“How could I not? It’s wonderful.”
“You will miss it when we leave.”
Sophie swallowed against the lump of apprehension in her throat. She’d been carrying a thought, something of a secret with her, and she needed to talk about it to someone. “In all honesty, I’ll do more than miss it. I’ll grieve. There is a growing part of me that wants to stay.”
Far from shocked, Mrs. Archer patted her hand. “I’ve suspected as much. You’re different here, Sophie. You’re more like you were in those first couple of years you were going about to various soirees and gatherings. You’re freer and happier. It’s been wonderful to see that side of you again, but it also has made me a little sad, knowing you’ll tuck her firmly away when you go back to Baltimore.”
“Baltimore doesn’t appreciate her.”
Looking as regal and intimidating as ever, Mrs. Archer declared, “Baltimore doesn’tdeserveher.”
Sophie smiled broadly. “You are good for me. I don’t know what I would have done without you these last years.”
“I can say precisely the same thing, Sophie. I think we have been good for each other.”
Their path took them to a copse of trees. They paused in the shade, the river babbling beside them, the ever-present breeze rustling the leaves.
“I hope the journey back to Baltimore is easier than the one here,” Sophie said. “You have to promise me that you’ll tell me if you start feeling unwell. We’ll need to stop so you can rest.”
“Do you mean to go back?” Mrs. Archer asked.
The question surprised her. “Of course I do.”
“There is no ‘of course’ about it. You have come to love this place enough that you will grieve it. That is not a small thing.”
“If I don’t go back, you would have to make the journey by yourself,” Sophie reminded her. “Though you are an intelligent and capable woman, having a companion increases the chances that, should you need something, you will be able to get it.”
“If Dr. Jones accepts the offer that has been made, I won’t be making the journey alone. He would accompany me.”
Sophie hadn’t realized he would be leaving so soon. “If he accepts the offer, he will be living in Baltimore.”
Mrs. Archer nodded. “Which, I imagine, complicates your dilemma a little.”
Sophie could feel herself blush. “How do you mean?”
“I have eyes, Sophie. You’ve grown partial to him. Though you would enjoy living in Hope Springs, having Burke Jones in Baltimore would add some appeal to that side of the country.”
She couldn’t deny that was true. “There’s no guarantee he will choose to go.”
“And there’s no guarantee that if you were both to go back there, you wouldn’t, in the end, regret choosing not to stay here.”
“I would get to be with you, and I would not regret that.”
Mrs. Archer’s expression was soft and empathetic. “I know that. I would love to continue having you with me. But I never expected ours would be a permanent arrangement. I wanted you to know you were loved and valued, that someone cared about you. I never meant it to be a landing place for you, but rather a launching point. If remaining in Hope Springs is the next leg of your journey, I want you to take it. And Dr. Jones coming to Baltimore might be the means of allowing you to. You wouldn’t have to worry about me making the journey alone.”
“You would still be living alone, though. I would feel terribly guilty about that.”
“Oh, Sophie. Guilt is near about the worst reason to make any decision.”
“What about integrity? I gave you my word that I would make this journey with you hereand back.”
“Never you fear; if staying is what you are meant to do, we will find a means of addressing that difficulty.”
Sophie shook her head. “I never want to be a difficulty to you.”
Mrs. Archer took both of her hands and held them gently but firmly. “Sophie Kingston, you have spent your entire adult life making decisions based on what was best for other people. It is time you gave yourself that same consideration. You need to make the decision that is best for you—not for me, not for your family, but foryou.”
It was so similar to the chastisement she’d given Burke, that hearing it directed at herself added extra emphasis. She was as guilty of what she had told him he was. They were two peas in a pod.
