A Gentleman by Moonlight

by Bethany M. Sefchick

  Sophia raised an eyebrow in response, feeling as much like her old self as she had in months. "I suspect that your husband had something to do with the matter. He knows Madame C., does he not?"

  "Quite possibly," Eliza agreed easily. "He has also asked me to warn you to keep your adventures a bit more under control from this point forward. We leave for Seldon Park in two days time, and he will not be about London to assist you should you find yourself in another scrape."

  "So soon?" Sophia had hoped that her friend would remain in Town through at least the end of the Little Season, even if she did not go out much.

  Eliza rubbed her swollen belly gently. "The babe grows restless, I'm afraid, and Nicholas is worried that I might deliver early. Dr. Hastings shares that fear, something about my small size." She made a dismissing noise. "I am fine, but you know how the Bloody Duke worries." Then she made another, even more disgruntled sound. "As does Francis. Who knew that actual brothers could be so bothersome?"

  "He worries for you." Sophia stopped as her friend paused to admire a necklace in Mr. Roarke's jewelry shoppe window. "He has only just found you after being lost for so long. I cannot say I blame him either, for now that I know the truth I am worried for you as well."

  "Francis should be more worried about whether or not Lord and Lady Waverly will allow him to finally wed Charlotte. They are still not completely convinced that he is not some heathen in peer's clothing." Deciding to pass on the bauble, Eliza continued on down the street. "I would love to knock some sense into both of them if I could. Nicholas says that he finds this violent side of me particularly attractive. That it is one of the first things he noticed about me." When she paused again, this time in front of the milliner's, Sophia knew that Eliza had mentioned her bother and her husband both as a way to open the conversation regarding Sophia's relationship with Lewis. "And what of you, Sophie? Will you be joining the ranks of us married ladies any time soon?"

  For a moment, Sophia was at a loss as to what to say. Unlike the others, Eliza knew that Sophia's relationship with Lewis was a farce. So why she would even ask such a question escaped Sophia. "You know that is not in our future," she finally managed to reply, earning a reproachful look from Sophia. "What? You know that I speak the truth."

  Instead of agreeing, Eliza shook her head. "No, what I see is something that began as a plan to fool people, even though I have no idea why it was even necessary. Though I shall not pry. You can tell me when you are ready. I am not so nosy as Diana, or at least I try not to be." She cocked her head to the side. "Now? I see a woman falling in love with the man pretending to court her. And him falling in love with her right back." Eliza held up her hand when Sophia tried to protest. "And do not tell me that I am imagining things. I recognize that sparkle in your eyes, Sophie. I saw the same thing within myself when I finally allowed myself to admit that I cared for Nicholas. That our relationship was not the farce we were pretending it was."

  "You are mistaken," Sophia insisted. "Lewis and I, we..." However she must have blushed for immediately, Eliza pounced on her friend's silence.

  "He has bedded you," she hissed, pulling Sophia away from the shop windows. "I knew it! I knew there was more to this relationship than you were admitting."

  "Quiet!" Sophia admonished her friend. "Do you want to make an announcement in the Tattler or something? It was just one night. The night of the storm."

  Eliza crossed her arms over her chest, something that was difficult for her to do, given the size of her breasts and stomach as of late. "And?"

  Sophia bit her lip. "And it was..."

  "Absolutely delicious," Eliza finished for her, and for a moment Sophia was taken aback. Perhaps the Bloody Duke was influencing her once-bookish friend more than anyone had realized. In the past, Eliza never would have spoken that way. "Do not lie to me, Sophia. I am a married woman now and I know these things." She gave her a calculating look. "As do you now, I am certain."

  This, Sophia realized, was precisely why friends drifted apart when some were wed and others were not. Married women knew secrets that still-innocent debutantes did not, including the secrets of the marriage bed. It was little wonder that Diana, Eliza and some of her other old friends had excluded Sophia as of late. It was not that they didn't care for her. Clearly they still did. They simply did not wish for Sophia to be embarrassed by their conversations, especially if this one was any indication of the topics they discussed on a regular basis.

  "Perhaps I know a little," Sophia finally admitted grudgingly. "But I am far from a harlot!" She all but hissed out that last word. While it was true that she had gone from merely kissing Lewis one night to bedding him not long after, Sophia did not believe those actions made her a lightskirt. She had simply been desperate to break free of her fear and in her experience, such as it was, desperate women took desperate measures. If the results happened to be delightful beyond words? Where was the harm in that, really?

  "So was it wonderful?" Eliza queried, taking Sophia's arm in her own so that the two of them might continue their afternoon stroll and converse in private at the same time.

  Once more, Sophia was on the verge of confessing the entire truth to her friend, but she also recognized that this was neither the time nor the place for soul baring. She also did not wish to hear her dear friend scold her for allowing Lewis to tumble her so quickly. No matter that Sophia had been the one who had all but begged him to do so and that he had tried to resist her pleading.

  Instead, Sophia simply nodded as they continued along towards the Candlewood carriage that was waiting for them at the end of the block. "It was...transforming." She did not believe that was putting too fine of a point on things. After all, she had emerged from Lewis' bed so that he might secret her back to Reynolds House under the cover of darkness a changed woman. There was no denying it.

  "And does Adam know how you have been...transformed by Lord Blackmore?" Once more, Eliza gave her a sly look.

  "Lord, no!" Sophia shuddered at the thought, though she was a bit surprised at how relieved she felt at confessing at least a part of her scandalous actions to Eliza. If Adam knew the truth of that night, he would likely skin Lewis alive, just as he had threatened to do to Alex so many times over the last few months, even though the man was already dead. "Lewis presented me at my front door in the early morning hours dressed just as I was when I left the house. Adam might be questioning my judgment once more, but he knows this relationship is not real. And, well, there was a storm."

  "I would wager that Adam knows more than he is letting on," Eliza replied serenely, likely as a woman who had once been in a similar situation. "Your brother is many things, Sophie, but he is not blind. He is also newly in love himself, and believe me when I say that when one is in love, that person recognizes love in another. Especially a family member."

  Once more, Sophia did not know what to say so she continued to stroll in companionable silence with Eliza as they made their way towards the carriage, Eliza's maid trailing silently behind them. Neither of the women was in any real mood to shop, but when Eliza had called in her carriage earlier that afternoon, both women had agreed that some fresh air - or as fresh of air as could be found in London at this time of year - would be just the thing to perk them up as they prepared to enter the final weeks of the Little Season. At the time, Sophia hadn't known about Eliza's impending departure from Town, so she was even more pleased that she had taken her friend up on her offer.

  They were nearly to the carriage when a half-dressed gentleman shot past them, running pell-mell down the sidewalk in an erratic fashion. Sophia could hear the hard pounding of feet on the boards behind them and she quickly pulled Eliza into a shop doorway just as a familiar looking figure shot by them both, making her gasp.

  "Lewis?" she whispered under her breath, recognizing his hair that was flying free from the queue he normally wore to keep his long locks in check.

  "Silas," Eliza muttered at the same time and once more, Sophia had to wonder just how muc
h her old friend knew about her new husband and the secrets he kept. No one, save for the Blackmore family had seen Silas Blackmore - ever. And yet Eliza could somehow recognize him on sight? Not even Sophia could do that, though, like the rest of Society, she did know of his existence.

  Sophia was even more surprised when Eliza gave her a small push back towards the sidewalk. "Go after them. We must contain this. Lord Blackmore might need help with his brother." Eliza signaled for her driver to ready the carriage. "I need to go fetch my husband immediately."

  "Does the Bloody Duke keep all of the ton's secrets?" Sophia asked as she raised her skirts and prepared to hurry after the two men who had already disappeared around the corner, heedless of how much of her ankle was showing.

  "Nearly all," Eliza replied as she hoisted herself into the carriage with the assistance of a footman. "It is not an enviable position, I can assure you." Then she was gone, the carriage clattering off down the street at a far faster clip than Sophia had anticipated.

  Giving herself a stern mental shake, Sophia hurried around the corner where the two men had disappeared, praying that few people took notice of her as she did so. She was clad in dark blue today, an unusual color for her, and her golden hair was tucked up neatly under a rather large bonnet. She did not wish to become the subject of gossip once more if she could help it, especially as she was specifically trying to preserve her reputation, not harm it. Yet she also knew that sometimes, one did what one had to in order to help a friend. This was one of those times.

  Not to mention that Eliza had given her the order directly and Sophia had to assume that Nicholas would likely use his considerable influence to quash any nasty rumors that might spring up around Sophia after this latest minor scandal. She was assisting him on...business...after all.

  After rounding the corner, Sophia took in the whole of the street, at first seeing nothing amiss, though given that the street was tightly packed with mule carts and carriages and delivery wagons, she wasn't certain what, exactly, she was looking for anyway. After all, it was unlikely that she would see Lewis wrestling a nearly naked man to the ground in the middle of London.

  Yet as Sophia strode briskly down the street, peeking into every alley she passed, that was precisely what she saw not much later. There, in a dingy little alley that ran behind some of the Bond street shops, was Lewis, his large body pinning a far thinner man to a brick wall. At first, she assumed that the thin man was struggling against Lewis' restraint and for a moment, she feared that the other man had a knife or weapon of some sort. However as she approached, knocking over some large crates as she did so in order to create something of a barrier between Lewis and the other people on the street, Sophia clearly saw that the thin man was not struggling. If anything, he was attempting to wrap his arms around Lewis as if in a hug.

  That made no sense. The entire tableau made even less sense when the thin man looked up and gazed at Sophia with a confused smile on his face and eyes that were the same indigo blue as Lewis'.

  Taking a quick glance behind her, Sophia was pleased to see that the crates she had toppled over did serve rather well as a shield for the small group in the alley and that no one had seemed to notice the racket she had made when she had overturned them. Then again, given the sheer amount of noise on the street itself, that was hardly surprising.

  "Lewis?" Sophia asked hesitantly as she slowly approached the two men. "What is going on here?" When Lewis turned around, she could see that his face was ashen and there was a fresh scratch on his cheek with a small trickle of dried blood at the end. He did not immediately answer her so she asked again. "Lewis, whatever this is, you can confide in me. You know my secrets. Please. Trust me enough to share yours."

  For a moment, she thought he might order her away, but then his shoulders slumped forward as if in defeat. Though Sophia did note that he did not release his tight grip on the other man. Now that she could see the thin man up close, he looked very much like Lewis himself. In fact, the resemblance was almost uncanny. The same eyes and hair, not to mention the same Roman nose and prominent cheekbones. The other man also appeared to be a little bit older than Lewis, though it was difficult to guess his precise age. Yet there was also a vagueness about him, particularly within his eyes that spoke of something gone horribly wrong in his past, perhaps before he was even born. Even though she was not supposed to have knowledge of such things, Sophia was well aware that some children were born with mental defects of unknown origins. Was this man who appeared to be related to Lewis, one of them?

  "Lewis?" she pressed again. "Please tell me who he is."

  The thin man stuck his hand out before him as if to shake hers. Just as if she was a man. "I am Silas. Nice to meet you."

  So, he could speak at least. "It is very nice to meet you, too, Silas," she replied, not thrown in the least by the rather masculine, not to mention informal, introduction. "My name is Sophia."

  "I know who you are." Silas beamed at her brightly, the very picture of innocence itself. "My brother Lewis has told me all about you. He likes you a lot."

  "Does he now?" Sophia raised an eyebrow in Lewis' direction which, to his credit, made him blush a little bit. "Well that is certainly nice to know." Since the man who apparently "liked her very much" did not seem capable of carrying the conversation at present, Sophia decided that she and Silas could simply continue on without him.

  Silas nodded rather enthusiastically. "He does." Then he began to chew on his lower lip, just as a child might. "Do you know if there are any kittens here?"

  "I don't believe so, no," she replied, looking at Lewis once more and praying that he would unroot himself from the spot where he had seemingly taken up residence, though he did still maintain his tight grip on Silas so that he could not run away again. That was something she supposed. "Are you looking for a kitten?"

  Once more, Silas nodded eagerly. "I like kittens, but Mama won't allow me to have one."

  That statement, finally, seemed to shock Lewis out of whatever fugue state he had been in. "I will explain later, Sophie. I promise. For now, however, we must get Silas home. Without his kitten, I'm afraid." Then he perked up a bit more when he detected some movement behind Sophia. "Crawford! Over here! I see you have brought McIvers as well. Good thinking."

  "I knew Master Silas would prefer to see a familiar face, if at all possible." Then the butler, who Sophia had long since decided was far more than just an simple butler, turned to Silas. "You mother is very worried about, Master Silas."

  For a moment, Silas looked sheepish, if not still a bit stubborn. "I know. I'm sorry. I promise I'll be good if I could only have a kitten."

  "We shall see." That came from the man Sophia assumed to be McIvers, who had come up from behind them during the exchange. The newcomer had the look of a butler about him as well, but he could be a street peddler for all she knew. "Once we get you back home, I am certain your mother will discuss the matter with you. Especially if you are willing to accompany me back to Westwind."

  "That sounds nice," Silas agreed easily as he allowed McIvers to lead him back down the alley and towards a carriage that Sophia hadn't noticed earlier, which was now waiting at the end of the street. She did note that none of the men ever truly let go of Silas, making certain that someone else had a good grasp on him before the previous man holding him let go.

  When the three of them were alone in the alley, Lewis turned to Crawford. "How much damage was done?"

  "I can't really say, sir." Crawford flicked his glance backwards to the street. "I informed your brother several times today that it was an extremely bad idea to take Silas out of the house, especially as he has been agitated over the idea of a kitten for some time now." The man shook his head in clear disgust. "Why Master Silas is even back in London, I have yet to discover, especially since last we all knew, he was on his way back to Westwind. If your brother has changed his mind..."

  "But Guy always knows better, doesn't he?" Lewis finished for the other man. "I'm simply
thankful that we were in the area when we saw him bolt from the family coach. My father simply doesn't employ the right sort of men to keep Silas safe. He's far stronger than he appears. He has my build after all, if not my muscle."

  "Indeed, sir." Then, as if noticing her for the first time - though Sophia had the distinct impression that the erstwhile butler had known she was there all along - Crawford bowed. "My lady. I shall take my leave of you both for now. I shall help McIvers escort Master Silas home and smooth over any rough edges."

  Lewis nodded stiffly. "I'd be grateful for the assistance. Thank you."

  Together, Sophia and Lewis stood in silence as they watched the other man depart the alley. When he was gone, she turned back to Lewis with an incredulous look on her face. "A butler? Truly?"

  "Man of all trades," Lewis supplied as helpfully as he could. "I suppose I should start at the beginning."

  "It would be nice," she agreed as she took his arm and began to stroll back towards the main street. This alley was no real place for a lady and now that everything was calming down, Sophia noticed a rather distasteful smell emanating from the back of at least two of the shops.

  They reached the end of the alley before Lewis could speak again. Another carriage waited there, this one all black and devoid of a crest. He silently helped her inside and then vaulted in next to her before rapping on the roof. For a few moments there was nothing more than the clatter of carriage wheels over the street stretching between them. Then Lewis sighed.

  "Silas is my brother."

  "I gathered as much. Go on."

  Resting his elbows on his knees Lewis related an abbreviated version of Silas' tumble down the stairs after Miss Kitty, as well as his resulting injuries and his lack of development after that point. He was also rather blunt about the requirements for his brother's care and his family's constant battles over what to do with a mentally challenged lord who could not function in even the most basic of Society. Lewis also admitted to being the "spare heir" in his father's will, something that always made him distinctly uncomfortable. Each time he spoke about the matter, he always felt as if he was overstepping his brother, even though Silas was in no way capable of running any estate. Or even his own life for that matter.