Somehow Klaus seemed to spend the entire evening chasing Sophia around the ballroom. She moved from group to group, always disappearing just as he arrived. When the clock struck midnight and everyone raised a toast to both the New Year and the happily engaged couple, he finally managed to come up behind her.
“Happy New Year, Miss North,” he said, stepping up next to her.
She jumped, nearly spilling her champagne. “Oh, Lord Klaus, you startled me.”
“I am sorry about that, but I’ve been trying to speak with you all evening, and somehow have managed to miss you every time.”
“Really,” she said, her gaze sliding away.
So, she had been avoiding him! Well, he wasn’t going to let her continue to do so.
“Please, Sophia,” he said quietly so only she could hear. “Let me have a word.”
“But of course! What is it you wanted to say?” she said innocently.
He frowned. “In private,” he clarified. He offered her his arm.
Reluctantly, she placed her right hand in the crook of his elbow.
He immediately led her straight to the French doors leading out into the garden, managing to hand off their champagne glasses to a passing footman as they went.
“It’s too cold to go outdoors, my lord,” she protested when he started to reach for the door.
“I’ll lend you my coat or call for your wrap,” he offered.
She just frowned at him for a moment and gave a small shrug of her shoulders and slipped through the door that had been left open a crack to allow some cooler air into the overheated room.
He took her to the far end of the balcony, knowing that neither one of them wanted to step out into the snow in their dancing slippers. Once there, he shrugged out of his coat and placed it around her shoulders. It was cold, but he was so nervous he barely felt the temperature. He took her hands in his, being careful with her left as her arm was wrapped tightly to keep the broken bone from moving while it healed.
“I know you are angry with me,” he started before she could even say a word. “But I want to explain to you why I didn’t speak up when my father and your sister objected to our marrying.”
“Really, you have no need—” she started.
“Yes, I do have a need to do so,” he interrupted. “My father objected, and I didn’t speak up for precisely the same reason, because neither one of us wanted to subject you to the same punishment I have had to live with for the past two years. You should not have to pay for my mistakes.”
She frowned up at him. “Punishment?”
“My incarceration on my father’s estate. You know I haven’t been allowed to leave there since I returned to Aachen-Düren.”
“Oh, yes, of course. Oh, I see. If I married you, then I…” she paused. “But I wouldn’t have been subjected to the same punishment.”
“No, but even after we married, which we would have had to do at Kottenfurst, I would still be subjected to it. And if you’d left the estate, I wouldn’t have been able to go with you.”
“Oh, yes. I… I hadn’t thought of that,” she admitted.
“I couldn’t have done that to you.”
She nodded, now understanding.
“However,” he said, clasping her hands a little tighter. “My uncle has offered me a position as his secretary and with it he has granted me my freedom. I’m certain I’ll still be watched carefully, but I am no longer going to be confined to Kottenfurst.”
“But that’s wonderful for you!” she said, looking up at him.
“It is. Because it means that I can now, very properly, propose to you.” He lowered himself to one knee and let go of one of her hands, so he could fish in his pocket for the ring he’d brought. He held it up to her. “Please, Sophia, would you do me the great honor—”
“No!” She winced and then closed her eyes. “I am so sorry, Klaus, but I… I cannot.” She snatched her hand from his, turned and ran back into the ball.
Klaus just stayed there, kneeling on the ground, unable to believe what had just happened. He only stood when a footman stepped outside, looking for him, Klaus’s coat in his hand.
Sophia ran back into the ballroom and then, at one woman’s shocked expression, realized she still had Klaus’s coat on. She immediately slipped out of it and found a footman to take it back to him. If she paused to hold it up to her nose for the briefest moment so she could smell his spicy, enticing scent one last time before turning it over, no one would ever know.
She’d been so successful all night at avoiding Klaus. She’d been so proud of herself. It had almost become like a game of tag or hide and seek. The moment she saw him heading in her direction, she would make some excuse to whoever she was speaking to and disappear before he could reach her.
She hadn’t seen him sneak up on her after the New Year’s toast. He’d caught her, and there had been no way to avoid going outside with him without being extremely rude. Now, she almost wished she had managed to avoid it because if she hadn’t let him have his say she would still be angry with him. Perhaps she would always wonder if she’d been wrong to stay away from him, but at least she wouldn’t feel so utterly devastated as she did now.
Turning down his proposal had been the hardest thing she’d ever done in her life. She still couldn’t believe she’d had the wherewithal to do so. Where had that strength come from?
She knew immediately where—her love for Lou. It was only her love for her sister that had made her turn him down.
As if thinking of her, brought Lou to her. Sophia glanced to her right and found her sister standing not far away. Incredibly, she wasn’t speaking with anyone just at the moment. Perfect.
“Please, Lou, I want to go home,” Sophia said, walking up to her sister. “And I don’t mean back to Everston, I mean home. Can we not return to the house in Town tonight? Please?”
“What is wrong, Sophia? What has happened? Klaus was looking for you. You must not have spoken with him yet.”
The moment the woman she’d spoken to opened her mouth, Sophia realized her mistake. She was speaking with Princess Isa, not her sister! They looked too much alike!
“Oh, Princess Isa! I am so sorry. I mistook you—”
The princess gave a little smile. “It’s all right. It has been happening to me all night, and probably to Lou as well. We are practically identical.”
“You are! I should have remembered you were in blue, and Lou is wearing green tonight,” Sophia said. She was sure her cheeks were bright pink with embarrassment.
“Yes. We were sure not to wear the same color,” Princess Isa said with a little laugh. She sobered immediately, though. “But tell me, you have not spoken with Klaus, have you?”
“I… I… I need to find my sister. Please excuse me.” Sophia spun around on her heel and walked quickly away praying the princess would forgive her rudeness. Lou was with Anthony nearly at the other end of the ballroom. She approached them and repeated her plea, this time to the right person.
“Why? What’s happened?” Lou asked immediately.
“I… I’m not feeling well. I’m extremely tired. I think, maybe, it’s too much coming to a ball so soon after the accident,” she said, lying through her teeth.
Her sister narrowed her eyes at her and shook her head. “There is something you’re not telling me.”
“Perhaps it’s a good idea,” Anthony said, taking her side for once. “I would not be at all surprised if your sister had overextended herself. A ball can be very strenuous, especially when you are still recovering. Come, I’ll call for our coats and carriage.” He started to lead them out into the entry hall.
Sophia was walking directly behind Lou and could hear her say, “Anthony, she’s upset about something.”
“I know. Give her a chance to calm down, and then, perhaps, she’ll confide in you,” he said softly.