Lord Will & Her Grace by Sophia Nash

took obvious comfort in the bevy of
females at the far end of the table who besieged him.
    The day after their encounter in the boat,
Sophie had deemed it wise to add another family to the
long-promised gathering the next evening. There was safety to be
had in numbers lest she be forced to converse with the snake and do
him harm. And so she'd sent a late invitation to the Aversleys of
Bath, to whom Aunt Rutledge had insisted Sophie pay a courtesy call
while in the country. This would relieve her social obligation.
    Unfortunately, the evening hadn't transpired
as planned, like all of the events of her life as of late.
    The Aversley party consisted of only six
persons. Aside from the fiftyish or so father, of the leering eyes,
there was the tiny, meek-minded mother, their three daughters and
one son of fifteen given to coughing fits. The three older sons of
the Aversleys had been forced to remain at home due to the same
illness that obviously affected the younger son. So much for
balancing the numbers.
    The daughters were quite beautiful and the
Mornington sisters took an instant envy and dislike to them. The
same could not be said for Lord William.
    Sophie had never seen so many females
fighting mind and body over one male. And the Aversley ladies, much
to the dismay of the Mornington girls, had the upper hand with
their superior beauty and intelligence.
    "Lord Will, do tell us about your daring
deeds during the war. My father was well acquainted with several
officers at the top levels of British intelligence. Papa said you
were one of the fiercest spies in France," Miss Aversley said,
fluttering her eyelashes down over her wide, round eyes the color
of bluebells. The lady's bright auburn curls fell in soft waves
about her heart-shaped face. She was one of the prettiest females
Sophie had ever seen. Her sisters were even more perfect if it was
possible.
    He raised his hands as if to speak, displayed
his most seductive smile and shook his head.
    "Oh, Lord William, you can count on us to be
the souls of discretion. We would not breathe a word to anyone,"
sighed Miss Anna Mornington.
    "Oh, yes, do tell us more of your life, my
lord," said Miss Philippa Aversley, the only brunette in the
family. "Your exploits and heroic efforts are well known to
us."
    Sophie could almost hear a collective sigh of
rapture from every female breast in the room save hers and
Mari's.
    She was beginning to feel rather ill at the
sight of all these females hanging on to the scraps of stories and
attention Lord William tossed their way.
    Sophie was stuck between the coughing boy and
his lecherous father. Really! What had her aunt been thinking? And
Mari and Mr. Mornington were so wrapped up in each other's
conversation they provided no diversion whatsoever.
    But God finally took pity on her at the end
of the meal when the boy exhibited a particularly long paroxysm and
it was decided the family must return to Bath despite the
near-to-tears expressions of the pretty sisters.
    The remaining members of the party, with the
exception of Lord Will, breathed a sigh of relief when the
Aversleys departed. The residents of Burnham-by-the-Sea then
retired to the elegant music room.
    "Miss Somerset, you've been remarkably
generous in your attentions to the neighborhood, from the donations
for the restoration of the school to all your visits to the
infirm," Mr. Mornington said.
    Sophie, in front of the tea and coffee
service in the large room, refilled his proffered cup.
    Mr. Mornington continued, "You're more than
filling the role of the former Duchess of Cornwallis. I cannot tell
you how sad my family, indeed the entire county, was when news of
the duke and duchess's deaths in London reached us so soon after
their son's death. My mother counted the duchess as her closest
friend. We spent so many happy hours here, visiting the villa."
    "I know little of my uncle and aunt's ties."
She swallowed awkwardly.
    "My mother and Her Grace attended school
together and remained