Sophia crossed one leg over the other as she relaxed onto the settee in Vic’s sitting room. She hadn’t turned on the lights, but the cleaning staff had drawn back the curtains to offer a view of the courtyard and the evening sun hanging low above the castle walls. She could’ve gotten used to this vista. In fact, a part of her had grown accustomed to it without meaning to. She felt a little pinprick of annoyance at the fact that she’d even felt comfortable letting herself into this room, or anywhere in a castle, compounded by another quick shot of embarrassment that her comfort level hadn’t sent up red flags sooner. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t had fleeting moments of awareness along the way. Maybe if she’d let herself dwell on how little she belonged in this place instead of always pushing those thoughts away or quelling them with her raw appetite for Vic, she might have saved everyone from what had to be done next. Then again, how could she ever have expected to develop the type of feelings she’d felt for Vic last night and this morning? Would she have undone them if she could?

No. Regrets carried no more appeal than apologies, which left her with little to do now but wait. Thankfully, the duchess’s social graces lent her to punctuality if nothing else.

She pushed open the door to the sitting room exactly as the large clock down the hallway struck eight o’clock.

Sophia didn’t rise as the duchess entered the room. She didn’t move at all, taking the moment before her presence was noticed to look past the dark pantsuit and imperial posture to survey the woman’s profile. She wore her hair back from her pale face with a severity that accentuated her high brow. Her chin and nose, though, weren’t as angular as they’d seemed head on. In fact, she had Vic’s chin, or perhaps it was the other way around. The way she lifted it and squared her shoulders when she realised she was being watched also reminded Sophia of Vic. Was that where she’d learned the move? Was it meant to project strength outward, or offer a form of self-protection? With Vic, she’d always suspected the latter. How many times had she needed to protect herself from this woman?

“Your Grace.” Sophia finally rose. “Thank you for joining me.”

The duchess arched an already high eyebrow. “Ms. LeBlanc. I merely received a message that my presence was requested in my daughter’s private quarters.”

“And you didn’t expect to find me here?” Sophia smiled coyly. “Why ever not?”

A hint of fire sparked in Lady Penchant’s dark eyes.