He sat on the other side of the table, opposite his mother. He looked at Sophie and seemed ill at ease, glancing away and then back again. Then he was staring at his mother, as though studying her face.
Sophie glanced over at Lady Rose, who was pursing her lips and giving Valten a strange look, lowering her brows and nodding at him.
Valten cleared his throat and asked, “Are you well tonight, Lady Sophia?”
“Yes, I am quite well, I thank you.”
“Good.” Food was placed in front of him and then he only had eyes for the roast pheasant.
They all began to eat, and Sophie relaxed a bit. She was hungry after her long trip, and she ate heartily of the rich venison and pheasant, the puddings and fried pasties. Valten hadn’t said a word to her since the food arrived, and Sophie made small talk with Margaretha and Lady Rose, feeling happier than she had since Gabe had gone to Gemeinhart Monastery and left her with the Seven.
Duke Wilhelm leaned over to Lady Rose and whispered something, then nodded and stood up. Sophie began feeling sick to her stomach as she waited for his announcement.
As soon as he began to speak, the entire hall, which was full of people — perhaps sixty or seventy in all — fell silent.
“Friends and family, I would like you to welcome the newest member of the Gerstenberg family, the betrothed of our eldest, Valten, Earl of Hamlin. Until recently, we thought she was lost to us, but now she is here, alive and well. Please welcome Sophia Breitenbach, only daughter of Duke Baldewin of Hohendorf.”
“Stand up, my dear,” Lady Rose whispered, touching her elbow.
Duke Wilhelm also motioned for her to stand. As she did so, the entire assembly clapped their hands and stomped their feet, cheering so loudly she wondered if the roof would lift. Sophie waved in a way she hoped looked graceful and sat down, her face heating.
Valten was looking at her with the closest thing to a smile that she had seen on his face.
I am a fraud.
The cheers and clamor continued for quite a while, long enough for Sophie to imagine how shocked and hurt her new family would be when she told them she was in love with her rescuer, not her betrothed.
Gabe, why aren’t you here?
Sophie went to bed on the softest, most-comfortable bed she’d ever slept on, and when she woke up, was surprised to see the sun already rather high in the sky. She was sure she had never slept so late in her life.
A servant was standing by to help her dress in a lovely blue-green gown, loaned to her by Margaretha, who happened to be Sophie’s size. When she emerged from her room, Margaretha and Kirstyn, who was carrying Adela, escorted her to the kitchen to get her some food, giggling all the way.
Sophie ate her breakfast, sighing in between bites, as her new sisters — for that is what they declared themselves to be — alternately hugged her arm, patted her shoulder, and bantered playfully with each other. Gabe’s brothers, meanwhile, occasionally piped in with a story about the time they almost got a bull’s eye in archery, or a unique frog they had found once in the pond. To belong to such a family — it was all she had ever wanted, ever dreamed about. She only hoped they wouldn’t hate her in the days to come.
She longed to tell Lady Rose her secret. She would understand, wouldn’t she? She was obviously in love with Duke Wilhelm. Sophie could see it in her face every time she looked at him. She would understand how Sophie had fallen in love with Gabe. After all, Sophie hadn’t meant for those feelings to develop. But Gabe was so loveable, so kind and gentle and charming and handsome … Gabe was Lady Rose’s son too, so perhaps she would understand.
“Sophie! What’s wrong?” Margaretha asked, wrapping her arm around Sophie’s shoulders and looking at her with warm brown eyes. Sophie marveled at how Gabe’s sister could look at her with such love after only just meeting her. The girl had no doubt lived a sheltered existence, but there was no selfishness in her expression.
Sophie took a deep breath to absorb the tears, smiled, and shook her head. “Nothing, nothing.”
“Aren’t you happy to be here with us?”
“Of course! I am very happy,” Sophie said, but her words only made her remember how much she wished Gabe were there.
“You are sad! What is it? Do you miss your home? I would be terribly sad to leave my home, which is why I am determined to never get married. I’ve already told Mother and Father I plan to stay here with them for the rest of my life.”
“No, no. I don’t miss my home.” Sophie shook her head again and looked down, afraid to look anyone in the eye.
“Do you not want to marry Valten? Is that it?” Kirstyn, the second oldest, asked, bending low to see into Sophie’s face. Her light brown hair hung in perfect ringlets by her cheeks. There was a serious but kind look about her light blue eyes.
Sophie couldn’t speak as she tried to blink back the silly tears. Was her distress that obvious?