“Thank you, Tanya.” He lay back in his armchair, who could this be from?
He opened it with great care and began to read. He was completely overwhelmed by its contents. This was not the first time a lady had written him for his affections, but never with such passion. He laughed at Sophia’s naivete. He realized who it was from, a young infatuated girl with nothing better on her mind. He tossed it into the fire but on second thought, grabbed it out, then thought, “I’ll deliver it to Sophia at the ball.”
Saturday showed up and found him en route to the ball. A servant was there to meet him. He dismounted and swaggered in. He thought, ‘Probably a bunch of country yokels. I’m wasting my time.’ He was no sooner in than a beautiful young lady walked over and began making conversation with him. They talked for some fifteen minutes and ended up on the floor dancing a waltz. He learned that she was Duchess Matilda Churchill and they were down visiting their summer home. Nicholas thought, ‘It’s a small world.’ They danced for six dances, then Nicholas excused himself to perform his unsavoury task. He walked around the floor and soon discovered Sophia engaged in a boisterous encounter with her friends. He walked over as though he were about to take the bird of paradise from its perch.
“Excuse me, ladies, for this intrusion. Sophia, may we go for a walk?”
Sophia’s heart leapt for joy. Her letter had borne fruit, and she gladly excused herself. She led Nicholas to an adjoining room and sat down. Nicholas eyed Sophia with a discerning look. “Are you enjoying yourself, Lady Sophia?”
“Yes, immensely! And yourself my Lord?”
“Yes.”
There was a moment of silence as Nicholas pondered this richly manicured piece of human anatomy. Then he said, “I received your letter and I must say it was one of the most endearing pieces of prose I’ve ever received. It touched the very soul of my being, but therein lies the source of the problem. I’m not one given to the vagaries of love and marriage. This is the last thing I want in my life at the present moment. Your solicitations could be put to better use with someone wanting to reciprocate your love.”
Sophia sat petrified. She had bared her soul to this stranger only to have it rebuffed. She felt like a complete fool. She sat speechless, looking for the earth to swallow her up. If her family ever learned of her indiscretion, they would never forgive her. Sophia rose and left the room.
Chapter Three.
The contrivance of events has caused our story to take a turn for the worse. After Nicholas had come to terms with the fact he had completely crushed the heart of an innocent maiden, he set about to befriend those in his employ at his estate. This continued for several weeks until he received an invitation from one of the wealthy families in Cambridge to attend their ball. Everyone was eager to make his acquaintance.
More for want of something to do than any real desire to be sociable, he wandered off to the ball. As he masqueraded around the floor, he encountered the Buckingham family. He sat down and engaged in a conversation. Sophia made a polite excuse and left. Rebecca was a beautiful young lady and he asked her for a dance. As they danced around the floor, they engaged in a lively conversation. Her beloved was a very jealous and possessive person who viewed all this with disdain, especially as he had the gall to ask for a second dance. By the time they returned to their table, Abraham was fuming mad and asked Nicolas to the side of the floor and said, “What in heavens’ name are you up to?”
