Ice And Fire [Ball Side thread]- Xmas 1677

[Sophia de la Cerda]

The silence outside was a welcome change from the noisiness of the ballroom. Sophia could still hear the music wafting faintly from the banqueting hall, and she hummed along softly as she entered the garden. It looked magical by the light of the moon, the snow on the trees and bushes bathed in a silvery glow. The snow crunched beneath her her heels and she paused, looking around her. Did he plan on meeting her here or in the Walled Garden itself?

 

Even though she had no sense of direction, she knew the gardens so well now that she never got lost anymore, except for in the maze, which still confused her. She was glad that he had not wanted to meet her there. Sophia began to walk in the direction of the Walled Garden, and the music faded behind her. She stopped humming and her eyes darted here and there, searching for the Earl of Arundel's handsome form.

[Blackguard]

The Earl was awaiting her at the entrance of the walled garden. The area was devoid of revelers. Perhaps it was too early in the evening for courtiers to escape.

 

Once he saw her approach, Henry moved into the walled garden, no doubt expecting her to follow. In the distance, a palace soldier stood sentry beneath an archway, keeping an eye out for any potential disturbances.

 

Inside the walled garden, Henry was standing near a bench beneath an old oak tree, more popular in the spring time. They were alone.

 

"Come have a seat with me," he beckoned. It was clear that he had wiped the snow from the surface of the bench. A handkerchief had been unfolded and placed in such a way as to protect her dress from being soiled.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

He was waiting for her at the walled garden's entrance, his fine figure haloed by moonlight, and he disappeared inside as soon as she saw him. They seemed to be the only two people in the gardens, save for a soldier keeping watch a fair distance away.

 

Sophia doubted it would remain unoccupied for long. The ballroom would likely become stifling as the night wore on, even though it was freezing outside. She felt quite refreshed herself and the cold didn't bother her the way it usually did. Her new white fur cloak was quite warm and seemed to keep the chill away much better than her other cloak did. She was glad she had purchased it. It had been well worth the steep price she had paid for it.

 

Slipping into the walled garden, she found Lord Arundel standing near one of the benches she had often sat on when she had painted the scenery during the summer. Perhaps she would come back another day and paint the garden in its austere winter beauty, when the sunlight sparkled on the snow.

 

Sophia noticed the handkerchief that had been spread upon the bench, which had been wiped free of snow. He was very considerate of her and she smiled shyly when he asked her to sit with him. “Thank you, my lord.” She curtsied and then gracefully sat down. “It is so beautiful and quiet here. Sometimes I think that this is the calm before the storm, that soon war will overtake us and turn the world to chaos.”

[Blackguard]

As she sat, Henry took a seat beside her. He looked at the oak tree rather than Sophia as she spoke. "Chaos and war," he repeated as she spoke.

 

"Alliances, friendships, and blood mean less each year. If we learn anything, my lady, it is how events will wash us away if we stand idly by," he noted darkly. "The world can be dead and silent, like this garden; or, one can shape the world to something brighter." He seemed to have a dark view on life, but not without hope.

 

"Tell me Lady Toledo, what in your life is like this garden now ... cold and empty?" The question was rather forward but he seemed undeterred.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Sophia was acutely aware of his presence beside her. I shouldn't be here with him alone. If Esteban finds out, he'll be livid, unless I discover how the Howards feel about the war. And yet the adventurousness of this meeting excited her. She had always been drawn to danger like a moth to a flame.

 

His reply didn't tell her much, but by his dark mood, she gathered that he did support the war. “And do you think that is what everybody will do? Stand idly by?” She remembered what Lord Maldon had told her: the best way to find out what people thought was to ask their opinion on what others believed. “It seemed that way at the House of Lords session I attended. Nobody could agree on whether or not to join the war. The world would be a brighter place if people could set aside their differences and work together to make it so."

 

She didn't think that his question was too forward, but Sophia was accustomed to bluntness. “My future.” She sighed sadly as her gaze strayed toward a bare bush that had been laden with brightly-colored flowers only a few months ago. “I do not know what it holds and it has been looking rather bleak lately.” Especially since this morning.

 

She glanced up at him. “And what about you, my lord? What is cold and empty in your own life?”

[Blackguard]

If Henry was talking about the war on the Continent, it was but a transitional device. He was addressing a conflict nearer to home, and one he might embroil himself in with her, depending on the way things progressed. The Earl of Arundel did not believe that Sophia had left the ball right in the middle so she might discuss world events with him. No, he reasoned that she was attracted to him. The young Howard heir had more than his fair share f ladies expressing interest, but Sophia was all but shouting that she was interest in a tryst with him. At least that was the way he saw it. Her performance at the opera, by many accounts, was shamefully libertine. So, this was no sheltered flower that was ignorant of the ways of men.

 

"People pay too much attention to war and events on the Continent," Arundel declared. "They forget about things right here at home, like love and affection. Take your husband, for example. Like so many men, they ignore that which can be the best thing in their life, in favor of mundane chatter that is meaningless. As for me, I spend my days fighting with my father while fighting off ladies who wish to be a duchess one day. It is an empty life, one in need of someone special ... someone who wants nothing from me except love and affection." It might be coming clear who he had in mind.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Sophia did want to discuss world events with him, but she was attracted to him too, although she knew she shouldn't be. It had been months since she had been with Juan and she was starved for affection. She certainly didn't get it from her husband, nor did she expect it. Unfortunately, she couldn't stop her teenage hormones from raging, and Lord Arundel was handsome, charming, and very very tempting. It was quite apparent that war and politics was not on his mind and she doubted that he would say anything that she could report back to Esteban.

 

She knew she should leave and go back to the ball, but his nearness was intoxicating and she stayed where she was, listening as he spoke of the emptiness in his life and his need, much like her own, for love and affection. She could imagine ladies shoving each other out of the way to get his attention, not because they cared anything for him but because they wanted to be a Duchess. They saw him as nothing more than a title, just as she was often seen as nothing but a pretty face.

 

There was so much more to both of them.

 

“You will find that someone special,” Sophia found herself saying. “In fact, she might be right under your nose. However, the lady who will give you love and affection will want more than just a meaningless dalliance. She does not need expensive baubles, but she does want to be wooed, to know that she will mean as much to you as you will mean to her. You must cultivate a relationship with her by getting to know her and showing her in little ways that you care. It will take some time, but the end result will be worth it, I promise you that.”

 

Was she talking about the mythical woman of his dreams or was she talking about herself? In truth, she did not know.

[Blackguard]

Henry was experienced enough at the play between men and women that he felt certain that Sophia was talking about herself, rather than some future lady he might meet. There was a small sigh and smile as he speculated about what might lay in their future together.

 

"I have found that ladies enjoy receiving gifts," Arundel began, "but I am thinking a gift should be less about material value than sentimental value." Reaching into his inner coat pocket, the Earl pulled forth a lacy lady's handkerchief. As if to explain, henry declared "my mother gave me her handkerchief just before she died. She told me to give it to someone special one day, someone who caught my fancy." It was clear that it was not intended for his future bride.

 

"You tell me that there is a lady out there for me. I believe you. Perhaps we can work together to find her. Would you do that for me? I know I am being terribly forward in my request; but, I sense a beginning of a connection between us. This handkerchief has been wasting away in my pocket. So, I would lend it to you to hold for me, for luck. Perhaps in your hands it will bring its intended recipient to me. It may sound silly, but, if we find this lady, I might ask for the handkerchief back so that I can give it to her proper. In the meantime, I think it belongs in the possession of an intriguing creature such as yourself." Perhaps it will remain with you permanently.

 

Whether Sophia realized it or not, the courtship had begun already. She wanted it to be slow and romantic, and he was only too happy to oblige. In his mind, it was already beginning on an excellent note. She would know that he was not just giving her his mother's handkerchief as a random gesture; unless, of course, it was not his mother's handkerchief at all, and it was but a ruse. Time would tell.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

He seemed to appreciate her advice and his smile made her heart leap in her chest. Sophia had described what she desired in a relationship, but she was fairly certain that other ladies liked to be courted as well. Not all women fell into bed with every handsome gentlemen they met, and if all he wanted was a meaningless fling, she doubted he would have to look far to find an obliging widow to share his bed, or a married woman who wanted a little excitement on the side. He seemed to be looking for something deeper and more satisfying, a lady he could love and who would love him in return.

 

It was true that all ladies loved expensive gifts, but in some situations they were not practical. Such as her own. It would be easy to explain a few new pieces of jewelry by telling Esteban she had bought them herself, but if the gifts came regularly or were delivered to their residence, he would become suspicious. And Sophia's favorite gifts were, indeed, those of sentimental value, as Henry had so easily guessed.

 

Her eyes traveled to the lacy handkerchief he pulled from his pocket. The story he wove was touching, but the young Baroness was becoming a bit skeptical … particularly since her visit to Bedlam … and wondered if it was true. It seemed rather strange that his mother would encourage him to take a mistress, but perhaps she knew that her son would be married for political advantage and wanted him to find a lady he could love. With Dukes, a mistress was probably inevitable.

 

And was the handkerchief really his mother's or had some enterprising lady dropped it tonight, hoping he would return it to her? Sophia decided to give him the benefit of the doubt for now. It was a lovely notion and she was a fanciful young girl.

 

Her eyes widened when the intriguing Earl suggested that she help him find his perfect lady and asked her to keep his mother's handkerchief for luck. The petite blonde was naïve, but she wondered if he thought that she had been talking about herself and that they could both grow to care for each other.

 

Could they? She didn't deny that she was entranced by his eloquent speech and she was flattered by his compliment. Sophia could not remember Esteban ever praising her appearance. But Henry had called her intriguing, and she had only just used the same word to describe him in her thoughts. Coincidence? Or was there really some kind of link between them?

 

However, she pretended to be a bit hesitant to accept his offer. “What you ask of me is a bit forward, but I believe everyone should be happy, and … and I feel a connection between us as well. So yes, I will help you locate this elusive lady, and I will keep your mother's handkerchief safe until you find her. I will keep it with me at all times so that I can give it back to you if you ask for it.”

 

Would he notice that she had said 'if you ask for it' instead of 'when?'

[Blackguard]

Who was to say whether this beginning was kismet or contrived? Henry was certainly experienced with women and might easily dupe a naïve lady. On the other hand, he was an unhappy man these days and, perhaps, he sought something more substantial. It would be no surprise that Sophia would attract male interest easily. The same could be true for the duke's son.

 

If he noted the subtlety in her reply, he gave no sign of it. Rather, he gave her a pleasant smile. "Yes, treasure the kerchief. Now then, we cannot keep you from your many admirers for long, so tell me what this mysterious lady might see in me. What might this lady, who would win my heart, find attractive about me? How would I know she is different than the ladies who wish for my ring rather than my heart?" He wore an amused look as he enjoyed the game that would draw Sophia out.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Sophia believed he was being honest with her, that he truly wished to find a lady who would be a loving, and perhaps permanent, companion, one who was more interested in him than his title, his family, or his wealth. If he was only looking for someone to share his bed for a brief time, he definitely had her fooled. She was usually an excellent judge of character and because of her own acting ability, she could often tell when a person was insincere. But in matters of romance and desire, she was still quite guileless. His plight appealed to her compassionate nature and it didn't help that she found him delightfully enticing.

 

Was it her imagination or were there already sparks flying between them?

 

He was right. They couldn't stay secluded in the Walled Garden all evening, no matter how tempting she found the notion. Sophia took the handkerchief from him, softly stroking the lace as he asked her what his special lady would find attractive about him and how he would know her from the ambitious women who coveted his title. Her gaze took on a faraway look as she gazed at the snow-covered bushes, a thoughtful expression gracing her lovely features.

 

When she met his eyes once more, a soft smile turned up the corners of her lips. “Did you know that when I first found out who you were, I did not once think about marrying you, even though I was single at the time and my guardian wanted me to marry well? It was not a future Duke I saw, but the man behind the title.

 

“The lady you are looking for will see your kindness and intelligence and she will be attracted to your confidence and your easygoing personality. She will sense your passion and it will call to her own. She will be drawn to you in a way she does not understand but that she cannot resist. She may try, which is why you need to woo her, to show her that her affection will be reciprocated.”

 

Sophia tucked the handkerchief into the bodice of her gown, just below her creamy cleavage. She knew that Esteban would never find it there, since he had no sexual interest in her.

 

“You will know this lady is different because she will speak to you frankly and not just tell you what you want to hear. She will not fawn all over you in public and she will be happy to love you in secret, making no demands upon you but that you feel the same way about her. She is looking for the same things you are and for the same reasons. Her life is empty too and her future looks bleak. She is a kindred spirit and the two of you are meant to be together.”

[Blackguard]

Sophia was professing to know Henry quite well, yet they had spent but little time together. Was she describing the man as he was or what she hoped he would be? Arundel found the description amusing for his request had been a way to elicit Sophia's perception about himself, including what she liked and did not like. Such inquiries could be invaluable in courting.

 

"How do you know I am not some horrible person, instead of this gallant person you describe?" he inquired with an amused grin. It was mostly done to tease, but was also a test of her passion on the subject.

 

"The key to finding this lady is to look for a lonely lady who will tell me the truth of things and not just what she thinks I might like to hear. Sounds like my dear departed mother," he offered with a chuckle. "We shall need to thin the herd a bit more," he teased.

 

"A lady can communicate much by the way she looks at a gentleman. Do you think you are able to show me the difference of a look I receive by a prospective bride as opposed to someone who is feeling true emotions?" Show me your look Sophia, so I shall know it. He paused to let the blond beauty demonstrate her acting skills.

 

"And, why was it that you never thought to marry me when you saw me?" He saved this for last. "Was it something about me or something about my tite?" She was trying to get credit for not joining the ranks of aggressive debutantes, yet her motives may have been that she determined that he was too far above her in social ranking. It would make her a bit uncomfortable perhaps, but it was an effective device for understanding her more completely.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

He seemed amused by her perception of him.

 

“If you were a horrible person, you would have assumed I had come here for a tryst. You would have forced yourself on me, and you certainly would not have wiped the bench free of snow and placed a handkerchief on it for me to sit on. I do not know you well, but that simple gesture showed me that you are kind and considerate.” Sophia grinned disarmingly. “And gallant.”

 

“I also remember that night in Brighton. Wanting to swim in the ocean told me that you were not only confident, but playful and adventurous as well. You are also very easy to get along with. I enjoyed the time we spent together and regret that it ended too soon.” Would he remember how she had shown him that she could lift her leg over her head and promised to dance for him on the beach?

 

“You know what they say,” she teased back. “Every gentleman is looking for someone who reminds him of his mother."

 

Sophia wasn't certain if she could show him how a lady who truly cared for him would look at him. Everyone was different. “Look into her eyes,” she advised. “Eyes never lie.” Her own shone with affinity, fondness, and a hint of longing. Pulling her cloak closer about her, she slid a bit closer to him, presumably for warmth. “I do not think you will recognize her by a look, but because your spirits will call to each other.”

 

He certainly had a lot of questions for her.

 

“Neither.” There was no hesitation in her answer. “It was my guardian's responsibility to choose my husband. We Germans are practical and I trusted him to make the right decision. Now I am not sure ....” Her voice trailed off, and but a moment later, she squared her shoulders and determination colored her voice. “It was not my place to choose my husband, but I can choose who to love.”

[Blackguard]

As always, a bit of gallantry served to impress ladies favorably. German ladies were little different than those of English variety.

 

In truth, Henry did not remember too much of their conversation at Brighton, or of subsequent ones. Copious consumption of the laced punch had fogged his recollection. He recalled the beginnings of their conversation and his initial impressions. he recalled the encounter with another lady thereafter, but had little specific recollection beyond that..

 

Sophia had been most accommodating and forthcoming in his interrogation. That, in of itself, revealed additional details about her personality. He was silent about her comment about the men's search for their mother.

 

Henry's eyes locked with her own as she informed him that eyes did not lie. He might have asked her what her eyes told him, but ehe withheld. he had already questioned her sufficiently and could guess at the answer.

 

Tidbits were dropped. She did not love her husband and even seemed to regret the match. How interesting.. Her answers about not selecting a husband were telling as well. She sought adventure but complied with convention. In that moment he knew that they might well become lovers. There was a mutual attraction and both seemed to seek solace in the arms of another.

 

"Intriguing," was his reply. "Sophia," he addressed her informally but with a whisper that sounded like a call to adventure. "I wish to see you again. My father has some family event planned tomorrow that I will avoid. I own a barge on the Thames. It is quite comfortable and I find that a cruise helps me find peace. Will you join me tomorrow late afternoon? The city is beautiful to witness from the river. Can you get away for a few hours?" he asked in a conspiratorial tone.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Sophia had not drunk enough laced punch to impede her memory, although she did not remember everything in vivid detail. She only recalled what had impressed her about Henry. That she had not forgotten their time together completely was perhaps as telling as her answers to his questions. She had no idea why she was so drawn to him, or what it was about him that had made her leave the ball to meet him here, but she did know that the cold and austere garden seemed brighter and warmer in his presence.

 

Her given name on his lips made her body sang with delightful sensations and a tantalizing heat suffused her body when he told her he wanted to see her again. His choice of location did not make her blood run cold, but she shivered slightly at the idea of sailing on the river. “I can get away tomorrow afternoon, but I cannot join you on your barge.” Her eyes met his. “When I was three, I fell into a pond and my mother drowned saving my life. Since then, I have been terrified of water."

 

Sophia leaned toward him, her own voice a sweet whisper. “I would love to spend some time with you as long as it does not involve water. There must be other peaceful activities that you enjoy. And if you wish, I will sing for you tomorrow. Music is soothing to the soul."

[Blackguard]

"Ah, mores the pity," he remarked in empathy for her disclosure. "With all the ice on the Thames, it is almost like navigating land."

 

"When I was two I was butted severely by a goat, and I became frightened of them for a time. I overcame and celebrate it by enjoying goat meat whenever I can," he chuckled, thinking how it feeds his hatred of them.

 

I shall send my coachman to fetch you here tomorrow, if you are feeling adventurous. He shall take you to the fields east of the city, where I shall await you in my sled, We can go racing over the snow, free of complexities of court. What do you say? Give me a time and four hours of your day," he urged. "You can sing to me and the fox in the woods."

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Hitting chunks of ice in a boat did not appeal to her at all. What if the boat was damaged and sank in the frigid water? Sophia shivered again and pulled her fur cloak closer around her.

 

“I think you are the first person who has truly understood my fear.” Her voice held a hint of wonder. “I am trying to overcome it but it will take some time. I only travel by ship when there is no other way. Eventually, I hope to become accustomed to it. I don't think I will ever be completely comfortable around large bodies of water.”

 

His alternative thrilled her. In Germany, her father had often taken her sledding in the winter, and it had almost felt like flying. “I would enjoy that very much.” Her eyes sparkled with anticipation. “I can be here around three and I must be home by dinner.” That would give them closer to three hours than four.

 

“Can you not come and get me yourself? I am a bit wary of getting into strange coaches. I was almost kidnapped a few months ago. If it is impossible, I can ride my horse and you can send a servant to lead me to you. I will need an indication that he came from you before I follow him.” Reaching into her bodice, she pulled out the handkerchief and held it out to him. “He can give this back to me, as well as speak a phrase that only the two of us will know. I will need to meet him somewhere else, perhaps at the gazebo in the park.”

 

She could tell Esteban that she was riding to the park to paint. And a ride would give Acapella some much needed exercise.

[Blackguard]

"I suppose that you drink heavily before embarking on a ship," Henry counseled. Of course, if she became sea sick after that, it would be a bloody mess.

 

"I think it best if you are not seen entering a coach with me near the palace. It will put us both better at ease if witnesses report that you hailed a coach with no one in it." He did not feel the need to explain more, but was prepared to do so. Sophia's fears about being kidnapped sounded prudent, even though Henry could not recall the last time a lady was kidnapped at court.

 

"You shall ask the driver if he has goat horns and he shall reply that he has only goat meat. He shall await you near the gazebo and shall be looking for you. Fair enough?" he inquired quietly.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

“No, but maybe I should,” Sophia pondered. If she was a bit tipsy, maybe she would not be so afraid. She might throw up more, though. Maybe she should try it on a short boat trip first. If she didn't vomit or pass out, she might drink more heavily than usual on the next long journey by sea.

 

She nodded when he pointed out that being seen together would not be wise, and believed that he was trying to protect her reputation, and perhaps his own as well. Esteban would not approve of her going off with him alone, unless she could convince him that she was doing it to gather information. Even then, he would likely insist that her bodyguard accompany her.

 

“Yes, that will be fine,” she agreed, tucking the handkerchief back into her bodice. She was glad he had not taken it back. For some reason she could not comprehend, she wanted to keep it. It would also look less suspicious if she was riding behind a carriage rather than in one. No one would think she was following it intentionally, just that it happened to be ahead of her on the road.

 

“We should probably return to the ball now. And since we missed the mistletoe ...” Sophia leaned forward to kiss him lightly on his cheek.

[Blackguard]

Henry watched her tuck the handkerchief in her bodice, pretending to be more interested in his mother's linen than the place she stowed it. "Yes, you should return first," Arundel agreed. "I shall continue to gather my thoughts in the garden for a while."

 

As she kissed him on the cheek, the Howard heir protested. "That is hardly a kiss worthy of all the mistletoe that we passed en route here." It was all stated in good humor. Rather than accepting a mere peck on the cheek, he moved in to give her a kiss full on her lips. It was not the chaste kind that typically accompany holiday wishes, but it was not a deep kiss attempt, which would be too forward at this time. "That is the sort of kiss I need to stay warm out here," he laughed. "Now be gone before I am tempted to kiss you again."

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Sophia noticed where his eyes wandered when she tucked the handkerchief beneath her ample cleavage and her young body tingled pleasurably beneath his gaze. She let him know by a mischievous smile that she was aware that his attention had not been wholly on the lacy square of fabric, but she said nothing, nodding when he suggested that she return to the ball first. It was getting a bit cold for her now that she was standing and could no longer feel his warmth beside her.

 

He wasn't satisfied with her chaste kiss, claiming that it wasn't worthy of all the mistletoe they had passed. “Then what is?” she asked teasingly. He showed her, pressing his lips to hers in a sweet kiss that was neither innocent nor sensual. Tantalizing sensations shimmered through her small form and a lovely heat chased the coldness from her bones.

 

When he pulled away from her, Sophia blushed prettily and glanced up at him from under long golden eyelashes. The kiss had apparently had the same warming effect on him, if his words were any indication. Her laughter joined his, light and lyrical. “As you wish, my lord.” she replied teasingly, dropping a small but perfect curtsy. “I will see you tomorrow afternoon.”

 

And with that, she turned around and flounced toward the garden's entrance, blowing him a saucy kiss over her shoulder before she disappeared from view.