”
Mrs Slo ane ’s jaw sagged. “ M onstrous! Have you no consideration for me at all? ”
“ I’m determined to go to London, ” repeated Sophie .
“ You are determined to persecute me to within an inch of my life! After eve rything I have done for you too. ” The hand Mrs Sloane put to her brow shook slightly . “ I am unequal to arguing further at this hour. We will do as Peregrine sugge sts and stay here . The matter can be discussed again in the morning when I trust a period of reflection will have brought you to your senses. ”
“ Leave it to me to sort out the rooms, ” said Peregrine, unwinding his long body from the chair.
“ Miss Devereux already has a chamber on the first floor, ” snapped Theo.
Perry acknowledged this with a brief nod.
“ Ungrateful girl! ” cried Mrs Sloane for the third time.
“ You ’ re overwrought, Mama ,” said Perry. “ Best lie down for a time. Cavanagh will und erstand and excuse your agitation. ”
Eudora accepted her son ’s directions with obvious reluctance . “ Olivia, you will take the room next to me! I have the beginnings of a headache and may require my vinaigrette. A bowl of soup in my room will suffice for supper . You will join me . ”
“ But I want to stay with Sophie, ” protested Olivia.
At this added dissent from an unexpected quarter, Mrs Sloane ’s face took on a mutinous expression once more . She caught Peregrine ’s warning glance and, conscious of making the scene even more unedi fying, replied brusquely , “ Oh very well, but do not be tempted to linger ! Sophi a ’s reputation is beyond repair and I will not have your name sullied by associatio n. ”
“S ophie is hardly ruined because she has spe nt time with M r Cavanagh, ” murmured Olivia.
“D on ’t argue ! ” Eudora almost shrieked . “ I am sure Mr Cavanagh has behaved like a gentleman. The f ault is entirely Sophia ’s . Good gracious, when I think of the clandestine ma nner of her escape, the disregard for my feelings and for Peregrine ’s , the un grateful, shameful way she has— ! ”
“ You are obviously tired, ma’ am, ” interjected Theo bluntly in clipped tones . “ Perhaps you will feel more collected in the morning. ”
“ Yes, yes indeed! Thank you for your consideration. I will go upstairs now. ”
With a final glare in Sophie ’s d irection, she swept from the room .
Peregrine o bserved in a dry voice , “ Well, c ousin, what a stir you have caused ! Don ’t think this is the end of the matte r. Make sure you don ’t disappear again while I’m organising our rooms. ”
He sauntered out and when he had gone , Olivia gave a heartfelt sigh and sank o nto a chair. “T hank goodness I’m out of their company! Sometimes I think I hate them. ”
“ I’m sorry you ’ ve had to endure their wrath , ” said Sophie, put ting her arm about Olivia .
She managed a faint smile . “Don’t worry. I ignore d most of Mama ’s spiteful observations on your character, and he r anger towards me, even though it was a constant prattle. ” She looked up, lowering her voice a little . “S ophie, did you mean it when you said you had the Star with you? ”
Sophie n odded. “ I collected it from Mr Hodge when I called at the lawyer ’s office . He did no t realize it was among the few trinkets I collected . ”
Olivia ’s eyes widened. “ But is it a dvisable to carry something so valuable? ”
“ Probably not, but I prefer to have it with me rather than leave it in Bath. ”
Theo, who had been listening intently to this exchange , asked, “ Would it be too much trouble to tell me what the Devereux Star is? ”
Chapter Six
A crimson flush spread over Sophie ’s cheeks . Lo oking decidedly guilty, she admitted , “ I’m afraid I ’ ve kept another secret from you. ”
“ I had already guessed that much. ”
Seeing the reproach in his eyes, she bit her lip. “ You don ’t understand. I’m not usually decei tful, really
Mrs Slo ane ’s jaw sagged. “ M onstrous! Have you no consideration for me at all? ”
“ I’m determined to go to London, ” repeated Sophie .
“ You are determined to persecute me to within an inch of my life! After eve rything I have done for you too. ” The hand Mrs Sloane put to her brow shook slightly . “ I am unequal to arguing further at this hour. We will do as Peregrine sugge sts and stay here . The matter can be discussed again in the morning when I trust a period of reflection will have brought you to your senses. ”
“ Leave it to me to sort out the rooms, ” said Peregrine, unwinding his long body from the chair.
“ Miss Devereux already has a chamber on the first floor, ” snapped Theo.
Perry acknowledged this with a brief nod.
“ Ungrateful girl! ” cried Mrs Sloane for the third time.
“ You ’ re overwrought, Mama ,” said Perry. “ Best lie down for a time. Cavanagh will und erstand and excuse your agitation. ”
Eudora accepted her son ’s directions with obvious reluctance . “ Olivia, you will take the room next to me! I have the beginnings of a headache and may require my vinaigrette. A bowl of soup in my room will suffice for supper . You will join me . ”
“ But I want to stay with Sophie, ” protested Olivia.
At this added dissent from an unexpected quarter, Mrs Sloane ’s face took on a mutinous expression once more . She caught Peregrine ’s warning glance and, conscious of making the scene even more unedi fying, replied brusquely , “ Oh very well, but do not be tempted to linger ! Sophi a ’s reputation is beyond repair and I will not have your name sullied by associatio n. ”
“S ophie is hardly ruined because she has spe nt time with M r Cavanagh, ” murmured Olivia.
“D on ’t argue ! ” Eudora almost shrieked . “ I am sure Mr Cavanagh has behaved like a gentleman. The f ault is entirely Sophia ’s . Good gracious, when I think of the clandestine ma nner of her escape, the disregard for my feelings and for Peregrine ’s , the un grateful, shameful way she has— ! ”
“ You are obviously tired, ma’ am, ” interjected Theo bluntly in clipped tones . “ Perhaps you will feel more collected in the morning. ”
“ Yes, yes indeed! Thank you for your consideration. I will go upstairs now. ”
With a final glare in Sophie ’s d irection, she swept from the room .
Peregrine o bserved in a dry voice , “ Well, c ousin, what a stir you have caused ! Don ’t think this is the end of the matte r. Make sure you don ’t disappear again while I’m organising our rooms. ”
He sauntered out and when he had gone , Olivia gave a heartfelt sigh and sank o nto a chair. “T hank goodness I’m out of their company! Sometimes I think I hate them. ”
“ I’m sorry you ’ ve had to endure their wrath , ” said Sophie, put ting her arm about Olivia .
She managed a faint smile . “Don’t worry. I ignore d most of Mama ’s spiteful observations on your character, and he r anger towards me, even though it was a constant prattle. ” She looked up, lowering her voice a little . “S ophie, did you mean it when you said you had the Star with you? ”
Sophie n odded. “ I collected it from Mr Hodge when I called at the lawyer ’s office . He did no t realize it was among the few trinkets I collected . ”
Olivia ’s eyes widened. “ But is it a dvisable to carry something so valuable? ”
“ Probably not, but I prefer to have it with me rather than leave it in Bath. ”
Theo, who had been listening intently to this exchange , asked, “ Would it be too much trouble to tell me what the Devereux Star is? ”
Chapter Six
A crimson flush spread over Sophie ’s cheeks . Lo oking decidedly guilty, she admitted , “ I’m afraid I ’ ve kept another secret from you. ”
“ I had already guessed that much. ”
Seeing the reproach in his eyes, she bit her lip. “ You don ’t understand. I’m not usually decei tful, really
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