Sophie whirled on her companion. “You’re a spy?”
“Of course not, dear. Espionage is not a suitable occupation for a lady,” she said pointedly. “My husband, however—”
“You said your husband died in the Terror,” Sophie said accusingly.
“And so he did. His job required he spend a considerable amount of time in Louis’ court. To the mob, he was just another courtier.”
“Oh,” Sophie murmured. “I’m terribly sorry.”
“It’s quite all right. It was a long time ago, and William was a great support to me. Even convincing your father—an old Eton friend of his, before you ask—to hire a governess with no experience. We have kept in contact for years.”
“She often wrote to me of your adventures,” William said with a smile. “She was concerned you would not be able to find a respectable husband, one you would not drive to distraction within a year. I, in turn, was worried I would not be able to find a young lady who could hold Alex’s interest for more than a fortnight. Mary suggested the two of you might suit.”
Sophie considered that for moment, then said, “I can understand the rationale of that, I suppose, but why the elaborate ruse? Why not simply introduce us in the normal manner, at a ball or a dinner?”
William shook his head. “Mary and I agreed that both of you were too stubborn to take kindly to blatant matchmaking. You would have been bored by the formalities and indignant over the mechanisms. So I formulated an alternate means of bringing the two of you together.”
“I’m still indignant,” Alex pointed out. “Sophie?”
“Oh, rather.”
“Yes, but it’s too late, isn’t it?” Mrs. Summers stated pertly. “You’re already in love.”
Sophie had no intention of having a discussion on that theme. “But why lead me to believe I was working for the Prince Regent?” she asked. “Why not team us together at the start?”
William looked at Alex. “If I had suggested you look into a French conspiracy with a young woman of no experience, who didn’t speak French—”
“I would have been suspicious,” Alex admitted reluctantly.
“There you go,” William declared. “The plan was to have Alex catch you, Sophie, in the act of sneaking—”
“Why all the other gentlemen?” Sophie demanded. “You could have sent me to spy on Alex alone and left everyone else out of this. For that matter, you could have left me out of it. All you needed, apparently, was for Alex to seek me out.”
Sophie looked to William for an answer. William looked to Mrs. Summers. And Mrs. Summers, very pointedly, did not look at Sophie when she said, “You needed something to do.”
“What does that mean?”
Mrs. Summers heaved a dramatic sigh. “Really, dear, how long do you suppose you would have been content running about town, playing the debutante?”
“I—”
“You would have had us both packed and headed for parts unknown within days, unless you were given something to keep you occupied…and in town.”
“That is not true!” Sophie declared firmly. “Not necessarily,” she added, a little less firmly. “Oh, very well,” she concluded, in defeat. “You’re probably right.”
Alex leaned over and patted her knee, but wisely kept his opinion to himself. “Prinny has nothing to do with this, has he?” he asked William.
“Not a thing,” William replied.
“Why didn’t you simply send me to spy on Alex?” Sophie asked, still hopelessly confused.
This time, Mrs. Summers looked to William, who very pointedly looked at Alex. “It was assumed that Alex would catch you too quickly. It was assumed he would catch you crawling in and out of people’s homes eventually, of course, but by then it would be clear whether or not you would suit. Perhaps you’d join forces against Loudor and—”
Alex coughed into his fist uncomfortably.
“My cousin,” Sophie murmured. “He isn’t a Napoleon sympathizer then, is he?”
“No,” William responded. “Most of the men the two of you were investigating were never suspected of treason. They are either old school chums of mine or they owed me a favor or two. The exception would be Lord Heransly, whose involvement in this has come as a late development. As for Lord Loudor, his love for the French doesn’t extend past his brandy and the cut of his waistcoat. His interest in Whitefield, however, was very real.”
“Oh.” Sophie felt a wash of disappointment come over her. For a moment, she had hoped Loudor could be redeemed. She didn’t have enough family left not to grab at the chance to keep a cousin.