Sophie's Rebellion by Beverley Boissery

Author:Beverley Boissery
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: JUV016170
Publisher: Dundurn
Published: 2005-09-02T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

Now she really was in trouble, Sophie thought. When it came right down to brass tacks, she’d rather cross swords with the rebels than argue with Mrs. Ellice. In fact, what on earth was she doing in the kitchen anyway? Sophie would have bet that Mrs. Ellice didn’t even know that kitchens existed.

“I had to get fresh air,” she said, crossing her fingers behind her back. “The rooms are so crowded, it’s suffocating. Once I was outside, I saw the rebels come and decided to hide until they went.”

Mrs. Ellice nodded her approval. “You’re a good child, Sophie. I just wish everyone was as sensible as you. But, no. They have to complain. Sometimes I wonder if that’s what they think the good Lord made them for. To complain and carp. And for you, a little brisk air is always a good thing. Now, rid yourself of that mud before you come any further. Some of those Brougham people must have a foot of it on their cloaks and they’re too lazy to do anything about it. You have to wonder how some people live nowadays, don’t you?”

Fortunately, she didn’t seem interested in an answer, and after Sophie nodded dutifully, she bustled off. Sophie scraped the mud from her clothes and boots diligently, and then began looking for Lady Theo. She found her by the fireplace amidst a pile of clothes in what was grandiloquently called the drawing room but was really, according to Mrs. Ellice, a mere parlour — and a smallish one at that.

Lady Theo put down her mending and sighed with relief when she saw Sophie. “Ah. There you are. I thought you’d have the sense to wait until it was safe.”

“What happened?” Sophie asked, drawing her chair as close as possible. “When they all came into the house, I was worried that they’d make you go somewhere else and we’d be separated again.”

“I won’t leave here without you, Sophie. I promise you that on everything that is holy,” Lady Theo replied, taking one of Sophie’s hands in hers. “However, I think I was probably more worried about you being caught than you were about me. Tell me what went on. Did you manage to make Luc understand the trouble he’s in?”

“I don’t know. It’s hard to figure out. He doesn’t seem to care. He thinks it will be like our War of Independence, particularly now that they have this republic and a president.”

Lady Theo’s lips thinned at this piece of news. “Really.”

Sophie, though, was still thinking. “Luc reminds me of Clart. You know how he gets ideas in his head and nothing can change his mind? I think Luc’s doing exactly what he thinks Marc wants him to. But he’s also enjoying himself. He said that he should be in school learning Latin and Greek and doing boring schoolwork. Now he’s taking messages all over the place and I think he feels important.”

Lady Theo nodded, more than a little impressed by Sophie’s clear thinking. “Well, you better hope that Marc can keep him out of trouble.

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