Miss Sophie's Secret

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Book: Read Miss Sophie's Secret for Free Online
Authors: Fran Baker
Tags: Regency Romance
lady in the blue riding dress.”
    At the same moment that Sophie turned to examine the subject, Jeanette glanced in their direction. Immediately her mouth fell open and her eyes widened in surprise. Then she blushed prettily and, giving them a radiant smile, urged her horse toward them.
    “How wonderful!” Sophie cried. “She is delighted to see me again, just as I am happy to meet her so quickly.”
    Jeanette drew up between them, her gaze focusing eagerly on Jonathan’s face. “You are home again, Jonathan Gray! How marvelous!”
    Sophie waited for Jeanette to speak to her, but the girl only gave her a polite nod before turning her full attention back to the resplendent young officer. He bestowed one of his dazzling smiles upon her.
    “Your most obedient, Cousin Jeanette,” he said. “I see that you have indeed turned out to be the ‘fairest in the land,’ just as we all predicted. And here is Sophie Althorpe beside me. Certainly you remember her.”
    Jeanette turned to stare at her in surprise. “Sophie? Why, it is! How silly of me not to recognize you, but I had expected you still to be as you were before, a child of eleven years.” She laughed softly. “How beautiful you are!” She gave Jonathan a shy smile from under thick dark lashes then turned back to Sophie. “Are you in town for the little season? Shall we be bosom bows again?”
    “It is my fondest hope,” Sophie assured her.
    A tall slender man with a narrow face rode quietly up beside them. Jeanette smiled gently in his direction.
    “Lord Roger Thornhill, you’ll allow me to present my cousin, Sophie Althorpe, and another cousin, Jonathan Gray. Lord Fairmont.”
    Fairmont inclined his head toward Sophie. “Your most obedient, Miss Althorpe.” He nodded toward Jonathan. “Gray and I are old friends.”
    “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Roger,” Jonathan replied.
    “Yes, indeed,” Fairmont agreed. “I’m confident you’re finding London a more comfortable place than Portugal.”
    “Well, not entirely.” Jonathan allowed his horse to drop behind the two ladies. Fairmont joined him and they were soon conversing in low, conspiratorial voices.
    Jeanette drew her horse close to Sophie’s. “I’ve so many things to say to you. We must catch up on our friendship while Jonathan and Fairmont are doing the same. How long have you been in town without seeking me out? I feel quite injured by your neglect.”
    “We only arrived yesterday afternoon,” Sophie told her.
    “Ah, then, I am satisfied,” Jeanette said, smiling. “Now I must know your plans. Are you attending the theater tonight? Kean has a new play which promises to be quite terrifying. Everyone will be there. Afterward we may go to the Star Hotel for supper. Nicky will be delighted to see how pretty you’ve become. But where is he, the scamp? He was trotting past those laurel trees not five minutes ago. Ah, there he is! Come along.”
    They urged their horses forward. “Nicky!” she called. “See who I have with me. It is Sophie Althorpe from Vaile Priory. Certainly you remember her?”
    Nicky, a remarkably handsome young man who was clad in modish attire, was putting a fine bay gelding through a series of exercises—twenty-four walking steps then twenty-four trots. He drew up beside them and doffed his hat.
    “Delighted, I assure you,” he said. He was about to turn and proceed with his drill, when his eyes focused on Sophie’s face. He opened his mouth in surprise.
    “Well, damme if it ain’t little Sophie! Is it possible? You’ve grown into a dashed pretty gel. Thought you’d be a perfect fright. Plain as a little mud hen in those days, I remember, poor little creature.”
    “No, no,” Jeanette protested. “Your memory is at fault, Nicky. She was a beautiful child.” She glanced toward Jonathan, but he was conversing earnestly with Fairmont and had not taken note of the new arrival.
    “No, m’dear,” Nicky insisted. “I remember her perfectly well.

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