The Grand Sophy Read online

  ‘What, and walk along Piccadilly unattended? You cannot mean it!’

  ‘Stop!’ commanded Miss Wraxton, in almost shrill accents.

  ‘On no account. Dear me, what a lot of traffic! Perhaps you had better not talk to me until I have weaved my way through all these carts and carriages.’

  ‘For heaven’s sake, at least slacken your pace!’ Miss Wraxton besought her, in the liveliest alarm.

  ‘I will, when we come to the turning,’ promised Sophy, passing between a wagon and a mail-coach, with a matter of inches to spare. A moan from her companion caused her to add kindly: ‘There is no need to be in a fright: Sir Horace made me drive through a gateway until I could be trusted not even to scrape the varnish.’

  They were now ascending the rise in Piccadilly. With a strong effort at self-control, Miss Wraxton demanded: ‘Tell me at once where you are taking me!’

  ‘Down St James’s Street,’ replied Sophy coolly.

  ‘What?’ gasped Miss Wraxton, turning quite pale. ‘You will do no such thing! No lady would be seen driving there! Amongst all the clubs – the object of every town saunterer! You cannot know what would be said of you! Stop this instant!’

  ‘No, I want to see this Bow Window I hear so much of, and all the dandies who sit there. How wretched that Mr Brummell has been obliged to go abroad! Do you know, I never saw him in my life? Are you able to point out the various clubs to me? Shall we recognize White’s, or are there other houses with bow windows?’

  ‘This is your notion of raillery, Miss Stanton-Lacy! You are not serious!’

  ‘Yes, I am. Of course, I should not have dared to do it without you sitting beside me, to lend me credit, but you have assured me that your position is unassailable, and I see that I need have no scruple in gratifying my ambition. I daresay your consequence is great enough to make it quite a fashionable drive for ladies. We shall see!’

  No argument that Miss Wraxton could advance, and she advanced many, had the power to move her. She drove on inexorably. Wild ideas of springing from the phaeton crossed Miss Wraxton’s mind, only to be rejected. It was too dangerous to be attempted. Had she been wearing a veil she might have pulled it over her face, and hoped to have escaped recognition, but her hat was a perfectly plain one, and bore only a modest bow of ribbon. She had not even a parasol, and was obliged to sit bolt upright, staring rigidly ahead of her the length of that disgraceful street. She did not utter a word until the horses swung round into Pall Mall, and then she said in a low voice, unsteady with rage and chagrin: ‘I will never forgive you! never!’

  ‘How uncharitable of you!’ said Sophy lightly. ‘Shall I set you down now?’

  ‘If you dare to abandon me in this locality –’

  ‘Very well, I will drive you to Berkeley Square. I do not know whether you will find my cousin at home at this hour, but at all events you may complain of me to my aunt, which I am sure you must be longing to do.’

  ‘Do not speak to me!’ said Miss Wraxton throbbingly.

  Sophy laughed.

  Outside Ombersley House she broke the silence. ‘Can you get down without assistance? Having cast off my groom, together with your maid, I must drive the phaeton round to the stables myself.’

  Miss Wraxton, vouchsafing no answer, climbed down, and walked up the steps to the front-door.

  It was half an hour later before Dassett admitted Sophy into the house. She found Mr Rivenhall at that very moment coming down the stairs, and said at once. ‘Ah, so you were at home! I am so glad!’

  He was looking very stern, and replied in a level tone: ‘Will you come into the library for a few minutes?’

  She accompanied him there, and began to drag off her driving-gloves with hands that were not quite steady. Her eyes were still sparkling, and a not unbecoming flush mantled her cheeks.

  ‘Cousin, what, in God’s name, possessed you?’ demanded Mr Rivenhall.

  ‘Oh, has not Miss Wraxton told you? I have realized an ambition!’

  ‘You must be mad! Don’t you know how improper it was of you to do such a thing?’

  ‘Yes, indeed I knew, and should never have dared to do it without the protection of Miss Wraxton’s presence! Do not look so dismayed! She assured me that even though I did something outrageous in her company her credit was good enough to carry me off ! Surely you cannot doubt it!’

  ‘Sophy, she cannot have said such a thing!’

  She shrugged, and turned away. ‘No? Have it as you will!’

  ‘What had occurred? What reason had you for causing her such mortification?’

  ‘I will leave Miss Wraxton to tell you what she chooses. I have said too much already: I do not like tale-bearers, and will not sink to that level! My actions are no concern of yours, Cousin Charles, and even less are they Miss Wraxton’s.’

  ‘What you have just done is very much her concern!’

  ‘True. I stand corrected.’

  ‘It is also my concern to see that you come to no harm while you are a guest in this house. Such conduct as you indulged in this afternoon might do you a great deal of harm, let me tell you!’

  ‘My dear Charles, I am past praying for, as intimate as I am with rakes and rattles!’ she flashed.

  He stiffened. ‘Who said that?’

  ‘You, I understand, but you had too much delicacy to say it to my face. You should have known better than to think I should listen meekly to Miss Wraxton, however!’

  ‘And you should know better than to imagine that I would deliver my strictures through Miss Wraxton, or anyone else!’

  She lifted a hand to her cheek, and he saw that it was to dash away a tear-drop. ‘Oh, be quiet! Cannot you see that I am too angry to talk with any moderation? My wretched tongue! But though you did not desire Miss Wraxton to scold me for you, you did discuss me with her, did you not?’

  ‘Whatever I may have said I did not mean to be repeated. It was, however, extremely improper of me to have criticized you to Miss Wraxton. I beg your pardon!’

  She pulled out her handkerchief from the sleeve of her habit, and blew her nose. Her flush died down; she said ruefully: ‘Now I am disarmed. How provoking of you! Why could you not have flown into one of your rages? You are so disobliging! Was it so very bad to have driven down St James’s Street?’

  ‘You knew it was, for Miss Wraxton told you so. You have caused her a great deal of distress, Sophy.’

  ‘Oh dear! I do such dreadful things when I lose my temper! Very well, it was wrong of me – very wrong! Must I beg her pardon?’

  ‘You must see that you owe her an apology. If anything she may have said to you angered you, at least she had no such intention. She meant nothing but kindness, and is very much upset by the outcome. Mine is the blame, for having led her to suppose that I wished her to take you to task.’

  She smiled. ‘That’s handsome of you, Charles! I am sorry: I have created an uncomfortable situation. Where is Miss Wraxton? In the drawing-room? Take me up to her, then, and I will do what I may to mend things!’

  ‘Thank you,’ he said, opening the door for her.

  Miss Wraxton was found to have recovered from her agitation, and to be glancing through the pages of the Gentleman’s Magazine. She glanced coldly at Sophy, and lowered her eyes again to the periodical. Sophy walked across the room, saying in her frank way: ‘Will you forgive me? Indeed, I beg your pardon, and am very sorry! It was shocking conduct!’

  ‘So shocking, Miss Stanton-Lacy, that I prefer not to speak of it.’

  ‘If that means that you will try to forget it, I shall be very grateful to you.’

  ‘Certainly I shall do so.’

  ‘Thank you!’ Sophy said. ‘You are very kind!’

  She turned and went quickly to the door. Mr Rivenhall was holding it, and detained her for a moment, saying in a much warmer voice than she had yet heard him use: ‘If anyone should mention the affair to me, I shall say that having bought those bays of yours against my advice you were well served, for they got away wit