Page 17 of His Scandalous Siren
Nothing between them had been resolved. Alex still hadn’t mentioned what was bothering him. It couldn’t possibly be love. There was something deeper there. Drew wasn’t as worried, though. Alex would open up to him about it when he was ready. “I’m sure we’ll be just fine.” Drew gulped down his brandy in one swallow. He would buy the house closer to Alex. It wasn’t really a decision he had to think to hard about. Drew had his priorities.
“Either way, I’ll be here if you need me,” Alex told him.
“That works both ways, Brother.” Drew didn’t think he needed the reminder, but still said it.
“I know,” Alex said in a solemn tone. “Give me time.”
There wasn’t much else that needed to be said. They drank brandy in silence, and Drew plotted his next move. Sofia had been irate, and he had to prepare for any sort of revenge she was planning for him.
* * *
Sofia pacedin the sitting room and wished that she could have figured out a way to dissolve her betrothal to Drew. He had tied her hands completely. Her father would have been thrilled to have him as part of the family. He had been friends with Drew’s father for years now. It would be a way to tie their two families together. They had always considered them a part of their family, but the wedding would make it official.
“This has always been what you’ve wanted,” Claudine said. “Why are you so upset?”
“Because he doesn’t love her,” Emilia answered. “A wedding is not what she wanted. She wanted him to love her as much as she loves him.” Emilia met Sofia’s gaze. “You do still love him, don’t you?”
“Unfortunately,” she admitted. “I can’t eject that rotten bastard from my heart.” She had tried for far too long. “This is disastrous.” A marriage where one party loved the other, and the other didn’t return those feelings… Sofia would be miserable for the rest of her life. She had to try to end this betrothal before her parents arrived in England. There had to be a way out of it.
“Sofia,” her sister began. “I know you’re not happy, but don’t you wonder if perhaps in time you could be?”
She shook her head. “He doesn’t love me.” It bore repeating. “How can I marry him knowing that?”
“Perhaps you should try one final attempt to win his heart,” Claudine offered. “Before you give up on him entirely, and the possibility of being his wife.”
“It’s not a terrible idea,” Emilia said slowly. “The marriage at this point seems to be a foregone conclusion. What if you could have it all? His love and his name? Wouldn’t that be worth risking everything for?”
Emilia was probably considering what she would do in Sofia’s position. If she was able to wed Alex and have his love… There was no doubt in Sofia’s mind that Emilia would leap at that particular opportunity. Sometimes love was worth every risk, but Sofia had tried time and time again, only to have her dreams crushed every single time. “I don’t know…”
“One last chance,” Gabrielle said. “If it doesn’t work out as you hope, then we will help you end things. Father would never make you marry Drew if you were dead set against it.”
Sofia blew out a breath. Should she try to win his heart? What if she failed? What if she didn’t? The possibilities were endless, and perhaps she should try to make one of them land in her favor. “I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Did he not say he would come by to escort you for a walk? He insisted you should be seen together. To give credence to your betrothal announcement…” Claudine nibbled on her bottom lip. “That’s where you begin. Don’t fall at his feet. He has expected that from you from the start. He thinks he’s already won you.”
“He does.” Sofia had given him that impression for many years now. “So what should I do different.”
Emilia smiled. “Flirt with other gentlemen. Make him see you have choices, and you may currently be trapped in this betrothal, but until you say your vows, you can and may choose some other man over him.”
“That could work.” They had been intimate once. Drew hadn’t ever known it was her when he’d taken her virtue. He was forcing this wedding because once he discovered her identity, he felt it was the right thing to do. Sofia wanted more, and she would find a way to get that from him. There could be something wonderful between them if he would just open himself up to the possibility.
“Good,” Emilia said. “Now that we have a starting point. Let’s prepare you for battle.” She stood. “Drew should be here soon and we need to find a dress that will stun him stupid.”
Claudine laughed. “Perhaps we should chaperone this walk. I’m a little bored. This could be our afternoon entertainment.”
“Great idea,” Gabrielle said. “Let’s go look through our dresses to find the perfect one for Sofia, then we can change, too.” She clapped her hands. “This will be such fun.”
They all stood and walked up to their second floor. Sofia wasn’t certain any of this would work, but at least she felt a little better. The butterflies were still doing several sets of dances inside of her stomach, and her heart wouldn’t stop racing, but she was breathing a little easier. Maybe, just maybe, she would have Drew’s love. That was worth fighting for. Wasn’t it?
