The Heart That Wins (Regency Spies Book 3) by Munday April

Author:Munday, April [Munday, April]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2016-07-02T04:00:00+00:00

“We should hurry or we’ll be late.”

Sophia did not understand Mary’s eagerness to get to the cavalry review. It was not at all the kind of event that she thought her friend would enjoy. This was Mary’s first real social occasion since the birth of the baby. Although Mary did not particularly enjoy balls and parties, she knew that Edmund did and it pleased her to please him. They were all looking forward to the distraction that the review would provide.

“I’m ready,” said Sophia patiently. “It’s Edmund we’re waiting for.”

“I thought I was waiting for you,” said Edmund, stepping into the hall from the sitting-room. He was immaculately dressed and Sophia smiled.

Mary kissed her husband on the cheek.

“Then let us go,” she said, as she led the way to the door.

It was a long drive to Ninove where the review was to take place. The roads were crowded and Sophia thought that half Brussels was going out there. It was the end of May and still cold, but many women wore light summer gowns.

There had been an air of unreality about the last few weeks. Every day brought new rumours that the French had crossed the border or that the allies were going to depart at any moment. Sophia had been surprised to learn that even Edmund had little idea about Bonaparte’s strategy. Whatever plans he had put into action to discover the whereabouts of the army had failed.

The review passed off perfectly, with an excited crowd cheering the soldiers and their commanders.

They saw John and Sophia knew that he saw them, for he seemed to sit up straighter on his horse.

It was the first time she had really seen him as a soldier and she realised that he would soon be fighting again and all her efforts for the last two years had been for nothing.

She still felt this sense of futility as she went into Lord Uxbridge’s party.

Sophia watched John who was with a small group of officers. Every now and again he glanced at her.

She was surprised by the exuberance of the party.

“They know some of them will die before many weeks have passed.”

Sophia had not noticed Franz come to her side.

“Is that why they laugh and shout? So that they might know they’re alive now?”

John had been the most exuberant of all, unnaturally so. He never let anyone else see his emotions, yet this evening they were on display, as if they were his armour. Was she the only one who could see how false he was? She hoped he derived some sort of comfort from it, but doubted it.

Sophia had thought this might be her chance to talk to John. She had not seen him at any of the balls she had attended recently and had only glimpsed him at another race meeting. If he had called at the house again, he had waited until she was out to do so. She thought she understood now why he was avoiding her, but she still wanted to talk to him.

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