Free The Secret Lover by Julia London Page B

fawning males. That, and the viscount Hamilton was undoubtedly paying her quite a number of grand compliments. Honorine adored compliments.
    Claudia and Ann were no help, either—blast it if both of them didn't readily agree with Honorine over luncheon the next day that Hamilton's invitation was
exactly
the thing for Sophie.
    "It seems perfect. At least it will be a very
small
affair," Claudia reasoned. "You'll not be exposed to the
ton
, not really."
    Oh no, they mustn't show their tarnished spinster-sister to the upper echelons of society.
    "Hamilton has just come from the country. He's been there all this time with his father since Elspeth died. It's so tragic, is it not?" sighed Ann.
    "Frankly, I can't imagine why he'd come to London now. I suppose for the sake of the boy he must think of reentering society, at least in some small way," Claudia added, and she and Ann nodded in perfect unison.
    "How very unpleasant that man has presented himself as Lord Hamilton's son," Claudia added, frowning.
    "
Pardon
?" asked Honorine, perking up.
    "It's shocking, really," Ann said, inching forward, eager to tell. "There have been rumors floating about for years now that the viscount had illegitimate issue. A Frenchwoman, they say," she said, nodding authoritatively. "Of course no one had ever
seen
this child, but suddenly a man has appeared, claiming to be the son of Lord Hamilton!"
    Sophie felt a faint lurch of her belly.
    "It's despicable," Claudia muttered. "How can people be so vile?"
    "Victor says he is one of those who claims to be involved in the railroad," Ann sniffed disdainfully, and she and Claudia both shook their heads, as if there were something inherently evil about that.
    "What is wrong with the railroad?" Sophie asked innocently, and received twin looks of exasperation.
    "
Because
, darling," said Claudia, "they build this railroad through the countryside and divide up lands that have been owned by some families for centuries. It mars the landscape and makes a horrible noise. It will never succeed; you may trust me on that. I suspect this chap has lost every last farthing on the railroad and has come up with this despicable scheme to extort money from Lord Hamilton."
    "This man, what is the name of this man?" Honorine asked, ignoring the talk of railroads.
    Sophie caught a breath in her throat as she waited for Ann's answer.
    "His name? Hamilton, of course. Caleb Hamilton," Ann said as she speared a strawberry on her fork.
    Caleb?
Her
Caleb? She looked at Ann, hoping that perhaps she had not heard correctly. There could be hundreds of Hamiltons, couldn't there be?
    "
Who
?" she asked.
    "Caleb Hamilton," Ann responded, looking at her curiously.
    As the blood drained from her face, Sophie quickly looked down at her plate.
Oh God, not the foreman, her beautiful secret foreman
!
    "He's quite the man about town, if you catch my meaning," Ann added, and plopped the strawberry into her mouth.
    "Oh my yes," Claudia agreed with a roll of her eyes. "I have heard that he does indeed appreciate the company of a woman or two."
    "Or three or four," Ann added. "Victor has it on good authority that he is a frequent caller to Madame Farantino's," she said, exchanging a look of disdain with Claudia. "I do feel rather sorry for Mr. Trevor Hamilton. His troubles have been so great, and now this."
    Sophie sat, frozen with disappointment. She should have known it was too good to be true. She should have understood that a man with the fine looks of Caleb Hamilton could only be toying with her. "Why doesn't Lord Hamilton simply say whether or not he is his son?" she asked petulantly.
    "Lord Hamilton has been ill," Claudia informed her. "Trevor has been seeing to his care. First Elspeth, now his father."
    "He is very pleased with Sofia," Honorine offered nonchalantly from her daybed on the far end of the room. "This, it is very plain. He wants this supper for Sofia."
    Both Claudia's and Ann's forks froze midway to their mouths and their heads