he looks. The damage to his lungs is minimal. They’re going to give him a blood transfusion. He was due to have one shortly, anyway. All told, he’s lucky Isobel heard what was going on outside. It could have been a different story if he’d been exposed for longer.’
‘All thanks to your quick thinking.’ He lifted his glass in a toast to her. ‘He’s lucky to have someone as capable as you to look after him.’
‘Capable?’ She, too, lifted her glass. ‘Is that what you think I am?’
‘With him, yes. Capable and caring. You’re a woman of many parts, Sophia.’
‘Such as?’ What was she thinking, making such a remark? He could take it the wrong way, yet she was enjoying the slow play of his eyes on her.
‘Charm, passion, courage, devotion, need I go on?’ He slid his arm across the back of the sofa. ‘But, even with your help, we all know that if Jack survives this shock to his system, he can’t go back to Hyland Hall. It’s out of the question.’
‘Let’s see how well he recovers before we make decisions.’ She swirled the amber liquid and raised the glass to her lips. ‘Have you always lived alone here?’
‘Since my parents died, yes.’
‘That surprises me.’
‘You think I should be married?’
‘That’s none of my business.’
‘I was in a relationship for four years. We ended it mutually but it took a long time before either of us could move on.’
‘What went wrong?’
‘She demanded more than I was able to give.’
‘Demanded?’ What had been his breaking point, she wondered?
‘She had problems with alcohol.’ Victor had picked up on her thoughts. ‘Addiction makes demands on those who love the addicted. Her problems became mine and I couldn’t handle them anymore. It’s hard to explain without sounding selfish, even pitiless.’
‘I understand what you mean.’ She filled in the silence that followed his admission. ‘It’s never easy to make such decisions but, sometimes, it’s self-survival that drives us there.’
‘Was that what brought you to Hyland Hall?’
‘I guess.’ She hesitated as she realised where the conversation was leading her and drained her glass. ‘Wow,’ she gasped as the brandy flamed her throat. ‘That’s some after-burn.’
‘Just take it easy, Sophia, and you’ll get used to it,’ he said. He was right. The second one went down as smooth as honey.
‘My mother-in-law was an amazing person,’ she said. ‘She reared Luke on her own and built up a successful business.’ She had no idea how the conversation turned to Luke and her marriage breakup but she was unable to stop charting each painful phase.
‘The signs were there for me to see but there was always something else to distract me from looking,’ she admitted. ‘In the end, I was slapped in the face, so to speak, with the evidence and my marriage was over.’ She faltered, remembering Luke’s haunted expression, his bewilderment and shame that he had imposed such a burden on his family. ‘I knew Luke was in hell but I was unable to relate to his distress. I should have recognised what was going on but,’ she shrugged and laid down her empty glass, ‘I didn’t.’
‘I often find that hindsight equates with guilt,’ he said. ‘And guilt will always hold us back when we need to move forward.’
‘I hope I’m moving forward—’
‘Does Luke still belong in your life?’ His question startled her.
‘He belongs to my past. All I need to do is make peace with it. It’s as simple as that.’
‘I hope it is.’ His fingers gently stroked the back of her neck. ‘Sometimes the simplest things are the most difficult to achieve.’
He was right. The fabric of her marriage had been ripped apart so suddenly and savagely that it was impossible to even find the frayed edges.
‘Why do you think I want Jack to move into my house?’ Victor asked.
‘You believe it’s more suitable than Hyland Hall.’
‘Yes, I do. But there’s another reason. You must be aware of it.’ His eyes had depths that could sweep her into dangerous currents.
‘If Jack agrees to move in here, and there’s no guarantee he will, have you enough rooms for all of us?’ she asked.
He nodded at the directness of her question. ‘Let me put your mind at ease, Sophia. You will have your own room. There are no strings attached to my offer.’
‘Why are you being so kind to us?’
‘I could pretend it’s my good nature but I doubt if you’ll believe me.’ He brought her hand to his lips. He kissed her palm, her wrist,