One Night Scandal

Just remembering the dreadful night made her stomach roil again. She tried to breathe in deeply and forget how that scoundrel invaded her home and her party. But no matter how she tried, she could not forget the look of guilt on his face when Selby brought up Jennette’s pregnancy. How could she have fallen for such a bastard? He’d made love to her in Venice, returned to an affair with Jennette, and then made love to Sophie again.

She was such a fool to think he was a softhearted man. He was nothing but a hardened rake. And she was a fool for thinking there was good in him. Well, never again would she make such a mistake.

Somehow, she would get through this mess she found herself in. She just didn’t know how. Once her condition became known, there was a good chance her father would stop his allowance payments. Perhaps, she could manage with her clients. As long as she moved, of course.

Lying back against the soft pillows, she shut her eyes and another wave of nausea struck. She didn’t want to move away. Her half brother was here, her half sisters, Genna and Bronwyn. She had her friends in London, too.

But this town was far too expensive to live in just on the small amount her matchmaking skills earned her. Somerton would support her, but she hated the idea of taking money from him and Victoria.

“What am I to do?” she whispered.

There was one other answer but she could never do it. If she told him about the baby, he would insist on marriage. She could not marry a man who treated women as he did. He was obviously not the type of rake who would reform. And she wasn’t the kind of woman who would marry a man who kept mistresses or had affairs with married women. Not after seeing the effect it had on her mother and Somerton’s mother.

She might just have to leave the country and start her life over. Take a new identity. Abandon her friends and family and be alone in a new city. She wasn’t sure she could do such a drastic thing. However, if she did, at least it would be on her terms and not those of her parents.

How could she have been so wrong about him?

A knock scraped across the door and then her maid peered into the room. “Ma’am, you have callers this morning.”

Sophie glanced over at her clock. It was only ten. Who could be calling at this hour? “Who is it?”

“Lady Genna and Miss Bronwyn.”

She smiled hearing her half sisters had managed to pay a call. “Show them into the salon and return to help me dress.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Sophie slowly eased out of bed. Her stomach seemed to have settled . . . finally. She quickly dressed in a blue and white striped muslin gown and put up her hair before visiting with her sisters.

“Genna! Bronwyn!” she said as she entered the room. “What are you both doing here?”

Genna rolled her eyes. “She,” Genna said, inclining her head toward Bronwyn, “insisted something was wrong and that we needed to see you now.”

Sophie cautiously turned to her ten-year-old half sister. Bronwyn was Genna’s true sister, though only a few people knew it. She’d been raised by Victoria in her home for orphans. Once Somerton discovered his sister, he brought her into his home with Victoria.

Bronwyn had some abilities that Sophie had, only Sophie had no idea how strong her sister’s intuition was yet. She assumed Bronwyn’s sense would be weaker like Somerton. Sophie had always believed she received the majority of her abilities from her mother.

“Why would you think something was wrong, Bronwyn?”

“I had a dream that you were hurting,” the younger replied. “Are you all right?”

“I am perfectly well,” she lied.

Bronwyn’s eyes narrowed. “No, you are not.”

“Bronwyn, if Sophie says she is all right then she is!” Sophie sat on the pale green chair and smiled at her sis

ters. “Genna is right.”

Bronwyn looked up at her with curiosity. “I dreamed you are with child. My dreams are always correct.”

Genna laughed. “Sophie’s not even married, Bronwyn.”

Sophie knew if she didn’t tell her sisters the truth, Bronwyn would never stop pestering her about it. If she spoke about it to the wrong person, such as Victoria or Somerton, things would only get worse. “Girls, you mustn’t tell a soul about this.”

Genna stared at her. “You really are with child?”

Sophie pressed her lips together and nodded. “I believe I am.”