Her face burned, and she opened her mouth to refute the thinly veiled accusation, but she couldn’t bring herself to deny the charge completely. Nothing she’d done had its foundation in a desire to keep Sophia close, but it would be a lie to say the spirit of the endeavour wasn’t inspired by the passion Sophia sparked in her. How could she explain that even if she lost the woman herself, she was unwilling to lose the way she’d made her feel, her sense of purpose and drive, the desire to blaze her own trail and create something meaningful of her own?

In her inability to convey the substance or strength of the need consuming her, she left herself open to a more direct attack.

“Movies! My god, I should’ve known this woman addled your brain with visions of Hollywood.” Her mother shook her head and levelled her most disappointed stare at her. “Honestly, even after all your past escapades I still believed you too sensible to get swept up in flights of fancy, fits of passion, or gross indulgence. I’ve always known you were prone to impulsiveness, but this sort of California thinking will—”

“I’m not thinking of California,” Vic parried as the reprimand missed its mark. “Or Hollywood. I’m thinking of Northland, first and last.”

She turned to her father, whose expression had grown pensive. “I want to convert the old servants’ quarters into headquarters for local filming, both on the estate and beyond. I’ve already been in contact with several studios in London, all exploratory of course, but we have the castle, fields and forests, elaborate gardens, and dramatic seascapes. With the right incentives we could attract a wide array of films, and best of all we wouldn’t have to develop our conservation areas in order to provide good modern jobs. We wouldn’t have to export our young people, either.”

He nodded slowly. “You make a compelling, if unrefined, argument.”

“Edward?” Her mother raised her voice. “Don’t indulge her. You’ve always been entirely too permissive with the girls, and I’ve adored you for it, but she’s not a child anymore. She’s well past the time when she should be finding her place.”

“I am finding my place. For the first time, I am finding myself, both as a person and a public servant.”

“Absolutely not.” The duchess shook her head. “Do not bring your position into this. Movies, increased press scrutiny, flash-in-the pan pop culture, none of this offers any dignified return on the reputation you’ll squander. It’s vulgar and common. Mark my words, you’ll lose the dukedom if you follow this path.”