Almost a Princess by Elizabeth Thornton

Author:Elizabeth Thornton [Thornton, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-41787-9
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2007-12-18T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

On reflection, Jane decided not to tell Lady Sophy about the attack. She didn’t want anyone to call in the authorities, or a doctor, or make a fuss, because she wanted Case to be the first to know, and she wanted him to hear it directly from her. So she swore Harper to secrecy, at least until she could speak to Case in person, then she washed the dirt from her hands and face and after dusting off her clothes, sallied forth as though she’d done nothing more dangerous than spend an interesting morning visiting a friend and doing a little shopping.

Evidently, she didn’t play her part very well, for the carriage had gone no farther than Hyde Park when Lady Sophy’s spate of chitchat faltered and finally died away.

After an interval of silence, her ladyship said, “Are you well, Jane?”

“Oh, quite well,” Jane hastened to reply.

“I ask because it seems to me that you’re not your usual self.”

Jane allowed that she was fighting off an incipient headache.

Lady Sophy nodded. “That would explain why you appear to be so . . . unsettled.”

She wasn’t unsettled so much as preoccupied, trying to imagine how Case would respond when she told him the truth about herself. It wasn’t a prospect she was looking forward to.

Her ladyship gave her attention to the passing scenery. “Have I ever told you about Caspar’s mother?” she asked.

“You’ve told me that she was vivacious and liked to shock society,” Jane answered, wondering where this conversation was leading.

“She was and she did,” Lady Sophy replied approvingly. “And we all loved her very much.” She gave Jane one of her Devere clear-eyed stares. “Her marriage to Caspar’s father rocked society and, I’m happy to say, it rocked my pompous brother as well. He was the duke then. Elizabeth wasn’t one of us, you see. That was my brother’s view. Her father was only a country squire, and that did not sit well with the duke. They married in spite of him. Of course, there was an estrangement between father and son. My brother never relented, not even after Caspar was born.”

“That’s sad,” said Jane, not knowing what else to say. It was an interesting story, but the question she was loath to ask was: Why are you telling me this?

Lady Sophy answered her in the next breath. “Caspar’s father would never deal with his own children as his father dealt with him. I know he can appear intimidating, and I’m the first to admit that he is a little stuffy, but at heart, he really is a dear. All he wants for his children is for them to be happy, as he was happy with his Elizabeth. Look how he gave his blessing to Rosamund when she wanted to marry her Richard.”

There was no confusion now in Jane’s mind. She knew exactly what Lady Sophy was implying. She was much more direct than her ladyship. “There is nothing between your nephew and myself,” she said, then added belatedly, “except friendship.

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