Free All I Ever Needed by Jo Goodman Page B

of his first introduction to Lady Sophia. "It was at one of Lady Stafford's musicales. Mozart, perhaps. Or Bach. I don't know. It was a tedious affair, but then they often are. Dunsmore was in attendance with his wife and—"
    "Dunsmore?" the colonel asked, interrupting. "Dunsmore is Lady Sophia's cousin?"
    "Yes. A second or third cousin, I think. I'm not certain. I have never made a point to inquire."
    "Then Tremont is—"
    "Her cousin also. The earl is Dunsmore's father."
    "Of course." The tumblers fell into place in the colonel's steel-trap mind. "Lady Sophia is the daughter of the late earl. Francis... Franklin..." He held up his index finger to stop Eastlyn from supplying the correct name. "Hah! It was Frederick Colley. A thorough bounder if there ever was."
    "I take it you were acquainted with him."
    "No. Good heavens, no. My acquaintance is with his reputation. You're familiar, no doubt."
    "I am not," Eastlyn admitted. "My knowledge of Lady Sophia's family is slight."
    "You should have found out more before you got yourself engaged to her."
    "Amusing," Eastlyn said sarcastically. "I hope you do not mean to entertain me with your wit this morning. My headache of last night will most certainly return."
    The colonel apologized easily. "Forgive me. As you noted, it was a poor attempt at levity." He adjusted his spectacles, pushing them down the bridge of his nose so he could peer at Eastlyn over the gold rims. "I suppose the particulars of the late earl's life are unimportant now that you have settled this matter with Lady Sophia." He fell silent, his features perfectly neutral, while he waited to see if Eastlyn would take the dangled bait.
    East did not. What he did was find the humor of the situation and offer up a slim, slightly mocking smile. "How little I would have learned from you if I snapped at that. Confess, you would be disappointed."
    Blackwood sighed. "Hoisted with my own petard."
    Eastlyn's smile widened a fraction. It was not often that he could catch the colonel out so neatly. "Tell me about the late earl, or not," he said. "But I will not inquire because it is of no consequence to me. I doubt I will have reason to seek Lady Sophia's company again. After speaking with her yesterday, I am free to deny the rumors without causing her distress. She, of course, has always been free to do the same."
    "Her family might be of a different mind."
    "They are. But I believe she means to rein them in."
    "You are highly eligible. Tremont has—"
    Eastlyn shook his head, interrupting the colonel. "Lady Sophia doesn't think so."
    "What?" Blackwood pushed his spectacles back up over the bridge of his hawkish nose and regarded East intently. "How is that again?"
    "Lady Sophia doesn't think we would suit, though I think she means I would not suit her. I have a vague recollection of telling you that she called me a murderer. And a gambler. A drunkard also."
    "Then you were serious?"
    "Completely. So was she."
    The colonel's frown deepened as he considered this. "But you are quite wealthy."
    "I believe she was the one to point that out. It did nothing to make my character flaws more palatable."
    "Dunsmore cannot like that," Blackwood said. "There are debts, I believe. Heavy ones. Bad investments also."
    It did not surprise Eastlyn. It was not an unusual circumstance with inherited titles and lands, especially ones that were entailed, as he surmised was the case in Sophia's family. Although the colonel had not offered the information yet, East gathered that the late earl was the reason for the empty pockets. "Lady Sophia does not seem to be of a mind to lay the problem of her family's finances at my door."
    "Someone was," Blackwood reminded him.
    "Yes. But she was not the one. Dunsmore, perhaps Tremont as well, might not be above trying to take advantage of the rumor, but as I mentioned before, I most sincerely doubt they are the source of it."
    The colonel had his own idea who was responsible for starting the gossip, but he did