I don't remember because, as I said, he had drugged me."

Alex said not a word. Suddenly she felt miracu­lously better. She even sat up higher against her pillows. She didn't have to blow her nose. Her brain felt clear as a summer sky. Her silence was not uncomfortable. She smiled at Sophie, and Sophie, without a whimper, gave it up. "It's not that he's unkind or cruel or anything like that. Indeed, he saved me as many times as I saved him, no, more times, to be truthful. It's just that I am afraid of him and I didn't want to marry any man even though he said there was no reason to be embarrassed because he'd already done everything he'd wanted to me. He kept telling me to trust him but how could I given all that had happened?"

"I see," Alex said again. She waited, but Sophie said no more. Well, it didn't matter. This was fas­cinating and Alex didn't doubt that there would be more confidences very soon. She said quite easily, "This is now your home. I hope you will be happy here. There is only one person who could perhaps be a bit troublesome to your peace of mind and that is your mother-in-law, mine as well, more's the pity. But too much pleasantness would likely prove boring. She keeps me on my toes. She detests me, but I don't pay her much mind. She wanted Douglas to marry my sister, Melissande, but— Ah, but it's as complicated a tale as yours is, I fear. You and I will be able to entertain each other in both the tellings. In any case, I won't be able to protect you for a couple of days. Lady Lydia just might take a liking to you, but I doubt it. Hers is not a particularly amiable disposition. Ah, here's Douglas. Oh, yes, Sophie, you are taller than I, but perhaps my maid can alter several of my gowns to fit you until we can bring a seamstress here."

"Oh no, I couldn't!"

But the countess said in the most imperious voice, "Don't be a ninny. The last thing we need is to have Lady Lydia see you in a gown like the one you're wearing, and she will forever relegate you to the underbelly of females."

Douglas laughed. "She's right, you know. After I have shown you to your bedchamber, you will return here and get yourself properly begowned. I will endeavor to keep my mother occupied until dinner." Even as he said the words, he sounded uncertain. Sophie could only stare at him, this man who looked as if he were master of the world. He walked to the bed, leaned down and kissed his wife's mouth, then said into her ear, "Many seams will need to be taken in, sweetheart. Your miraculous bosom is one of a kind, you know."

Sophie heard him. She stared some more, she couldn't help it. This stern man Ryder said would destroy her before breakfast was teasing his wife about her bosom? Perhaps, just perhaps, she didn't know men as well as she believed she did.

The earl straightened, gently ran his knuckles down his wife's cheek, then said to Sophie, "We will leave her to her misery for a while. You can return to take care of clothing in an hour, all right?"

Sophie nodded. There was nothing else to do.

CHAPTER

13

"WHAT IS

GOING on here, Alexandra? I was told by Jerkins, who was told by Dora, who had over­heard Mrs. Peacham talking to Hollis, that Ryder had married. Married! It is absurd. It can't, simply can't be true. It's one of his floozy women trying to pass herself off as a decent person and fool us. She wants money, her sort always does. I even heard there is a child involved. This is outside of too much, I'm here to assist you in removing her, Alexandra. You're sick and thus I am not surprised that the girl has taken you in. Good grief, is this she? She's in your bedchamber? She looks just as I thought she would—a slut, a fright, a sham. Get out, young woman, get out!"

The woman was actually shooing at her with her hands. Sophia stood still as the wing chair in front of the fireplace, staring at the woman, the distinct­ly unfriendly voice sounding in her ears, loud and imperious. She didn't have time to gather a response; she felt paralyzed.

"Oh dear," Alex said, and she suddenly looked very ill indeed. She even closed her eyes a moment.

Sophie stood in the middle of the room, wearing one of Alex's gowns. The gown came only to her ankles and it was frankly loose on the bosom, for Sophie didn't have Alex's magnificent endowment, as the earl had pointed out. What had the woman meant—one of Ryder's women?

Alex girded her mental loins and scooted higher on her pillows. "Dear Lydia, this is Sophie Sherbrooke, your new daughter-in-law. Sophie, this is Ryder's mother, Lady Lydia Sherbrooke."

"I don't believe it," said the dowager countess, hands on hips, voice flat and hard. "Just look at you! And that rag you have on, girl, it passes all hounds. It's ugly and cheap and you look quite the sham in it. No, you shan't take me in as has this other daughter-in-law of mine who shouldn't be either."

"Actually, ma'am, it's one of my gowns. We're hav­ing it altered for Sophie."

Lady Lydia wasn't at all daunted by this proof of her error, and not at all remorseful about the insult she'd just dished out to her daughter-in-law, for she usually dished out too many in the course of a day to remember more than a fraction of them. Her hands remained on her hips and her nostrils still quivered with indignation. She wasn't about to budge. She gave Sophie another long look, and said, "Well, the color is all wrong for her. Sallow, that's what it makes her, utterly sallow. Now, young woman, you dare to say you're married to my son. Well, you can't be. Ryder has always laughed when anyone mentioned marriage. He is content as he is with all his women. Therefore, you are a liar, an adventuress, doubtless a—"

"Sorry, Alex, I lost track of her, but I'm here now. Hello, Mother."

It was the earl, and he was actually out of breath. Sophie was tempted, but only for an instant, to laugh as she pictured this fiercesome man racing up the stairs and to this bedchamber to muzzle his mother.

"Ah, I see you've met Sophie. Her little brother is also here. Jeremy is with Sinjun, I believe."