A Lady of Expectations

“She must have gone to the temple,” Toby said, genuinely horrified.

“Gurnard’s still there,” Ned pointed out.

“I’ll find her.” Jack kept his expression impassive, despite the emotions roiling within. He exchanged a look with Horatio, who nodded. Striding to the door, Jack spared a glance for Lucilla. “Don’t worry,” he said. The smile that accompanied the words held a certain grim resolution.

Somewhat subdued, the rest of the party settled to listen to the last of the music.

“You know,” Lucilla murmured as Horatio took the seat beside her. “I’m really not sure we’ve done the right thing.”

“How so?”

“Well, I’m quite sure Sophie can handle Captain Gurnard. But can she handle Jack Lester?”

Horatio smiled and patted her hand. “I’m sure she’ll contrive.”

ON GAINING the Dark Walk, Sophie paused to catch her breath. Peering through the shadows, she could just make out the distant glimmer of the temple’s white pillars, set back in a small grove. The path leading to the water-gate lay nearby; somewhere beyond the temple lay one of the less-used street gates.

Dragging in a deep breath, Sophie quit the shadows. There was no one about. Her soft slippers made little sound on the gravel as she neared the temple steps. Standing at the bottom, she peered in but could see nothing but shadows. Surely Clarissa could not be inside?

For a full minute, she vacillated, then, holding her cape close about her, Sophie mounted the steps. If there was no one inside, it couldn’t hurt to look.

The shadows within enveloped her. Sophie glanced about, then stifled a shriek as a dark shape loomed beside her.

“Well, well, well. Come to look for your cousin, I take it?”

As the shape resolved itself into Captain Gurnard, Sophie gave an almost imperceptible gasp. Straightening, she nodded. “But as she isn’t here-”

“You’ll do just as well.”

The captain wrapped one hand about Sophie’s arm.

Instinctively, she tried to pull away. “Unhand me, sir! What on earth do you believe can come of this?”

“Money, my dear Miss Winterton. Lots of money.”

Sophie remembered his scheme. “You appear to have overlooked something, Captain. I am not an heiress.”

“No,” Gurnard acknowledged. “You’re something even better. You’re the woman Lester’s got his eye on.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sophie carefully tested the captain’s hold.

“It means,” Gurnard sneered, convincing her his grip was unbreakable by shaking her, “that Lester will pay and pay handsomely to have you returned to him. And he’ll pay even more to ensure you’re… unharmed, shall we say?”

Sophie recoiled as Gurnard thrust his face close to hers. “It seems Lester’s windfall is to be my gain.” With an abrupt laugh, he turned and dragged her towards the door. “Come on.”

Dredging up every ounce of her courage, Sophie went rigid and pulled back. Her full weight served only to slow the captain, but it was enough to make him turn with a snarl.

Sophie lifted her chin, refusing to be cowed. “There is, as I said, something you appear to have overlooked, Captain. I am not going to marry Mr. Lester.”

“Gammon,” said Gurnard, and tugged her on.

“But I’m not!” Sophie placed her free hand over her heart. “I swear on my mother’s grave that Mr. Lester has not asked for my hand.”

“It’s not my fault if he’s backward.” They had almost reached the top of the steps.

Sophie lost her temper. “You imbecile! I’m trying to make it plain to you that I am not going to marry Jack Lester!“

Gurnard stopped and turned to her, fury in every line of his large frame. “You,” he began, pointing a finger at her.

“Should learn to accept Fate graciously.”

There was a split second of silence, then Gurnard turned.

Only to meet a left jab that had a great deal more power behind it than the one he’d met earlier.

The result was the same. The captain’s head hit the marble with a resounding thump.

Sophie glared down at him, prostrate at her feet. “Of all the unmitigated scoundrels,” she began.

Jack shook his head and sighed. “Are you and your cousin so lost to all sensibility that you can’t even swoon at the sight of violence?”

Sophie blinked at him, then humphed. “If you must know, I’m feeling quite violent myself. Did you know he intended to-”

“I heard.” Jack reached for her and drew her to him. “But you don’t need to worry about him any more.”

Sophie readily went into his arms. “But shouldn’t we-”

“It’s already taken care of.” Jack looked down at Gurnard, then prodded him with the toe of his boot. His victim groaned. “I sincerely hope you’re listening, Gurnard, for I’m only going to say this once. I’ve had a word with an acquaintance of mine, the Earl of Melcham. He was most upset to hear of the method you’d selected to raise the wind. He doesn’t approve-not at all. And I’m sure you know what happens to those of whom Melcham disapproves.”

There was a stunned silence, then Gurnard groaned again.

Grimly satisfied, Jack turned Sophie towards the steps. “And now, my dear, I think it’s time we left.” Tucking her hand in his arm, he led her down onto the gravelled walk.

Sophie went readily, her mind seething with questions. “What happened to Clarissa? Did she go to the temple?”

Jack glanced down at her. “She did.”

Sophie glared at him. “What happened?”

Jack smiled and told her, adding that Horatio had approved their scheme. “If Clarissa had simply not shown up, Gurnard would have assumed she’d been prevented from doing so, not that she wouldn’t go to meet him. He’d have tried again to get her alone, and perhaps we wouldn’t have learned of his intentions in time to foil him. It was best to make the situation as clear as possible.”

“But what if he turns to some other young lady?”

“He won’t have time. As of tomorrow, courtesy of Melcham, to whom Gurnard is deeply in debt, the captain will have entirely too much on his mind to think of persuading any other young lady to his rescue.”

Sophie pondered his revelations, her feet following his lead. “So Ned floored the captain?”

“He seems to have floored Clarissa as well.” Jack’s lips curved in fond reminiscence. He slanted a glance at Sophie. “We all thought the opportunity too good to miss to advance Ned’s standing with your cousin.”

For an instant, Sophie stared into his smugly satisfied face. Then she burst out laughing. “Oh, dear. Was that supposed to be Ned’s great scene-so that Clarissa would think him her hero and respond suitably?”

Frowning, Jack nodded.

“Oh, poor Ned.” Sophie could not stop smiling. She glanced confidently up at Jack. “Just for your information, Clarissa settled on Ned some weeks ago, not all that long after we’d come up to town. She’s been trying to nudge him along for the past two weeks at least. I’m not at all surprised to hear she flung herself into his arms. After all, what better opportunity she could hope for?”

Jack looked down at her through narrowed eyes. “Remind me,” he said, “to tell Ned just what he’s getting into, marrying a Webb female.”

Sophie pressed her lips tightly together. When she was sure her voice was under control, she said, “I’m related to the Webbs; does that make me a ‘Webb female’, too?”

Jack’s glance was supercilious. “I haven’t yet decided.”

It was then, when he stood back to usher her through the watergate, that Sophie realized that they had been walking in the wrong direction. A leafy lane stretched before them. Not far ahead, the lane ended by the banks of the Thames. Sophie halted. “Ah… Jack…?”

Jack looked down at her and held out his hand. “Your uncle’s returned. He spoke to you, didn’t he?”