A troubled look crossed Lady Clifford’s face. “I’m afraid there’s only so much one can do, and there’s a limit to Kit Benjamin’s influence, as well. Even he can’t reach that high.”
“No. No one can.” Indeed, that was rather the problem.
Lady Clifford gave his hand another pat, then rose to her feet. “Now, Lord Gray. I advise you to get some rest.”
“No, my lady. Not until I see Sophia.” Tristan pulled the coverlet aside, determined to go find her, even if he had to climb onto the roof to do it.
“Ah, yes. Sophia. No, there’s no need to leave your bed, Lord Gray.” Lady Clifford made her way to the bedchamber door, but before she disappeared into the hallway she paused and said, “You can come out of the cupboard now, Sophia, dear.”
“The cupboard!” Tristan’s mouth fell open. His gaze shot to the tall cupboard on the other side of the bedchamber. The door creaked open, one inch at a time. When Sophia’s dark head appeared, his lips curved in a grin. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
Sophia gave Tristan a sheepish look, then turned to Lady Clifford. “How in the world did you know I was in the cupboard?”
“I know everything that happens at the Clifford School. You should know that by now, dear.” Lady Clifford lifted her chin, but there was a gleam of mischief in her blue eyes. “Well, that, and a fold of your skirt was caught in the cupboard door.”
Sophia looked down at her skirts. “Blast it,” she muttered, her face flushing.
Lady Clifford’s soft laugh drifted across the bedchamber, and then she was gone, closing the door with a quiet click behind her.
Tristan’s gaze met Sophia’s. “Sophia. Come here, pixie.”
Sophia gave him an uncharacteristically shy look, but she crossed the room and stopped by the side of his bed. He reached and took her hand in a weak grip. “You look fatigued, sweetheart.”
“You developed an infection a few days ago, and I thought…I was worried.” Her lower lip began to tremble, and she sank her teeth into it to still it. “You’re much better now. Giles Wakeford took good care of you.”
Giles Wakeford. The man with the dark hair and brown eyes. Tristan would thank him later. Much later.
For now, all he wanted, all he could see, was Sophia.
“Come closer, sweetheart.” After an exhaustive effort and more than one curse and hiss of pain, Tristan managed to shift a little to his left. “Lie down with me.”
“No.” Sophia hung back. “I don’t want to jostle you.”
“You won’t. There’s plenty of room.”
Sophia glanced at the door. “Lady Clifford will scold dreadfully if she finds out.” But when she turned to Tristan again, her face was filled with longing.
“Lady Clifford is gone. Please, Sophia. I need to hold you and reassure myself you’re here, and in one piece.”
Sophia’s resolve disintegrated in the face of that soft plea. “Oh, well, perhaps for just a moment.” She rested a knee on the bed and climbed up beside him, taking care not to hurt him. Once she was settled, she lay her hand gently against his neck and pressed her face into his shoulder.
More than anything Tristan wanted to wrap his arm around her and ease her head down to his chest, but that would have to wait until he’d healed, so he settled for turning his head and burying his face in her hair. “There’s something I need to know, Sophia. You overheard me talking to Sampson Willis, didn’t you?”
Sophia stiffened. “It doesn’t matter now—”
“Yes, it does. It matters to me.”
She let out a long, deep sigh, her warm breath ghosting over his neck. “Yes. I…he said you were investigating me.”
Tristan heard the tremor in her voice, and pressed a kiss into her dark hair. “I won’t lie to you, or pretend it isn’t true. Willis did ask me to investigate you, but I agreed to do it the morning after our first meeting at St. Clement Dane’s Church, the night I followed you there. I didn’t know you then, Sophia.”
She sighed. “No, you didn’t. I don’t blame you for agreeing to investigate me, Tristan. Henry Gerrard was your friend, and anyone would have been suspicious of me, but once you did know me, you should have told me the truth.”
“I made a mistake, and I’m sorry for it. You were so skittish at first, I thought you’d never trust me again if I told you, and then later, I…this won’t make much sense to you, but I became so preoccupied