Read Online The Earl I Adore by Erin Knightley - Free Book Online Page B

as LadyJulia settled onto the settee and smoothed out her skirts. Her gown, a lovely pin-striped white muslin day dress with perfectly puffed sleeves and braided satin piping, was easily worth more than Sophie’s entire wardrobe combined. Her golden-brown hair, so much like her brother’s in color and texture, was arranged in perfect little finger curls threaded with a ribbon that matched the piping of her dress.
    Sophie sat up a little straighter, oddly self-conscious. She was quite used to socializing with those of superior wealth and status, but there was something about Lady Julia that was intimidating. Perhaps it was the fact that she was Evan’s sister, but Sophie didn’t think so. Was it fair to say she was standoffish when they hadn’t even spent a minute in each other’s company yet?
    Stifling the urge to start talking—because heaven knew she wouldn’t stop once she got going—she laced her fingers together and waited for her hostess to speak first.
    Thankfully, Lady Julia didn’t keep her waiting too long. “I must say, Miss Wembley,” she said, folding her hands primly in her lap and leveling her gaze squarely on Sophie, “this is something of a first. Evan doesn’t usually invite people to call, and he certainly doesn’t do so on my behalf. I wonder what has him doing so now.”
    Good gracious, but that was blunt. Sophie blinked, at a loss as to how to answer such a question. “I’m sure I don’t know,” she hedged, suddenly wishing she had turned down the earl’s offer to come today. For some reason, she had imagined his sister to be much like him: kind, genial, quick to put one at ease. Stupid assumption, really; of her own sisters, Pippa was the only one who was even remotely similar to Sophie.
    Lady Julia tilted her head, inspecting Sophie as though she were an animal in an exhibit. “The way I see it, thereare two possibilities. Either my brother has an interest in you personally, which I highly doubt, or he feels you would be some sort of appropriate chaperone for me, which is equally unlikely, given your age and unmarried status.”
    Ah, so apparently they were moving from blunt to rude. Good to know. “I can’t purport to understand his lordship’s decision. He asked, and I accepted. Nothing nefarious or underhanded about it, at least not from what I could tell.” No wonder the earl thought his sister needed a friend. If this was her normal behavior, the woman probably didn’t have any.
    â€œI see,” she said, in the way one does when one doesn’t really see at all. “Well, I can assure you that I have no need—” She abruptly stopped talking as Evan strode into the room.
    Thank God.
Sophie didn’t know how much more she could take of the interview. She never did waste her time with people who didn’t wish for her company. Her mother did enough of that for the both of them.
    Smiling toward her savior, Sophie watched as he made his way to the seating area. His long legs were encased in a pair of off-white breeches that contrasted with the navy blue of his jacket quite nicely. His cravat was simply tied and his hair was left unbound, skimming the tops of his shoulders. As always, the sight of him warmed her. “Ah, good, I see you’ve met.”
    Sophie nearly snorted, despite the fluttering nerves that seemed to get worse with every step closer he took. They’d met all right, though she wouldn’t necessarily call that a good thing.
    â€œYes. Miss Wembley and I were just having a little chin-wag.
Lovely
girl,” Julia said, not bothering to conceal her sarcasm.
    Evan slowed in the process of taking his seat, looking to his sister with the sort of caution one shows a cat with its claws out. “I agree completely. What were you discussing?”
    Even if Sophie had been her normal chatty self, she still wouldn’t have touched that question. She