she dared not even guess at.
It hurt. Sofie had to face it. He was gone and their social flirtation had meant nothing to him—unlike what it had meant to her.
Lisa barged into her room.
“What is wrong? God, you were as white as a sheet during the luncheon!” Lisa hurried to her, sitting down beside Sofie on the bed, putting her arm around her.
“I am fine.”
“You did not eat. Are you sick?”
Sofie sighed. “No, of course not.” And even if she could find the words to express her confusion and her disappointment to her stepsister, Lisa was the one who cried on
her
shoulder—not the other way around.
“Are your sure?”
She smiled at Lisa. “I am sure.” What had happenedwas for the best, she told herself. She had been very close to taking wing on hopeful fantasy into a world that was closed to her. It was a good thing that Edward had left now, before she had lost her heart to him, perhaps even making a spectacle of herself as well. His precipitous departure was conclusive proof of just how insincere his charm and gallantry were.
“Come downstairs and walk with me and the others,” Lisa urged. “That lawyer is quite interested in you, you know.”
Sofie waved at her. “Mr. Marten was only being polite.”
“Sofie, must you be a recluse, always?”
Sofie blinked. She recalled Suzanne’s small lecture last night. “Do I really appear such a misfit?”
“Not a misfit, just reclusive. Sofie, I wish you would get out more. Gatherings are fun. When I debut, I hope you are going to come.”
“Of course I shall,” Sofie said firmly. Perhaps she should get out just a little bit more. Yet how could she complete her studies and her works in progress if she did? And she had never liked “gatherings”—that is, not until last night. Was she making a mistake in concentrating so wholly upon her art, to the exclusion of all else?
Lisa sighed and stood. “Are you going to draw?” She eyed the page in Sofie’s hand.
“Not today,” Sofie said, putting the sheet aside, making her decision.
“Oh, Sofie, you’ve crumpled your art.” Lisa knew how important her art was to her and she quickly smoothed it out. Her hands stilled. Lisa stared. “Sofie, you’ve been drawing
him
!”
Sofie did not respond.
But Lisa was frozen. “You are in love with him!” she finally cried.
“No!” Sofie cried back.
Lisa stared breathlessly at the portrait. “I can see it, Sofie—it’s right there on the page.”
Sofie was rigid. “I do not even know Mr. Delanza, Lisa, It is ludicrous to claim that I am in love with him.”
“Ludicrous? Hardly! Half the women in town are in love with Edward Delanza!” Lisa embraced her. “Oh, you poor dear. I never thought that you would fall in love with him when I said you’d be smitten. I just meant you’d find him as exciting as we all do.”
“I am
not
in love with him,” Sofie said tersely, but her heart was palpitating. “He is just … terribly attractive.” She envisioned him with Hilary, recalled his glorious virility.
“Dear, he is utterly attractive, of course he is, but he is utterly unacceptable—and utterly dangerous.” Lisa bent to hug her once again. “You could not be safe with a man like that. He might very well decide to seduce you, Sofie,” Lisa warned.
Sofie gasped. Her cheeks flamed. “Now you are speaking utter nonsense,” Sofie cried. “He would never try to seduce
me!
”
Lisa gazed at her for a moment. “Sometimes you are a complete ninny,” she said. “Obviously you did not notice how he was looking at you last night—but I did. I think it is for the best that he left today, Sofie, when all is said and done.”
Sofie could only gape at her stepsister. While images of Edward embracing her danced in her mind.
“Mother, you wished to speak with me?” Sofie asked.
Suzanne sat at her small French escritoire and did not look up until she finished penning the guest list for the last weekend of the summer. She studied her
It hurt. Sofie had to face it. He was gone and their social flirtation had meant nothing to him—unlike what it had meant to her.
Lisa barged into her room.
“What is wrong? God, you were as white as a sheet during the luncheon!” Lisa hurried to her, sitting down beside Sofie on the bed, putting her arm around her.
“I am fine.”
“You did not eat. Are you sick?”
Sofie sighed. “No, of course not.” And even if she could find the words to express her confusion and her disappointment to her stepsister, Lisa was the one who cried on
her
shoulder—not the other way around.
“Are your sure?”
She smiled at Lisa. “I am sure.” What had happenedwas for the best, she told herself. She had been very close to taking wing on hopeful fantasy into a world that was closed to her. It was a good thing that Edward had left now, before she had lost her heart to him, perhaps even making a spectacle of herself as well. His precipitous departure was conclusive proof of just how insincere his charm and gallantry were.
“Come downstairs and walk with me and the others,” Lisa urged. “That lawyer is quite interested in you, you know.”
Sofie waved at her. “Mr. Marten was only being polite.”
“Sofie, must you be a recluse, always?”
Sofie blinked. She recalled Suzanne’s small lecture last night. “Do I really appear such a misfit?”
“Not a misfit, just reclusive. Sofie, I wish you would get out more. Gatherings are fun. When I debut, I hope you are going to come.”
“Of course I shall,” Sofie said firmly. Perhaps she should get out just a little bit more. Yet how could she complete her studies and her works in progress if she did? And she had never liked “gatherings”—that is, not until last night. Was she making a mistake in concentrating so wholly upon her art, to the exclusion of all else?
Lisa sighed and stood. “Are you going to draw?” She eyed the page in Sofie’s hand.
“Not today,” Sofie said, putting the sheet aside, making her decision.
“Oh, Sofie, you’ve crumpled your art.” Lisa knew how important her art was to her and she quickly smoothed it out. Her hands stilled. Lisa stared. “Sofie, you’ve been drawing
him
!”
Sofie did not respond.
But Lisa was frozen. “You are in love with him!” she finally cried.
“No!” Sofie cried back.
Lisa stared breathlessly at the portrait. “I can see it, Sofie—it’s right there on the page.”
Sofie was rigid. “I do not even know Mr. Delanza, Lisa, It is ludicrous to claim that I am in love with him.”
“Ludicrous? Hardly! Half the women in town are in love with Edward Delanza!” Lisa embraced her. “Oh, you poor dear. I never thought that you would fall in love with him when I said you’d be smitten. I just meant you’d find him as exciting as we all do.”
“I am
not
in love with him,” Sofie said tersely, but her heart was palpitating. “He is just … terribly attractive.” She envisioned him with Hilary, recalled his glorious virility.
“Dear, he is utterly attractive, of course he is, but he is utterly unacceptable—and utterly dangerous.” Lisa bent to hug her once again. “You could not be safe with a man like that. He might very well decide to seduce you, Sofie,” Lisa warned.
Sofie gasped. Her cheeks flamed. “Now you are speaking utter nonsense,” Sofie cried. “He would never try to seduce
me!
”
Lisa gazed at her for a moment. “Sometimes you are a complete ninny,” she said. “Obviously you did not notice how he was looking at you last night—but I did. I think it is for the best that he left today, Sofie, when all is said and done.”
Sofie could only gape at her stepsister. While images of Edward embracing her danced in her mind.
“Mother, you wished to speak with me?” Sofie asked.
Suzanne sat at her small French escritoire and did not look up until she finished penning the guest list for the last weekend of the summer. She studied her
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