One Night Scandal

“And will she see me today, Mr. Hendricks?”

The butler attempted to hide his smile. “I shall see if she is at home.”

Once again, Nicholas was shown to a small receiving parlor in the front of the house. Instead of sitting in the same pale green chair he’d sat the previous days, he paced the room. He stopped and noticed the oil painting of a small cottage that reminded him of Banning’s cottage. Nicholas looked at the artist’s signature and shook his head. He should have known one of Jennette’s paintings would hang in her friend’s home.

“My lord, Miss Reynard would be pleased to see you this evening at eight. Unless you have other plans.”

“Eight?” He walked closer to the gray-haired butler. “Tell me, Mr. Hendricks, do you believe she will actually see me then?”

Hendricks nodded and handed him a note. “This is from her.”

Nicholas scanned the letter. She apologized for putting him off but other clients had already been scheduled. She promised she would see him tonight.

“Very well, then,” Nicholas said, pocketing the note. “Tell her if she does not allow me entrance this evening, I will see her anyway.”

“I will give her your message.” Hendricks walked to the front door and opened it for him. “We shall see you at eight, my lord.”

Nicholas left the house and returned to his own home. He walked up to the nursery to find Emma and her governess reviewing history lessons. His daughter looked up at him and her brown eyes twinkled.

“Papa!” Without waiting for her governess to excuse her from the lesson, she raced to him with her arms open wide.

“Emma,” he said with a smile as he hugged his little girl. “You act as if you haven’t seen me in weeks.”

“I didn’t see you at breakfast,” she said with a wide smile. “I always miss you when I don’t see you.”

Feeling the warmth of her embrace made him forget everything else in his life. More and more, he realized his daughter needed a mother. A good mother. One who would love Emma despite the fact that she’d been born on the wrong side of the blankets.

“Now,” he said, breaking away from her. “What are you learning about today?” He walked toward the table where the governess stood. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Griffon.”

She curtsied quickly. “Good afternoon, my lord.”

“I hope I haven’t disturbed you.”

“No, sir. You are always welcome in the classroom.”

“Has she been studying?” he asked.

“Yes, sir. She is quite intelligent.”

“Very good.” He looked down at the grammar paper on the table. “So if she is doing as well as you say it wouldn’t harm her education too much if I stole her away for an ice at Gunter’s.”

Mrs. Griffon smiled over at Emma. “I believe it would be just indeed, my lord. She has been putting in much effort at learning Latin.”

“Excellent.” Nicholas hired Mrs. Griffon because she had no qualms with giving Emma a superior education. He wanted his intelligent daughter to have the best education possible. He held out his arm for his daughter. “Shall we?”

Her bright smile filled him with love. “Yes, Papa!”

By the time they arrived at Gunter’s, carriages lined Berkeley Square. The waiter took their order as they sat in the phaeton enjoying the unusually warm April afternoon. Nicholas watched the people as they ate or waited for their ices. As he glanced over at two ladies seated in one carriage, he recognized Lady Somerton. But the other woman held his attention. She had dark hair and an oval face, and smiled back at something Lady Somerton had said.

Nicholas shook his head. It was not her. Sophia was in Italy not London. Still, he couldn’t look away. The lady in question turned her head and stared directly at him. Even from the distance of several carriages, he could see the look of shock on her face. Before he could even move, their carriage rolled away.

He was not imagining things. It had been her. His Sophia. If Emma hadn’t been with him, he would have chased after the coach to discover where she resided. Instead, he must wait and then call on Lady Somerton to get his answers. He wondered if Sophia was visiting London to find him. Perhaps she’d found herself with child and needed to inform him.

But how would she know Lady Somerton?

As soon as Emma finished her lemon ice, he drove her home then circled around to Somerton’s home on Duke Street. The butler left him in the parlor to wait for Lady Somerton.

“Lord Ancroft?”