Page 38 of A Wicked Viscount's Stormy Affair
But he could not see.
The wind was blocking his vision, the rain practically pouring into his eyes. The more he turned around, the less he could see…
But then she was there.
A beacon of heat in the iciness of the world surrounding him.
She was in his arms, lifting up on to her tip toes to finally give him the kiss that he so desperately needed.
The dream was conflicting and confusing. He did not know what it meant, and what he was supposed to do, but the sensation of Sophie in his arms was so glorious it gave him a strange sort of clarity. He knew that he should not want her, and that he did not have the right toreallypursue her, but it was going to be incredibly challenging for him to let her go.
All he really wanted to do was cling to her forever more.
Chapter 17
What is going on?
Sophie did not want to keep being worried about George and whatever was happening to him, but she could not switch her brain off, however hard she tried. She could not seem to push him from her mind, and it was endlessly frustrating. Nothing could distract her, and she had been trying all morning long. Doing anything to stop herself from thinking… but nothing did.
She could not even begin to start reading the book that George had given to her the last time he saw her because all it did was remind her that he did not have time to carry on their adventures together.IfGregory was to be believed, that was, and that he could never commit to anything real and romantic, then how could she really give him any more of her time?
She so desperately wanted to lose herself in the adventures of a character on the ocean, but she could not when all she could worry about was George and what was happening with him.
Not when she did not know where the hero from her own story was… or more importantly,ifhe was even the hero that she was searching for.
“You have been staring out that window for quite a while,” her mother commented, reminding Sophie that she was not currently alone in the drawing room. “Perhaps you would like to actually go outside since the weather is so nice.”
Sophie sighed heavily. She did not want to be among the ton today. She was not in the mood for polite conversation. “I do not feel like socializing.”
“Then why not take a walk around the gardens? Your grandparents have a lot of land with many glorious flowers to be examined.”
Sophie knew that this was a hint. Her restless attitude must have been bothering her mother, and that was the last thing that she wanted to do. So she nodded and rose from her seat, agreeing to a walk. “Yes, I think you are right. I should explore the estate more.”
As Sophie headed out into the warmth of the sunshine, she tried to let her spirits lift a little, but that simply was not happening. Never had she ever spent so much time worrying about another person. What did that mean? Was she already falling head over heels for this man who might not be able to commit to her? Her family wished to stay right where they were, in London. They had no plans to return to Sweden any time soon, so if hewasplanning on leaving…
Well, that was a consequence that she certainly needed to consider. Even if it made her heart sink to think about losing him.
“Lady Dashwood, you are my only friend in London, aside from Sebastian.”
She could not forget those words, nor how she felt as he spoke them. That was the closest that they had ever been, and the happiest she could recall feeling.
“Grandfather, I did not expect to see you here!”
Sophie was surprised to find him, standing by a rose bed, looking wistfully at nothing in particular. He was a very busy man who often liked to fill every moment of his time with activity, so to see him like this had her a little worried. Not that she wanted to show that.
“Ah, dear Sophie, how are you?” her grandfather replied with a small smile. “I am terribly sorry, I was just looking at the roses and recalling all the times that I used to give your grandmother roses, when I was trying to woo her.”
Sophie grinned as she joined him. “I am sure she was immediately swept off her feet by you.”
“Oh no! Not at all. Your grandmother had a lot of interest in her. She has always been a very beautiful woman, and I was not the only gentleman to notice just how striking she was. I had to put in a lot of effort to ensure that I was the one on her mind all the time. Knowing how much she adored roses, far more than other flowers, I used to only get those for her.”
That reminded Sophie of George and the book that he had purchased for her. It was a meaningful gift, which just showed how much he paid attention to their conversations and connections. That was what made it so special to Sophie. The fact that he had heard her out, and actually seemed to care about what she had to say.
“Are you worried about her?” Sophie reached across and rested her hand on top of her grandfather’s, hoping to offer him some comfort in the midst of all that was happening.
“About your grandmother? Oh no,” he insisted, although Sophie was not entirely convinced. He most certainly sounded worried about her. “She is a very strong woman. She will recover. Especially having her family here… I can see how much that has helped her. She has always wanted to be nearer to you, it was very hard for her while you were in Sweden.”
“I missed you too,” Sophie replied honestly. “I might not have known how much I missed you, but I did. I much prefer being in London, near you all the time.”
