A shout and a large thump interrupted her mental tirade. She stormed to the door, swung it open, and yelled at the top of her lungs, “He’s had twenty minutes! Call the constable!” Then she slammed it shut.
Five minutes later the house was silent. Sophie guessed the constable hadn’t been necessary after all, since no one came looking for her. Feeling better at just the thought of her cousin’s departure, Sophie threw herself into a cushioned chair and began to review her options.
She couldn’t let Whitefield go. Not only was it the beloved ancestral home of her childhood, it was the only reliable source of income for her and her father. The work they did overseas with antiquities was a labor of love. They had never managed to turn a profit, and she rather doubted they could. Probably, they could live off the money offered by the Crown if she managed to accomplish her mission, but that was a fairly significant “if.” Particularly in light of her recent failures to acquire any useful information from the homes of Patton and Calmaton.
She might take what few funds her family had left—and any money she might earn—and invest it, but neither she nor her father knew anything about business ventures.
Maybe she should use their money to hire a solicitor to stall the transfer of own ership in the courts long enough for her father to make the trip from China.
She groaned and dropped her head to her hands. It would never work. She’d have to get a letter to him first, and then there were the usual arrangements to make—it would take months for him to arrive. She didn’t have the funds to hire a decent solicitor for that long. And if it failed, she’d lose what little money they had left.
She sat up and scowled. This was, obviously, a very unfortunate business. Surely something brilliant would turn up to balance things out. But what? And more importantly, when? She couldn’t very well sit about and wait for that something to happen. She needed to do something.
She needed…
Twenty minutes later she was traveling across town. She’d left a note to Mrs. Summers in Penny’s care briefly explaining Loudor’s new living arrangements.
She had a plan.
“Sophie, you came!”
Sophie returned Kate’s bright smile and followed her into a smaller parlor in the back of the Cole town house.
“Mirabelle and I have decided not to be at home to other visitors today,” she explained. “Rather hard to do when all the world can see you through the front windows.”
“I would imagine so,” Sophie murmured, only half listening. “I apologize for not sending a note in advance—”
“Nonsense,” came Mirabelle’s voice as she stepped into the room and plopped down on a settee. “You were invited.”
Sophie smiled her thanks and took her own seat uneasily. She felt awkward all of a sudden, and nervous. She had never asked for help from anyone before, at least not since she was old enough to dress and feed herself, and certainly never from someone she had known for less than a fortnight. Exactly how long was one supposed to wait before partaking of the full advantages of friendship? And what exactly were the full advantages? Asking for money wasn’t appropriate, she knew that much at least. And even if it were, Sophie could never bring herself to make such a request. But if one were only seeking advice, of a sort, surely that would be acceptable, wouldn’t it? Maybe even appreciated?
“You look distracted, Sophie,” Mirabelle commented.
Sophie looked up to find both girls staring at her expectantly. Kate was holding out a cup of tea. Good Lord, someone had already come and gone with the tea ser vice and she hadn’t even noticed. She was distracted. No, she was more than distracted, she was going mad under the strain. The thought frightened her, enough so that her brain seemed to shut down completely, and without further ado she announced, “I evicted my cousin.”
Twelve
Kate dropped the teacup. Which turned out to be a good thing for Sophie. She was too busy righting the mess at her feet to heed the little voice in her head that demanded she kick herself in the shin for her outburst. She handed the empty and somewhat sticky cup back to Kate, who took it without looking. Kate’s mouth and eyes were wide open in shock. Mirabelle looked much the same.
“Oh, do say something, please. I—” Sophie started.
“Can you do that?” Mirabelle asked in an awed whisper.
“I can, and I did,” Sophie stated resolutely. “And with good reason, I assure you.”
“I’m sure,” Mirabelle offered sincerely, “but what I meant was, can you evict someone from their own—”
“The town house belongs to me,” Sophie interrupted. “It always has.”
Mirabelle considered that. “Oh,” she finally said, still looking a little dazed. Then she added, “Close your mouth, Kate. You’ll catch flies.”
Kate’s jaw shut with an audible clack that made Sophie wince.