Page 57 of A Wicked Viscount's Stormy Affair
“And now you have had a sudden change of heart?” George narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What has caused that?”
“A change of heart that has been coming forever,” Gregory insisted. “I have been feeling terrible about myself and my actions for a very long time. I might have been acting like I am a happy arrogant lord who has had everything handed to him, but deep down I have a sorrowful heart. Deep down, I truly want to be better.”
“I do not know if I can believe you about this.”
“Well, I will prove it to you, George. I will do whatever it takes to prove it to you. In fact, I will help you get Lady Dashwood back. I mean, you have feelings for her, and she has already admitted that she is in love with you… it seems obvious that you are made for one another.”
George shook his head hard. “Oh no, I do not need that. I do not need to have your help, thank you very much.”
“You do not wish to be with Lady Dashwood?”
“I do not think that is up to me any longer. It is too late for that. You saw Lady Dashwood’s face, she is done with me. I will be on the first ship back to Sweden. I have already been here for far too long, and I need to get back home. Back to my life.”
Gregory looked broken, but George was not here to make his brother feel better. Perhaps after this visit, they would have a better relationship from here on out, but they would still be in different countries. That would make things so much easier for them. Staying in London was no good for George, this whole debacle had proven that. He needed to escape back to his real life before this country swallowed him up whole.
“I am leaving now,” George told his brother. “I have to go to gather my things from Sebastian’s home before I return home. I hope you have all the success you need as a viscount. If you really have turned your life around, then I am sure you will have the life that you so desperately want.”
George’s heart sunk as he spun on his heels to leave Gregory behind. It might not have been the relationship he wanted to leave London with, but tonight had most certainly made it a little better. They understood one another a little better.
But the best thing that George could do now was walk away from Sophie, even if it killed him. He had caused too much damage, he had hurt her far too much. She had already said that she would never trust him again, and how could they come back from that? Once the trust was gone, there was no chance for feelings to bloom. He knew that all too well.
It made him feel sick to his stomach that he was about to get back on a ship back to Sweden, to leave everything behind, to leave everyone behind. He might not have enjoyed the city of London, but knowing that he was never going to see Sophie again crushed his spirit.
But this was his own fault.
He had caused all of this.
This was the consequences of his own actions, and he hated it.
Chapter 28
Sophie could not believe that she was reading the book that George had given to her, when he was the one person who had shattered her heart into a million pieces, but it was what her grandmother wanted to hear, so she was doing it. Even if every word crushed her heart.
She just kept thinking that it was so wonderful that her grandmother was getting a little better, recovering from her illness at long last. If only she could concentrate on that rather than the cracked heart within her chest. It was honestly quite difficult for her to get any words out at all.
“Sophie, my darling, please tell me what is wrong.”
Sophie stopped reading the moment her grandmother spoke out to her, distracting her attention from the plot that she was not really following anyway.
She thought that she was doing her best to hide her feelings, even if it felt like they were floating at the surface, but clearly, she had not done a very good job.
“I… I am quite fine… I do not know what you are talking about…”
But her grandmother narrowed her eyes at Sophie, clearly not believing a word that she said. “Sweetheart, I can see that something is troubling you. Why not just be honest with me?”
Much as Sophie wanted to continue on with the lie because she wanted to keep her emotions at bay, that was apparently impossible. The tears that she had been trying so hard to keep back came pouring down her face. Her grandmother reached out and rested her hand on top of Sophie’s to let her know that she was there for her, no matter what.
It was because of her grandparents that she was still glad that she was in London. If it was not for them, she might have already been on the first boat back to Sweden.
“I have been spending a lot of time with the ton, attending the events of the Season, and I have met some gentlemen here during that time…”
“One gentleman in particular?” her grandmother asked, seeing right through Sophie’s demeanor.
“Yes, a gentleman that I actually met on the boat as we were traveling from Sweden. A London born noble, but one who has spent many years living in Sweden. I thought we had been getting along very well and connecting along the way. I actually assumed that something was building between us and that he might propose to me eventually.” She let out a little choke of sadness. “But I was wrong. His interest in me was not genuine at all. It was all part of a ploy.”
Her grandmother sat up a little straighter to pay more attention to Sophie. “Tell me more. Help me to understand. I might not be able to help you, but I can listen to you.”
Sophie sighed heavily. Did she really want to talk about this again? If she was going to discuss this with anyone right now, it would probably be her grandmother. She could not get into it with her mother anymore, and she was too scared of being judged by anyone else.
