done her best in the dress department—she’d certainly been given enough money to squander—but a presentable face and good figure could not disguise Sophia’s innate lack of sophistication. Her recognition of her failings had obliterated her self-confidence, everything only made worse by her unfortunate reaction to Jonathon’s bossy, almost bullying nature.
Perhaps if he’d been a bit more like Godfrey…
She sighed again, thinking to herself that she’d never known two brothers less alike.
All the formalities over, Jonathon saw the hearty Mr Weston to the door while the rest of them returned to the sitting-room where Maud was still laying out the buffet supper she’d been preparing all afternoon. Ivy was standing around, looking lost. Wilma immediately pressed a sherry into her hands, Sophia declining. Harvey moved off to pour himself a drink from the selection of crystal decanters lined up next to the food.
‘I wanted to tell you how beautiful you look today, my dear,’ Ivy complimented Sophia.
‘Blue’s not her colour, though,’ Wilma joined in tactlessly before Sophia could say a word. ‘She’d have looked much better in cream with her dark colouring, but Sophia thought it too close to white.’
‘I can understand her not wanting to wear white,’ Ivy murmured. ‘If only poor Godfrey could have been here…’
The words hung in the air, the group falling silent as the wretched reality of the occasion sank in.
‘Then there wouldn’t have been a wedding at all, Mother dear,’ Jonathon inserted drily into the emotion-charged atmosphere.
All heads turned to stare at him, Wilma recovering first.
‘Hardly a fair thing to say,’ was her tart comment, ‘especially when Godfrey isn’t here to defend himself.’
‘Oh I have no doubt that Godfrey meant to marry Sophia,’ Jonathon elaborated, that sardonic edge still in his voice, ‘but he was, at the time of his death, still married to Alicia. It takes twelve months after the initial application to gain a no-fault divorce in this country and Godfrey had instigated nothing in the three years he’d been away.’
‘Do we have to talk about that today, Jonathon?’ Ivy looked quite distressed and Sophia’s heart went out to her. ‘We all know Godfrey meant to divorce that woman.’
Jonathon, however, was not about to be swayed.
‘He didn’t divorce her, though, did he?’ he drawled. ‘But that was just like Godfrey, wasn’t it? Always meaning to do something but never getting round to it.’
‘Jonathon, don’t,’ his mother cried brokenly, a hand coming up to flutter at her throat.
‘I’m sorry, Mother, but I’m the one who’s always had to pick up the pieces whenever Godfrey decided to run away from real life and embrace one of his fancies.’
Sophia sucked in a sharp breath, but Jonathon swept on, seemingly intent on assassinating his brother’s character.
‘The man never grew up, never developed a sense of responsibility. I’m prepared to forget his business fiascos, but when it comes to his personal life I find it hard to be as tolerant. Alicia might be a spoiled, mercenary bitch, but she didn’t deserve being walked out on without a word. She’s been in limbo for three years, for God’s sake. The least Godfrey could have done was give her a divorce. Then what does he do? He takes up with a girl almost young enough to be his daughter and makes her pregnant when he knew, he knew dammit, that he was dying. What kind of selfish stupidity was that, I ask you?’
A hushed silence descended on the room once Jonathon ran out of steam, and it was while the air vibrated with everyone’s tension that Sophia stepped forward and slapped him hard around the face. The sound of her hand cracking across his cheek echoed with the gasps of shock her action produced. But she heard nothing, saw nothing except a haze of red-hot fury before her eyes.
‘Don’t you ever,’ she launched forth, her voice and body shaking with emotion, ‘call my Godfrey selfish or stupid again, do you hear me? He might not have been perfect. He probably made mistakes. But Godfrey would never deliberately hurt another human being. He did whatever he did because he had to! As for his callously making me pregnant, nothing could be further than the truth! During the time I knew Godfrey, not once did he make improper advances to me, even after he took me in when I had nowhere else to go.
‘If you must blame someone for my pregnancy, then blame me. I went to my Godfrey’s bed when he was obviously distraught and I comforted him the only way I could think of. Neither of us thought of the child we might have as a consequence, but do you know what? I’m proud I’m having Godfrey’s baby. Extremely proud. He was a fine man and would have made a fine father. But I am not proud of being your wife, Jonathon Parnell. The day cannot come quickly enough that I have done with you!’
So saying, she burst into tears and ran from the room, dashing up the stairs and along the hall into her bedroom where she threw herself on to the bed, weeping copiously into the green silk quilt.
Downstairs, Jonathon was still staring after her, his face ashen, except for the bright red mark on his cheek.
‘Well, Jonathon?’ Wilma mocked. ‘I see the much vaunted Parnell charm is still intact.’
‘Go after her, man,’ Harvey advised. ‘Apologise profusely. Beg her forgiveness.’
‘Please, Jonathon,’ Ivy pleaded. ‘She’s going to have Godfrey’s child…’
His eyes turned slowly towards his mother, their expression haunted. ‘Must I spend the rest of my life paying for the dubious privilege of being born in the image of my father?’ he muttered.
When no one commented further after this cryptic statement, he whirled and strode from the room, mounting the stairs two at a time till he disappeared from the others’ view. Maud returned from the kitchen at that precise moment to find three silent, drooping faces.
‘What is it?’ she demanded to know. ‘What’s happened?’
‘Jonathon said something that upset Sophia,’ Wilma volunteered.
‘Oh, no, not again! What’s wrong with that man? Can’t he see what a prize that girl is? Why, if he had any brains he’d snap her up for himself good and proper.’
‘Life isn’t that neat, Maud,’ was Harvey’s wry remark.
‘I don’t see why not,’ the old lady muttered crossly. ‘She’s a beautiful girl. He’s a handsome man. They’re married now. Why can’t nature take its natural course?’
‘She’s having his brother’s baby, for pity’s sake,’ Wilma argued. ‘Give the man a break. This hasn’t been easy for Jonathon. Besides, Sophia is still very much in love with Godfrey.’
‘You’re right,’ Maud sighed. ‘I’m just a silly old fool, thinking things can be all tied up with pink bows. So what are we going to do?’
‘I know what I’m going to do,’ Harvey said, lifting his whisky and draining every drop. ‘I’m going to have another drink.’
‘Good idea,’ Wilma agreed. ‘I’ll join you.’
THE first awareness Sophia had that someone had followed her came when the bed dipped low on one side, but she never dreamt it was Jonathon sitting there. She presumed it was Wilma, or maybe Maud. Not Ivy. Godfrey’s mother was not one to confront or even actively comfort. She was a gentle, but very passive creature.
So it wasn’t till Jonathon actually spoke that she realised who it was in the room with her.
‘I’m sorry, Sophia,’ he began with a ragged sigh. ‘I have no excuse for my appallingly