It was barely noticeable that there were fewer guests in the Theobald weekend party this year. It was still attended by many affluent identities, most of them there to witness the Theobalds themselves and see for themselves the secret bastard that was no longer a secret.
Most of the gossipmongers were huddled together in their own circles, eyes alert wherever a sign of a Theobald might be. Not merely were they curious as to why Lady Rachel Theobald herself considered Maxine as her own, they were also astounded by the fact that the affection between the two was rather genuine in nature.
Some were focused on the Everards, of course, particularly Maxwell. He was, after all, married to the Theobald bastard.
Many were still of want of Lord Eustace Theobald's attention as well. He was the father of Maxine, after all. They did not saunter away when he joined their circles. In fact, they clamored to get into his. All for one reason, of course: who is the true mother of the bastard?
It was a very tight secret, one that was protected by not merely the Theobalds but by the Everards as well.
Maxine's mother was from a very affluent family, one that would not appreciate should it ever be mentioned. The Trilbys, after all, was amongst those who would not tolerate any association with a scandal.
"You ought to congratulate yourself, Samuel," Nicholas uttered under his breath. "The article you published may have very well saved your sister's reputation."
Almost two years ago, Samuel had publicly announced his family's devotion to Maxine, condemning almost the entire population of the Town in a very astounding way. "As a matter of fact, you do have quite a good following since then. Your opinions on matters are being the talk of town."
Samuel shrugged as he looked at the dancing couples in the middle of the ballroom. "It might not be for long."
Nicholas frowned at him. "Why so?"
A smile curved Samuel's lips, his eyes alight with a mixture of mischief and excitement. "They may find my next piece too hard to swallow that they might regret reading it while breaking their fast." He drew a breath and added, "I know I have gained some ire after my Miss Mulligan letter, but I have more to say."
Ralph came back from the refreshment table just in time to hear his friend's last statement. "Do not be too overwhelmed by the more positive response on your articles, Samuel," he warned, drinking from his glass. "Should things turn bad, these people who praise you for your bravery shall all disappear to save themselves."
"I know what I am doing, Ralph," Samuel snapped. "Like you, I fight for a cause."
Nicholas slowly retreated from the conversation, focusing his attention on finding each member of his family.
Ysabella was dancing with her husband; his mother with Margaret and Cole in a group of friendly companions; Maxine and Maxwell with Lord Theobald and Maxine and Samuel's eldest brother, Gabriel, and his wife who was earnestly talking with Lady Theobald; Benedict, their eldest,was with his wife, alone in one corner, talking with three gentlemen who, in Nicholas' knowledge, were beneficiaries of Agatha's school for servants; Levi and his wife, Victoria, were with Emma, listening to her talk. Emma's gloves were gone, her dance card empty. Nicholas mentally shook his head. No matter, his sister was quite content to not be amongst the young ladies her age dancing the waltz with prospective husbands.
When he realized Ralph and Samuel were still talking about the consequences of free expression, Nicholas uttered, "Excuse me, gentlemen, while I find myself a more entertaining circle." When the two ignored him, engrossed in their banter, Nicholas nudged Ralph. "I am leaving to the gaming room. If the two of you are done talking about saving humankind, you are welcome to join."
"I will be gaming with Samuel and his other writer friends in another gaming room. You are welcome to join us," Ralph replied.
Nicholas shook his head for two reasons. One, he did not know how he could survive a night with the writers. Two, he knew Ralph was merely planning to spy on them in hopes of hearing more about the Herald and its owner. And although Nicholas was curious as well, he knew it was no longer his concern. He was not a Town Guard and most definitely not a Leaguer.
He ought to enjoy the Theobald party.
Nicholas looked for Carmel around the ballroom but she was absent. He saw her earlier with her friends but she must have found the ball rather dire as expected.
He walked over to join Emma, Levi and Victoria, leaving Ralph and Samuel to their discussion.
"Will you be all right with Levi?" he asked their youngest when he reached them.
"I will be far more all right should Mother allow me to go back to my chamber and rest," she uttered with a wave of her hand. "But since that is highly unlikely, I will content myself with Levi's presence as I assume you are about to ask to be relieved of your task to guard over me?"
Victoria chuckled beside Emma while Nicholas shared a look with Levi. "She is too wise," he uttered to Levi before turning to Emma. "You are too wise. Mellow it down or you shall never find a husband."
"I will never marry."
"You always say that," said Nicholas. "So did Benedict when he was younger. And Levi. And Maxwell. And even Margaret. Ysa is an exception, of course."
Levi was shaking his head while Emma fumed. "Speak not in finality, dear sister. You will never know when it strikes."
"What strikes?"
Victoria laughed.
"You mean love?" Emma frowned. "It strikes?"
"And hitches on you like a bloody saddle," Levi nodded.
"That is a rather odd way to explain how love is."
"Well, for one, you ought to also know that it strikes, sticks and stings," Nicholas said with a laugh.
"It stings?" Emma asked, her face slowly draining of color.
"It is not as horrible as you think," said Victoria, "or rather as how Nicholas paints it to be."
Nicholas shrugged. "But fret not, Emma," he said, patting his sister's shoulder, "should it sting, you have five brothers to beat the soul out of the man."
Emma swallowed. "If it stings, I believe I would demand more than a fair beating."
"Oh dear," Victoria said with a gasp, "you have been around your brothers far too long, Emma."
"Well, if someone ever makes me love him, he ought to make certain it stays that way," she uttered.
Nicholas chuckled. "You have much to learn, Emma." He walked away before he heard more of his sister's questions.
*****
Carmel later found him in one of the gaming rooms. She was escaping a game of Faro, she had said, as she settled beside him, entertaining him with stories known only to women in the ball while Nicholas played a game of cards with three other gentlemen.
Another great quality of Carmel was that she could engage with men without being the center of mockery. She could enjoy their companion while gaining their respects.
After a few more rounds of cards, Nicholas had started to relax.
Until Durley's name was mentioned.
"I am telling you, what Durley has done might outweigh the Theobald scandal. Bloody hell, he could be considered their savior!" one lord guffawed from another table.
"But it is no surprise to learn he has a mistress, my lord," another replied. "They saunter into gaming rooms and we all are aware of their secrets."
"Some men consider the Theobald party as a chance to have a tryst with their mistresses," one added.
Nicholas and Carmel shared a look. She shrugged, stifling a laugh.
"Ah, but this is not just any mistress, boy!" The lord's voice boomed around the room, gaining everyone's attention. Before Nicholas could react or make conclusions, the man added, "The woman is colored! Colored! And she has a dog! I saw them moments ago which is why I am here. I had to escape that bloody room!"
Nicholas was amongst the men who went still in their seats, but perhaps he was the only one who went cold. He felt Carmel's gaze on him.
"I wanted to tell you but I was not certain," she whispered beside him.
His jaw clenched. He did not blame her, of course. She was not Sophia's keeper.
"At first I thought he came here with a servant dressed in a pretty gown! But she is his bloody mistress. I am telling you, the Town is turning insane!" the lord continued to say as everyone's attention focused on him. "A white man with a colored mistress is simply atrocious."
"It must be one of the many women he kept in Rock'oles," a man Nicholas was acquainted with said thoughtfully. "Whiston, you are a member of the place, are you not?"
"A long time ago, yes," Nicholas managed to reply.
Heads turned to face him. "Have you heard of a colored woman?"
Clenching his jaw, Nicholas forced an easy smile. His eyes spotted a familiar face from across the room. "Why not ask Brewer? He is also a member." The young fellow's face went scarlet as the attention of everyone else turned to him.
"Perhaps you must leave and find yourself and relax," Carmel suggested beside him, taking his cards from his hand. "I will win this round for you, my lord."
Nicholas stood to his feet without an argument and left the room.
*****
Sophia was led by Marcus to her bedchamber.
He did not take her to the ball itself, but to a certain gaming room where he expected Osegod to be.
She did not grace the ball itself but she felt that she did a thousand times. She did not dance or talked with anyone, but it felt as if her entire body was drained of energy.
She had merely sauntered into a gaming room and it made Sophia wonder what would become of her on the morrow when she eventually had to.
Marcus was quiet the entire time. Sophia walked toward her dressing table and began to blindly pull the pins from her hair. She was ready to retire for the night.
"What are you planning to do now, Marcus?" she asked. "Surely you have one that you can share with me. You have risked your reputation by taking me here, the purpose of which is the only thing I know of. The rest, I am afraid, baffles me still."
Her brother walked up to her and planted his hands on her shoulders. He kissed her temple and said, "You do not have to know everything, Sophia. It will merely put you in graver danger."
"You have said it too many times. Blind faith, yes?"
His hands squeezed her shoulders tenderly. "Yes, my dear. Blind faith for now. You have done enough being here."
She frowned. "You know I care not for what they think of me. I care for what they might think of you."
"They already think the worse of me, my dear. Those who think know me, that is. I've destroyed many lives to reach where I am now. And I am not done."
Sophia sighed. "Oh, Marcus. I do pray you can stop and we can both live somewhere far and be at peace. I may not know every detail of your plan and you claim it is to protect me, but know that not knowing all is making me weary all the same."
Marcus removed his hands from her shoulders and walked around to face her. "I made a promise to your mother and I shall keep it. Remember what they did, Sophia. We cannot simply let them get away with it."
Sophia shook her head. "But I don't remember. I don't."
Her brother was silent for a while before his cold voice uttered, "Then you are lucky."
Giving her cheek a light pat, he left the chamber without another word.
Finally alone, Sophia sighed.
Aabha came to her and she petted him while she stared at the reflection of herself on the mirror. Whatever she looked like, she knew she would never find out. For a moment she wondered if the men in the gaming room earlier found her beautiful as Nicholas did.
With a scoff, she shook her head.
But it was too late to lock away the memories, especially tonight when she was too tired.
Nicholas Everard was here. She knew he was. The entire Everard family was here to support the Theobalds.
Her eyes watered at the thought of Nicholas somewhere in the manor. Suddenly pictures of him flashed in her eyes. The shadows on his face as he stood under the light in the woods in Wickhurst appeared before her. Tears rolled as his voice filled the air. Her eyes closed as she remembered how his lips felt against her lips, teasing her as he whispered, "Then I promise to take you under a gigantic hole. Will you allow me to kiss you then? If I take you to the brightest place in the Town?"
Sophia cried in silence. Aabha whimpered beside her.
She was too tired to even think of anything else other than Nicholas.
She was simply too tired.
*****
"I see yer awake," the man's voice whispered as Sophia opened her eyes with the same darkness and intense pain.
She closed her eyes again and when she opened them she realized a man was hovering above her, his foul breath reeked the air, his big form trapping her against the bed as he rammed his hips between her thighs.
Sophia began to struggle, confused of reality. She was dreaming, she thought. This could not be happening again. She was having another nightmare.
She was about to scream to force herself to wake up when the pounding softened and the man's hold loosened. His hands began to caress her body, calming her. He bent his head to whisper sweet words in her ear, taking her with great patience and tenderness.
Sophia's hands moved on their own, settling over familiar contours, sliding down planes her mind and body knew too well.
She did not have to open her eyes to see his shadowed face for she knew who he was. He was kissing her temple, her eyes, her nose and her lips.
Sophia sighed and relaxed in her sleep.
Nicholas...
Sophia woke up a while later, not drenched in sweat but with an odd sense of calm. A bitter smile crossed her lips. She may never have Nicholas, but he had saved her from countless nightmares since he left. It was all she would ever have of him after all.
Aabha was whining when Sophia padded toward the washstand. The dog rushed toward the door and started barking.
"Hush, Aabha," she said but the dog kept making distractive noises. Sophia sighed. Like her, Aabha was not accustomed to new surroundings. "Very well," she uttered, walking toward the door. "You guide the way but do be certain you lead us both back to our chamber," she warned as she swung the door open.
The dog jumped restlessly in excitement while Sophia rushed for her coat. The corridors were already free of noise. Perhaps everyone was already asleep?
Sophia allowed Aabha to guide her down numerous turns and down a staircase. From one of the corridors they passed by, she heard noises of laughing men. A gaming room, of course.
When they reached the hallway to the side exit that led to the gardens, Sophia hesitated. But Aabha kept on, stopping every once in a while to wait for her.
Finally they reached the gardens and Sophia smiled as she saw a hint of light that came from the nearest hole. She and Aabha let themselves be guided by the light until they were almost under one hole. She reached out and saw her arm wrapped in moonlight. It was not the same warm light she saw in the woods in Wickhurst, but it was still marvelous.
As Aabha ran around freely, Sophia let her. It would be best if Aabha was drained of energy as they both had to suffer two more nights of restless sleep in Theobald. They would not have the same freedom during daytime after all.
But something made a sound from behind that gave Sophia a hint that they were not alone. A presence.
She veered her head to the right as if to sense more. The sound of footsteps against the uneven ground confirmed Sophia's suspicion.
Her heart began to hammer and for a second she prayed that Aabha had enough energy to attack their soon-to-be attacker.
But whatever thoughts she had all flew up and out of the hole above them as Nicholas' cold voice uttered, "Fancy seeing you here, Sophia."
A/N:
Please be informed that next updates might be a bit late as I am going out of town for the Davao Summer Meet-up. I will try to write while I am there (5 days). The usual frequency of updates shall resume once I am back. Thank you!