Eastgate Hall. One year later, to the day.
Trepidation hugged Jack’s shoulders as he oversaw the preparations underway in the ballroom. Footmen were standing on ladders so they could hang garlands wrapped in ropes of crystal beads intended to make them shimmer. In the adjacent room where supper would be served, centerpieces made from pine, holly, and mistletoe, all adorned with pinecones and ribbons, were being distributed on each table.
“I see you’re keeping busy,” Kaitlin said. She and her husband, Mr. Irving, had arrived three days earlier and had both helped Jack make the decorations. “It’s coming together nicely.”
Jack nodded. He wanted it to be perfect, so he’d not just seen to collecting all the things required, had not simply supervised the servants as they strung together the pine and tied pretty bows. No, he’d seen to each and every detail, threading beads on string himself and showing everyone how he wanted things done. The result was exactly what he’d hoped for and he could not deny being proud.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he told his sister. He’d not seen much of her since she’d married, but he liked the man she’d picked for her husband. He seemed to dote on Kaitlin and had not been able to contain his obvious excitement when they’d arrived and informed the family they now expected their first child.
“Me too,” Kaitlin said. She moved in closer to Jack and leaned her head against his shoulder. “It’s a wonder how much things can change in a year. I still can’t believe Felicity has a daughter.”
Jack smiled. He’d escorted Kaitlin and Irving to Norham where Felicity and Edward now lived. The small parish was nearly twenty miles east of Ramcroft, but from what Jack gathered, Edward and Felicity were incredibly happy. Their daughter, Amanda, the loveliest one-month-old baby Jack had ever laid eyes on, had held a special place in his heart since the moment he’d met her. She’d also increased his yearning for a family of his own.
All the more reason for him to make certain the ball tomorrow evening would be a smashing success.
“I know what I’m about to say next might make you angry but—”
“Then don’t say it,” he told Kaitlin, his muscles already tensing in preparation for the subject he feared she would broach.
“Jack.” She straightened and moved so she stood before him, blocking his view of the ballroom and forcing his attention upon her. “You need to make peace with Papa.”
“No.”
“I agree he was overly harsh with you. No one is disputing that he has treated you most unfairly. Not even Mama. But having the two of you refuse to speak to one another is creating a very awkward atmosphere for the rest of us. It’s not the sort of environment I want my own children to grow up in.”
“Then it is fortunate for you that you do not live here anymore.”
“I rather agree with you there, but what of christenings, birthdays, and Christmases? We’ve never been especially close as a family, so I think it would be nice for us to make more of an effort in that regard. Irving’s parents arrange a yearly get together where everyone is invited. I’d like for us to do the same, though it will require your being able to be in the same room as Papa without looking as though you want to murder him.”
“He has cut me off and denied me my inheritance, Kaitlin.” In the aftermath of his conversation with Maypoole last year, Jack had returned home incensed. In his anger, he’d forgotten himself and had muttered something about regretting he’d not eloped with Sophia before the marquess arrived. The revelation that Jack had intended to thwart Papa’s wishes and marry Sophia in secret had made Papa so bloody mad he’d altered his will that same evening and hadn’t talked to Jack since.
To say the situation this past year had been difficult would be a great understatement. Jack couldn’t run to London this time. He had to stay out of the papers if he was to win Sophia. Which meant he could not afford being mentioned in any capacity, not even as a guest attending a musicale. So he’d remained at Eastgate, ever conscious of his father’s presence in other parts of the house.
At least in the beginning, he’d still had Felicity, Kaitlin, and Sophia. But then Felicity had married Edward and moved out. Kaitlin had followed suit shortly after. And in March, Sophia had gone off to London for her Season, after which Jack had experienced loneliness like never before.
Even though he’d kept himself busy helping the locals make necessary repairs to their homes, it hadn’t been the same. The moment Sophia left, she took his heart with her, leaving behind a wide, gaping hole too large for the letters she wrote him to fill.
Only his mother kept his spirits up. They’d walked together and visited with the Fenmores twice a week. She’d tell him that the year would be over before he knew it and that he must keep his mind on his goal. He’d cursed Maypoole, but his mother had been the one to convince him the marquess wasn’t entirely wrong. Sophia deserved a respectable husband and as such, Jack ought to do his best to come up to scratch.
Still, his father’s decision had been a blow. Not because Jack cared about the money. He’d been prepared to give it all up for Sophia when he’d thought she lacked connections and that was the price he must pay. But for Papa to deny him everything anyway, not because of something Jack had done, but because of a mere idea, angered him like nothing else. Clearly it angered Papa as well, for he’d been the one to walk away and slam the door in Jack’s face.
“I cannot be the one to apologize.” Jack held Kaitlin’s gaze. “I’m sorry, but he ought to beg my forgiveness, not the other way around.”
“Everyone agrees, but I fear his pride will never permit him to do so.”
“Then I suppose we shall remain estranged for the rest of our lives, Kaitlin. I’m sorry.”
She answered with a sad smile but rather than force the issue any further, she said, “It will be lovely to see Sophia again when she and the Maypooles get here.”
Jack cast a glance toward the windows and expelled a breath when he saw that the weather was holding. With only a gentle breeze and a few stray clouds, the Maypoole carriage ought to arrive unhindered.
“Do you suppose she’ll be different from when we last saw her?” Kaitlin asked.
Jack frowned. He hadn’t considered such a possibility. “I don’t know. The reports I received from my friends, the Earl of Fielding and the Earl of Yates, have given me no cause to think so. But then, neither of them knew her before she became Maypoole’s sister.”
“You asked them to keep an eye on her?”
“I did,” Jack confessed. Both men had married two years ago and were deeply in love with their wives. They understood the pain Jack felt over being parted from Sophia and the angst he experienced at not being there to protect her himself. Naturally, they were invited to attend his Christmas ball too, along with the neighboring gentry and any peers who desired to make the trip and were willing to stay at the two local inns the area offered. Eastgate Abbey itself was already full.
“There’s no need to worry, you know.” The edge of Kaitlin’s mouth lifted. When Jack raised an eyebrow in question it turned into a full-fledged smile. “She’s going to say yes, Jack. Sophia will be your wife before the year is done.”
“Don’t say that. I’ll not have you tempting fate.”
She rolled her eyes and laughed, prompting Jack’s heart to beat a faster rhythm. It wouldn’t be long now. Sophia would be here soon.
As wonderful as it had been to go to London and be introduced at court, to dine with dukes and duchesses and receive the attentions of titled lords and wealthy gentlemen alike, none of it compared to the thrill Sophia experienced as the carriage she travelled in rolled up the driveway toward Eastgate Abbey. The conveyance rocked to a halt, the steps were set down, and the door opened by a footman. Lord Maypoole alit first. He turned and helped his wife, a woman Sophia had taken a great liking to, before offering Sophia his assistance.
Her toes had barely touched the ground before Eastgate’s front door opened and Kaitlin rushed out onto the driveway with squeals of delight. Sophia grinned in response to her friend’s warm welcome and swiftly made the necessary introductions. She was just finishing when she noticed Jack. He must have followed his sister outside but refrained from a similar display of affection. Instead, he stood completely still, hands clasped behind his back, his dark eyes fixed upon her as if he’d been adrift and had just found his anchor.
The ache she’d experienced when they’d last parted returned, not with a deep sense of loss this time, but rather with the burning need to throw herself into his arms. Instead, she held herself in check and gave him a smile. Her world had been turned upside down this past year, especially by her brother’s stipulations. She understood them, as irritating as it was, and would not urge Jack to ruin their chances of marriage by being reckless at the last moment.
“Welcome to Eastgate Abbey,” Jack said, addressing his newly arrived guests as a whole. The edge of his mouth lifted and when he spoke again, his voice was softer. “You look well, Sophia, and lovelier than I recall. Which I’d not have thought possible.”
His words, so fondly spoken, seeped beneath her skin and warmed her soul. The blush she could feel in her cheeks was unavoidable. No one had ever affected her as Jack did.
“Please.” Jack swept his arm toward the front door. “Let’s go inside.”
Kaitlin led the way, allowing Jack to approach Sophia. He offered her his arm, which she readily accepted, and together they followed the others.
“I’ve missed you desperately,” he murmured as they climbed the steps. Behind them, the footmen could be heard unloading the luggage.
“And I you,” she whispered. “Thank God our wait is almost over.”
“Agreed.” He squeezed her arm. “We need only be a little more patient.”
They entered the abbey where the butler helped them all remove their outerwear. And then two maids were showing the Maypooles and Sophia up to their respective rooms. A glance over her shoulder confirmed Jack remained in the foyer, quietly watching her climb the stairs. Her heart hammered wildly against her breast as her gaze caught his. The ball tomorrow evening could not arrive soon enough.
A knock sounded at Jack’s bedchamber door the following evening. Standing before his cheval glass, his valet, Jones, was in the process of helping him on with his jacket.
“Come in,” Jack called.
His mother entered, dressed in a lovely green gown she’d ordered specifically for tonight’s occasion. “You look remarkably handsome.”
“And you look exceptionally lovely, Mama. That color suits you to perfection.”
Mama smiled. “I brought the item you asked for.” She placed a tiny box on top of his dresser. “Sophia is the best choice you could have made in a wife. I’ve always thought so.”
“A pity Papa doesn’t agree,” Jack muttered. He thanked Jones and dismissed him.
“Your father can have some firm opinions. He can be stubborn and difficult. But at the end of the day, he loves you, Jack, and this rift between the two of you is hurting him.”
Jack snorted. “I seriously doubt that.”
“Please. Talk to him.”
“After he cut me out of his will for daring to love someone he thought unfit to be his daughter-in-law?”
“You know it’s not because of that.” Mama pressed her lips together. “He’s waiting for you in his study and he’s ready to talk. If I were you, I’d swallow my pride and take this opportunity to mend your differences.” When Jack simply stared at her, she added, “It will give your new life with Sophia the proper start it deserves, without all this negativity hanging over your head.”
Phrased like that, Jack had to admit there might be a point to making amends with his father. Even if he had to be the one to start the process. Lord, how he loathed the idea of doing so. “Fine.”
Her eyes lit up. “Thank you and good luck.”
Jack blew out a breath and picked up the box she’d brought. He placed it securely in his jacket pocket and followed her into the hallway. According to the clock in the foyer, the guests would be arriving in half an hour. And since most of those he’d invited had accepted his invitation, he expected a large crowd.
When he and his mother reached the door to his father’s study, Jack dropped a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”
Then, with his heart in his throat, he entered the one room he’d not set foot in for a full year. He scanned the space and found his father standing with his back toward him near the window, drink in hand. Jack cleared his throat. “Mama said I might find you here.”
Papa turned, his features carefully schooled as always. “She threatened to leave me unless I agreed to speak with you.”
A startled laugh escaped Jack’s lips. “Did she really?”
Papa fixed his gaze on Jack’s. “I believe she called me an unreasonable curmudgeon.”
Jack raised an eyebrow. “I’m shocked.”
A hint of humor flickered in Papa’s gaze. His lips twitched. “Truth is, she’s not wrong. It’s just been so damn hard for me to figure out what to say. I was so incredibly angry with you when you told me you’d planned on running away – of marrying behind my back.”
“You didn’t really leave me much choice. If you’ll recall, you did threaten to cut me off and strike me from your will if I married Sophia. You told me a woman like her could never be more than my mistress.” Jack took a deep breath and tried to cast off the anger that once again gripped him. “With this in mind, I feared you’d try and stop a potential wedding if you heard of our plan.”
Papa bowed his head with a sigh. He looked defeated. “I was wrong to say what I did. Sophia’s a lovely girl. I’ve always thought so. But I had this family’s reputation to consider. I worried what strangers would think and the impact such a union might have on Kaitlin and Felicity.”
“You weren’t wrong to be concerned,” Jack said. “But you were wrong to punish me for something I never ended up doing.”
“I know.” Papa raised his gaze to Jack’s. “Please forgive me.”
The words were so simple and yet they’d been one long year in the making.
Jack’s chest contracted in response. His throat tightened.
“Of course,” he managed, then crossed the distance between them and gave his father a hug. When he stepped back, Papa’s eyes had grown suspiciously bright and shiny. “Come now, let’s go and greet our guests.”
Papa nodded and swallowed the last of his drink. “I trust you’re ready for your big night?”
“Indeed,” Jack assured him. “I’ve never been more ready for anything else in my life.”