“Are those musical matters connected with that Miss Dunnperson?”
“Partially. But I was also there to visit my sister and take care of some other business aswell.”
“Humph,” she said and turned back to herreading.
Mark went over and sat down beside her on the bench, placing his hand on her arm. “Sophie, please do not be this way. I am here now. Why not take a stroll with me and we can catch up on each other’snews.”
“Very well,” she said, somewhat mollified as she closed her book andstood.
She threaded her arm through Mark’s and they headed out across a nearby field to a stream they liked to walkalong.
Sophie stopped, stooped to pick a small yellow flower, and held it to her nose as they began walkingagain.
Mark was finding it difficult to find something to say that might interest her, but she was the first to speakup.
“Cabot threw a shoe, so I have not been able to ride all week. Maddening, but what can one do? We do not have a smithy on staff, so Father made an appointment to have him re-shoed next week in town. What abother.”
Mark was struggling. He wanted to be supportive, but after his delightful conversations with Emily, he found Sophie to be monumentally boring. Why had he never seen this before? As he and Sophie had grown up together, they were always playing as children, and later, as adults, they found common ground in most of the social situations of their class. But now things were different—he had metEmily.
But still, he could not bring himself to make a clean break with Sophie. Their lingering friendship was still there—and their families’ ties. And yes, he still had warm feelings for his dear friend of many years. So he tightened his grip on her arm and smiled, saying, “Then might I offer you one of my fine horses? In fact, why do we not go riding right now? Let us ride to Linfield on the back of my horse and make an afternoon of it. I shall have Cook prepare a picnic and we can go to my hidden lake and perhaps I shall even teach you how tofish.”
Sophie turned and looked at him. “Fish?Eeu! Why would I want to do that? But the ride and picnic sound nice. And maybe take a paddle in the lake. The weather has been so nice; it would be lovely to get my feet wet.” She laughed. “But you must promise not to look at my nakedfeet.”
Laughing, Mark said, “You need not worry. I think I might be able to restrain myself at the sight of a lady’s naked feet. After all we used to skinny-dip naked when we wereeight.”
Sophie broke free of Mark’s arm and ran back toward the house, her loose hair flowing and her face flush. And Mark had to admit, yes, she was a very handsomewoman.
* * *
Mark left the London house in his carriage and stopped by to see Alice before heading over for the very important meeting with Emily’s father. It was to be the day that Silas and Giles were to announce the formation of the new trio. Mark insisted he wanted to be present to confer with Emily and discuss how to proceed with setting up her tour—if all wentwell.
Alice was seated at the desk in her study composing when Mark was shown in toher.
“Good morning, darling Alice. I hope I am not interrupting some divineinspiration.”
Alice looked up with a broad grin. “Not at all. I got your note this morning so I was expectingyou.”
She stood up and he went over to embrace her. And taking her hand, he twirled her in a circle before taking hold of her and doing a few waltzsteps.
She laughed. “What was that allabout?”
“I am to see Miss Emily shortly and it has brightened myday.”
“And so it should. I cannot tell you how delightful I find her. We spent a whole day together recently. We played piano duets and she even helped me calm the terribletwo.”
“She is quite special, is shenot?”
“Indeed. And what are you going to do about it?” Alice asked with a gimleteye.
“For now I am going to help organize her tour, and nothing else. It would be totally inappropriate for me to pursue any romantic feelings I might have for her. I must maintain a strictly professional relationship—for the timebeing.”
“I see. I expect you are correct on that matter. And how are you planning to set up thistour?”
“After our meeting with Emily’s family, I hope to contact some of my musical friends on the continent and ask them to help me organize the tour. I may need to go abroad for a short time to make arrangements, but I would like to have the tour in place for the musical season nextyear.”
“And what about Sophie? Last time I saw Father, he was grumbling about the fact that you were not marriedyet.”
“Yes, he is on my back constantly about that. It is almost the only subject he wants to talk about. And I know it must be addressed—but notyet.”
