“Did he ask you to stay with me when he left?”
After another nod, Sophie felt a little warmth creep back into her. Joseph’s consideration boded well. He might not love her, but at least he wasn’t completely indifferent to her.
Sophie had Marie fix her hair into a simple style that let it cascade down her back. It created a harsh contrast against Northwood’s dark formality. The effect was what Sophie wanted—to look as though she didn’t belong there. Sophie turned to leave her room but hesitated at the door. “You hate this house, don’t you, Marie?”
Marie made no reply, but a look at her eyes was confirmation enough.
Sophie gave her a grim smile. “I hate it, too. I’m going to try to leave. I’ll take you with me, if it’s at all possible.”
Marie smiled and mimed something that Sophie couldn’t understand.
“I’m sorry. I don’t—”
Marie shook her head and waved Sophie towards the door, implying she would explain later. She had a curious, excited look about her face, though, and Sophie couldn’t help wondering what her maid had planned.
Marie led her to the stairs, and Sophie returned to the sitting room off the foyer to wait for Joseph’s return. The towels, jugs of water, and medical kit from the previous day had been cleared away, but Sophie could still picture Joseph sitting by the fire, dark bruises spread across his chest and blood drying in his scratches. I can’t understand it. Why does he like this place? Any other person would hate it. He’s wealthy; I’m sure he could afford to move to a more comfortable home, even if he wasn’t able to or didn’t want to sell Northwood. He has no reason to linger here.
The mist was rapidly clearing as the sun breeched the top of the trees and spread its heat over the property. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, but it felt to Sophie like the sun’s influence was dampened and dimmed, almost as though it were the heart of winter instead of late spring. Every few minutes she thought she caught some sort of movement amongst the trees, but the shapes shifted back into the shadows too quickly for her to see if they were deer or some other wood animal.
Why does he have to hunt the wolves? What if one has injured him, and he can’t get back to the house? How long should I wait before sending a search party? Could I even convince any of the staff to venture into the woods?
A familiar figure emerged from the forest, and Sophie started out of her chair, relief making it hard to breathe. She pressed close to the window and tried to see if Joseph was injured. If he was, it couldn’t have been serious; his strides were long and confident, and he cradled the shotgun over one arm. At one point, he glanced towards a part of the house above Sophie, and she tried to guess what he was looking at. Her heart gave an odd lurch when she realised that her room was approximately where his gaze had been directed.
She patted at her hair to make sure it hadn’t come loose, then went into the foyer to wait. The door opened, and Joseph’s face brightened with surprise and pleasure when he saw her.
“Sophie.” He propped the gun against the door and crossed to her immediately. “How are you?”
“How are you?” she countered. “You’re not hurt?”
She scanned his limbs for any fresh bandages, and he chuckled. It was a deep and surprisingly pleasant noise, and Sophie felt the heat return to her face.
“Please don’t think yesterday’s accident was in any way a common occurrence. Don’t worry—I won’t need any bandages today. But you avoided my question. How are you?”
“Much better today. Thank you.”
Joseph brushed a lock of hair behind Sophie’s ears. She hadn’t thought it would be possible to turn any redder, but her face somehow managed it. He was smiling at her, and rather than his usual tight-lipped, half-bitter expression, it was a look of genuine pleasure.
“You should wear your hair down more often,” he murmured. “It suits you.”
His fingers lingered on her neck, and the plans of wheedling permission to leave Northwood nearly slipped from Sophie’s mind. I would put up with a lot to be near him like this. Could I endure Northwood? I almost think I could.
“Would you like to have your picnic now?” Joseph asked, startling Sophie out of her thoughts.
“Ah, pardon?”
His smile widened and extended to his eyes. “Yesterday, I promised you a picnic. I thought you might need to spend today resting in your room, but I had the kitchen prepare a basket just in case.”
A picnic—outside of Northwood—would be perfect. “Yes, that sounds wonderful. Can we go now?”
“Certainly. Would you like a wrap or a jacket to keep you warm? The sun is bright, but I’m afraid the wind is still chilled.”
“Thank you, but I’ll be warm enough in this.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to catch cold under my watch.”
“Absolutely sure.”
“Then let’s go.”
Sophie hadn’t even noticed a maid had appeared at Joseph’s side. She held a basket with a blanket wrapped under the handle, which he took in one hand while offering Sophie his other. She took it and followed him through the doors.
CHAPTER TWENTY: The Lake
Joseph had been right: the sun wasn’t quite hot enough to negate the cool wind, but Sophie didn’t want to delay the outing to find a shawl. Joseph’s arm was warm under hers, and she found herself nestling closer to him as they crossed the lawn.
“I thought we could sit by the lake,” Joseph said. “The fish like to come near the surface on sunny days.”
“That sounds lovely.”
Sophie looked about the property as they approached the water’s edge. It was the first time she’d seen it properly since her arrival, and her first impressions—that it seemed dim and strangely unhealthy—were sadly accurate. The grass had an odd grey tint, and the trees, although their branches were full of leaves, looked half-dead. Little landscaping existed around the house, and while Sophie normally enjoyed nature, she found Northwood’s grounds unsatisfying and stark. Despite all of that, she was glad to be out of the smothering house, and her companion seemed to be in a good mood.
Joseph threw the rug over a smooth patch of grass near the lake’s edge and helped Sophie onto it. He knelt next to her and began pulling food out of the basket. Sophie hadn’t expected it to hold much, but it had been packed tightly. Plates of cold meats followed fresh fruit, cheeses, bread and preserves, sandwiches and pastries. “We can’t possibly eat all of this.”
“I wasn’t sure what you liked.” Joseph’s smile returned. “Besides, you’ve lost weight since you came here. I want to make sure you have at least one good meal while I can.”
At the bottom of the basket were plates and cutlery, and Joseph urged her to try a bit of everything. For a few minutes, they ate in silence, watching the sun sparkling off the dark lake. A fish, large and plump, breached the water and returned with a splash. Sophie looked at Joseph to see if he’d been watching it, but his eyes were on her. She looked back at her plate, both embarrassed and pleased.
“Would you tell me about the house?” she asked at last. “It must have an exceptional history.”
“I’m not sure about exceptional so much as unusual,” he replied, “but I’d be glad to tell you as much as I know. It was built a little over four hundred years ago by Matthias Argenton. Not much is known about him, except that he somehow came into a large sum of money very quickly and possibly wasn’t as sound of mind as I would like to claim in an ancestor. He had Northwood constructed in this forest. At that time, it was even further from civilisation than we currently are; the nearby town is only three hundred years old. Before then, it was nearly a full day’s travel to the closest neighbour.”
Sophie frowned. “What a strange thing to do.”
“From all accounts, he was a strange person. The house was built to his exact specifications, which, as you can see, are nearly as eccentric as his choice of location.”
The building’s shadow stretched over the grass
behind them. Even without looking at it, Sophie could picture the mammoth building, so large and complicated that she still couldn’t find her way to her own bedroom.
“Did he have family?”
“Not at first, but he soon found that wealth could abolish a lot of faults in the eyes of a young woman. Matthias married within a year of Northwood’s completion and had twelve children—all sons—over the following decade.”
“Twelve sons,” Sophie echoed in amazement. “It’s a wonder they didn’t consume his entire fortune.”
Joseph chuckled. “Yes, indeed. But they thrived, and each brought their own brides back to Northwood, and the family quickly grew to more than fifty members. The following two centuries were Northwood’s peak; the house was full and busy, there were more than enough staff to care for it, and, from what I gather, the family was all happy living together.”
Sophie thought of the house’s current residents: Joseph, Garrett, Rose, and Elise. It was a sad reduction for such a grand building.
“What happened?” she asked. “Did they move to the city or different parts of the country?”
“No.” Joseph’s face darkened a fraction. “If you’re born at Northwood, there’s a strong tendency to stay your whole life. I understand there was a disagreement between my grandparents and their siblings, which divided the house and caused many deaths.”
The illustration of the wealthy woman decapitating her sister flashed before Sophie’s eyes again. The making of a vengeful ghost. “What was the disagreement about?”
Joseph hesitated a fraction of a second too long for Sophie to believe his answer. “I’m not entirely sure, but I believe it was something petty.”
She wanted to press him for the truth, but bit back on the impulse. They were finally talking; she didn’t want to make him hostile again. “And so Northwood’s occupants dwindled.”
“Yes. While Matthias Argenton and his children all had large families, the trend reversed over the last few generations. Rose and Garrett have only one child; several of their aunts and uncles didn’t have any.”
“Would you like children?”
She’d said something wrong. Joseph’s good humour disappeared abruptly, and the shutters returned to his eyes. “I did at one point, but I don’t believe I do any longer.”
Is that why he didn’t come to me on our first night at Northwood? Does he intend to never visit me? It was a startling idea. Sophie had assumed she would be expected to give him heirs. The possibility of remaining childless had never occurred to her.
Sophie searched for something to undo her blunder. She loved the way Joseph smiled at her, and the return of his cool tone made her shrink a little on the inside. “I don’t believe I thanked you for saving me last night.”
If anything, that only increased his coldness. “Why would you thank me for allowing you to fall into such a horrific situation? If you’re searching for a way to be kind to me, accepting my apology is, I suspect, more than I deserve.”
This is so confusing. He clearly hates what happened last night… but he’s not doing anything to prevent it occurring again. How can his loyalty to the house be that strong?
She’d hoped the picnic would be a chance for them to become closer, but it was turning sour, and Sophie had no idea how to reverse it. The panicky, choked feeling rose up to constrict her throat, and she pushed her half-eaten plate to one side.
“Sophie.” The fingers that brushed her arm were almost as soft as his voice. “Forgive me. I didn’t meant to spoil this morning for you. Come, I won’t be angry any longer.”
She tried to smile at him, but the emotions were too close to the surface to fight them back. Joseph’s black eyes, full of mingled regret and affection, met hers for a moment, then he pulled her against him in a warm, enveloping embrace.
Sophie pressed her face to his jacket and inhaled deeply. He smelt good, like a forest after a heavy rain, mingled with spices and firewood. One hand wrapped around her back, and his other caressed her hair in slow, even strokes. She shivered at the touch.
“You’re cold.” He sighed and pulled back. The sudden lack of contact left her with a heavy, empty feeling inside, but the depravation was only temporary. Joseph shrugged off his jacket, wrapped it around her shoulders, then pulled her back into his arms.
They sat like that for a long while. Joseph stroked her hair, and she thought she felt him press a kiss to the top of her head. His heartbeat echoed in her ears. It was a good, strong tempo, and the anxiety in Sophie’s chest ebbed as she nestled deeper into his arms.
“Why did you marry me?” she asked. Her voice was muffled in his shirt, though, and he had to pull back slightly.
“Pardon, my dear?”
“Why did you marry me?”
The smile was back, warming her insides. “I liked your hair.”
Sophie laughed. “That’s a terrible reason.”
“It certainly is.”
Her smile faltered. “Be honest with me. You’re wealthy enough to recommend you to most of the city’s available ladies. Why me? You hardly knew me.”
He inhaled and let it out slowly. “That’s true. I was in a bad situation when I met you that night at the opera. You looked—forgive me if this is too blunt—but you looked stunning. You were everything innocent and sweet and vulnerable. When I visited the following day, it was under the guise of a meeting with your father. But, truthfully, I was only there to see more of you. And when I heard what had happened to your father’s shipment…”
He trailed off. Sophie finished the sentence for him. “You made an offer of marriage, knowing it wouldn’t be refused.”
Joseph sighed and squeezed her shoulders lightly. “I’m afraid so. Does that make me a terrible person? It was an impulse decision. But, my dear, you’ve done nothing but surprise me since.”
Sophie desperately hoped she hadn’t been a bad surprise. “How so?”
“I’ve already said my first impression was that you were sweet. That has been accurate, but I didn’t expect you to have a sharp mind, as well.” He nodded towards the bandage on his arm. “Or to care so deeply and show me so much kindness when you barely knew me.”
Sophie buried her face against his chest so he couldn’t see her embarrassment.
“I thought I was marrying a simple girl. But, somehow, I managed to find a woman I respect, whose company I enjoy more than I’ve enjoyed anything for a long time, and who I’ve learnt to care for deeply.” His voice was low and full of emotion. Sophie was gradually learning to identify his tones and realised, with a stab of surprise, that he was anxious. He’s afraid I’ll reject him.
She tilted her head up so that he could see her expression. She was so excited and nervous that she hardly knew what she was saying. “I—for you, too…so much…”
Surprise, then delight flooded his eyes, followed by something so deep and powerful that Sophie thought her heart might stop. “Sophie, my darling…”
He lowered his head towards her, slowly and cautiously, and Sophie closed her eyes.
She’d never imagined his lips could feel so good. They were firm, warm, and hesitant at first, but quickly became hungry as she returned the kiss. His hand tangled in her hair, pressing her against him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders in return, and felt his muscles shift under her fingers. Her heart fluttered at the taste of his mouth, and when he finally pulled back, they were both breathing heavily. A smile spread over Joseph’s face as his hands lingered on the back of her neck.
He loves me. The thought made her feel like her heart might explode. She’d never experienced so much happiness all at once before; she was shaking from it. He actually loves me.
“Sophie—” He wouldn’t stop smiling, and in a moment, both of them were laughing. He kissed her cheeks, her forehead, her neck, and finally her lips again, and she responded by holding him as tightly as she dared.
They lay back on the picnic blanket, limbs tangled, simply enjoying the moment. Joseph’s hand
returned to stroking her hair and her neck, and Sophie kissed his fingers whenever they came close enough.
“I’d like to stay here forever,” he said.
Sophie ran her hand over his sharp cheek and jaw, and felt a flutter of delight when he leaned into her touch. “We could. You brought enough food to last us for a few weeks at least.”
He laughed. After a moment, he looked at the sky, though, and his expression sobered. “I would stay here with you all day and all night, if you would tolerate me for that long, but I’ll need to leave quickly if I’m to return before dark.”
Sophie felt like someone had doused her in icy water. “You’re still going to town?”
“I’m afraid I must.”
Sophie tilted her head back to look at Northwood. It loomed over her, patiently waiting for her to step through its doors and return to its vicious embrace. “Can I come with you?”
“Not this time, my darling. I’ll be travelling by horseback to cover the road quickly.” The frown returned as he examined her face. “Are you afraid?”
Yes. “I’ll be fine.”
He took her hand and kissed the back of each finger. “I’ll return as quickly as I can. Stay in your room; you’ll be safe there. And if you need help, ask Garrett. I know he seems indifferent, but he isn’t. I’ve asked him to look out for you.”
“Thank you.”
“Would you like me to walk you to your room?”
The sun was still bright and high in the sky, and Sophie was reluctant to return to the house. “I’d like to stay outside a little longer, if that’s all right.”
He hesitated for a moment, and his eyes darted towards the woods. “That should be fine. But don’t stray far from the house.”
“Because of the wolves?”
“Yes.”
It was another lie. That he was still keeping secrets cut Sophie deeply, but she tried to hide it with a smile.
He seemed on the verge of saying something more, but then apparently thought better of it and closed his mouth. The joy was gradually disappearing from his countenance as he surveyed the forest edge, and in a desperate bid to bring it back, Sophie ran her fingers over his jaw again. He smiled at her, but it was only a brief flicker of warmth. He sat up, and Sophie joined him, nestling close to his side. He wrapped his arm about her shoulders again and leaned his head on hers.
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