Behind the Courtesan - By Bronwyn Stuart Page 0,34

have to ‘Your Grace’ me, Sophia. You can call me Blakiston.”

She would rather not, but under the circumstances it was better than him offering his Christian name, so she inclined her head.

“What lures you from the comforts of London? I imagine the delights there are far more interesting than any you will find hereabouts.”

“Daemon is out of the city on business and my brother invited me to attend the birth of his child.”

“Your brother?”

“Matthew Martin.” She gave the name, but then wished she hadn’t.

“You’re that Sophia Martin?”

She swallowed hard. “I am.”

Blakiston reclined farther into his seat unknowing of the damage she had just caused. The village of Blakiston was the only place in the world she could hide herself from the eyes of London, but no more.

“Does St. Ives know you are visiting?” Blakiston asked, a small smile on his pale lips. She would have believed he merely passed the time and made conversation except for the smugness about him.

“He is not my keeper in all aspects, Your Grace. I do not have to inform him of my every movement.”

“If you were mine, I would want to know your whereabouts at all times.”

“Oh?” The sick feeling multiplied in the pit of her stomach.

Blakiston reached across the carriage and put his hand on her knee. She suddenly had the urge to kick a second man.

“I would want to know if I had to challenge any man who tried to steal you away.”

Sophia let out a strangled laugh, the lump in her throat made it hard to draw breath. “Daemon knows I can’t be stolen easily, Your Grace.”

He shrugged, removed his hand and reclined once again. “Perhaps there are those out there who don’t fight fair, who enjoy the thrill of a challenge?”

“Then there will be those out there who will be disappointed,” she replied, hoping that would be the end of it.

He shrugged again. “You are in love with St. Ives then?”

Hers was an easy answer. She may no longer share his bed, but St. Ives was her friend no matter their relationship status or station difference and she owed him everything she had left. “I would give my life to him if he so chose it.”

“Such loyalty,” he muttered with a shake of his head. Then he closed his eyes and leaned back against the squabs.

Sophia quietly exhaled the breath she hadn’t known she’d held and relaxed a fraction. So many lies told in such a small amount of time. She often wondered what the devil would do to her for her thousands of untruths when her time came to answer for her sins. But it was part of her existence.

It had been four long months since she had enjoyed a man’s touch, since she had enjoyed Daemon’s protection. Now she was on her own. With a little bit of luck Violet would soon have her baby and give Sophia a reason to back out of her ridiculous bargain with Blake. Then she could begin to consider the rest of her life. Contrary to what the ton believed, it had been she who had separated from Daemon. Discovering that she was pregnant had quickly put an end to their affair and given her the hope of a new beginning. He’d handed her a very large sum of money and extracted a promise to be kept up to date with the child’s progress.

But then the worst came about and she was forced to creep back into his life. Offering him his money back days after losing the baby had nearly destroyed her mind. It probably would have had he been a lesser man and reclaimed the money. Instead, he had folded her into his arms and held her as she’d cried, promising her that things could be different for her now. She was wealthy enough to be independent. To never have to rely on her charms to put food on the table or a roof over her head.

She had never before been in that situation and had had no idea where to start. It was why she had sought the comfort of her old home, of her brother, while she sorted out her mind.

As she peeked at her companion beneath her lashes, she was mightily glad of St. Ives. If men like Blakiston were to be options, she would have become a chambermaid long ago. Luckily she was adept at handling unwanted advances. It helped that her reputation had been upheld by St. Ives. According to the papers, she’d managed to