‘I know. But the doctor sounds very optimistic that he will recover quickly. How is Ralph?’
‘Almost prostrate and his father is as bad. Lady Peter is beside herself.’
‘Perhaps you could go and tell her that the doctor says the wound is clean, there is small risk of infection and Cal only needs rest to heal. It might calm her.’
‘You are very thoughtful, my dear.’ Her mother gave her a hug and stood up. ‘If it had been me and someone had shot darling Lucas I would find it hard to forgive. I will go and put her mind at rest now.’
Sophie climbed gratefully into the steaming water and lay back, trying to imagine the strain the two men had been under for years, each convinced that the other was plotting to commit murder. There were going to be some hard conversations in the Thorne household.
She sat up suddenly, slopping water in all directions. Isobel. Had she heard anything? Had they told her that her father was wounded? ‘Mary? Please go and ask Nany Jenkins to bring Lady Isobel down to me. Make sure she avoids any fuss – I do not want her alarmed.’
Mary ushered them in just as Sophie was tying the sash of her robe. ‘Hello, Miss Sophie.’ The child looked around with interest. ‘I’ve never been in here before.’
‘It is my room. Isobel, come and listen to me.’ She sat down and stood the child between her knees, her hands on her shoulders, and looked her in the eye. ‘Do you trust me to tell you the truth, Isobel?’
‘Yes. We’re friends and you are going to marry Papa.’
‘There was an accident. Papa was shot in the shoulder. He is going to be perfectly all right, but he is feeling very sore and sorry for himself just now.’
Isobel’s eyes widened, then, alarmingly, filled with tears. ‘He’s dead, like Mama!’
‘No. Isobel, he is not. You can come and see him, but you must be quiet and not bounce on the bed because his shoulder hurts a lot.’
‘Truly he will be all right?’ One fat tear escaped.
‘Truly. Shall we go and see if he is awake?’
‘All right. How was it an accident?’
‘Cousin Ralph shot a pistol and hit Papa by mistake. He is very upset and sorry, so you must not be horrid to him about it because it he didn’t mean it. Now, wait here and I will just check.’ She looked round the door and saw that the gruesome rug had been rolled up and taken away. Cal’s eyes were closed but he opened them when he heard the door.
‘Are you up to having a visitor?’
‘Yes. Isobel. Come here, darling.’ The look he sent Sophie was full of doubt but she nodded reassurance.
‘Miss Sophie says Cousin Ralph shot you by accident and I mustn’t shout at him because he’s very sorry and I mustn’t bounce on the bed because your shoulder hurts and you’re not going to die like Mama.’
‘All quite true. Come and give me a kiss without any bounces.’
Sophie found her eyes were mysteriously blurred. She sniffed, blinked and held out her hand. ‘Come along now, Isobel. We mustn’t tire Papa out.’
‘What are you going to call Miss Sophie when she is married to me?’ Cal enquired, emerging from a vigorous kiss on the nose.
‘Mama Sophie, of course. Will you be all better tomorrow, Papa?’
‘It might take a day or two before Papa is allowed to get up.’ Sophie took her hand and led her towards the door. ‘But we will visit and you may come to my room so we can work on the secret,’ she whispered. She delivered the child to her nurse with a kiss and went back to Cal.
‘How are you?’
‘Weak as a kitten. Lord, Sophie, I never thought all this would put you in any danger.’
‘Neither did I. We could not have foreseen this. Cal, I saw Lord Peter’s face – he has been as suspicious of Ralph as Ralph was of him. Neither wanted you dead but both thought the other did. I have sent a message to Lady Peter that should reassure her that it was an accident, but the poor woman will have her hands full with the pair of them wallowing in a morass of guilt and relief and awkwardness.’
‘I had better talk to them.’
‘Not until the day after tomorrow at the earliest. The doctor said you will be feverish tomorrow.’
‘Why aren’t you at dinner? That is a very fetching dressing gown.’ For a man in his condition the look in his eyes was positively lively.