finish changing.
When he emerged again, Oliver and Graham had made themselves comfortable on the sofa. Aaron took the chair.
No one said a word.
The clock struck the hour.
“It’s been a fine visit, gentlemen, but I think I’ll turn in. Do see yourselves out.” Aaron stood and turned, ready to leave his friends to stare at an empty chair. They’d likely escorted Sophia to Town, so it was safe to return to Newmarket. He’d buy a ticket in the morning.
“It didn’t work,” Oliver said.
Graham sighed. “I’m aware.”
Aaron shouldn’t ask. He knew he shouldn’t. He turned around. “What didn’t work?”
“Waiting you out.” Graham shifted to lean more comfortably into the corner of the sofa. “You’re far too experienced at being quiet.”
Aaron laughed dryly. “What did you expect? That I’d spill my innermost thoughts to fill the silence?” He shook his head. “That might work on Sophia but not on me.”
Oliver stared with wide eyes, slowly blinking for several moments.
Graham grinned. “How long has he known her?”
Oliver’s mouth curved as well. “Two weeks.”
“Huh.” Graham tilted his head to the side to assess Aaron.
Aaron wanted to kick himself for even mentioning Sophia’s name, much less in a capacity that indicated he knew her well. He pulled both hands across his face. “Stop looking at me like that. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Obviously it does or you wouldn’t think I thought it did.” Graham grinned.
Aaron dropped back into the chair and leaned forward to brace his elbows on his knees. “She made my life interesting, I’ll admit. Made me consider things I hadn’t before. That’s all it is.”
“Of course.” Aaron hated when Graham agreed with him in that tone of voice. It all but called him out as a liar.
Oliver frowned. “When we escorted her to the school this morning, you said Aaron was going to wish she was coming back with us.”
Graham sent an exasperated look at Oliver, who winced. “Right. Strategy.” He waved a hand between Graham and Aaron. “As you were. I’m just going to sit here.”
With a sigh, Graham turned back to Aaron. “Would you like to discuss your departure, Sophia, or tonight’s fascinating revelation first?”
He didn’t want to discuss any of them, but he absolutely refused to talk about Sophia. “Seeing my father on occasion helps me maintain perspective.”
“I can’t imagine how.”
“Because you are surrounded by people and places that remind you who you are and where you belong.”
There was a moment of silence before Graham quietly asked, “And you aren’t?”
“Not without careful planning, no.” Aaron left the topic there, allowing his friends to build their own conclusions. They’d known him more than twenty years. They wouldn’t be far off the mark.
After several long moments of silence, Graham’s face softened. Had he shifted into pity, Aaron would have left the room. While there may have been sympathy behind the determined set of his chin, his expression indicated nothing more than a desire to stand shoulder to shoulder with Aaron while he faced his demons, whether they came from the world or from himself.
Oliver was the one to finally speak again. “You left Newmarket. In the middle of the first October Meeting.”
“I know.” Aaron slid his eyes closed, and the vision of those red welts floated in front of his eyes. “I needed to take a moment, assess my life.”
“Did you come to any conclusions?”
He had. But he didn’t like a single one of them.
ANOTHER WEEK. ANOTHER bedroom.
This one was somewhere between the maid’s room at Meadowland Park and Lady Adelaide’s guest chamber. The bed was metal, with silver vines scrolling across the headboard. A dresser and a washstand sat to one side, a desk was beneath the window, and a comfortable-looking chair sat in the corner beside a small table. Perfect for drinking a cup of tea while reading a book.
Her trunk sat at the foot of the bed. It was silly, but there’d been something exciting about not being able to carry her luggage up to the staff quarters on her own.
Mrs. Carlton hadn’t been rude, but she also hadn’t seemed all that thrilled to have Sophia join the teaching staff. She’d shown her around, introduced her to the students, and then pointed out their small stable. There were only six stalls, and half of them were empty.
“When did your last riding instructor leave?” Sophia asked.
“You’re the first permanent one we’ve had.” Mrs. Carlton gave her a tight smile. “One of our patronesses suggested the girls’ riding skills be more than rudimentary. I don’t see the need. As long as you