The Heart That Wins (Regency Spies Book 3) Read Free Page B

found, or would be unrecognisable if they were. Since John had joined the army Sophia had made it her particular study to find out how an army worked and how battles were fought. No soldier she came across was safe from her questioning. Now she understood things that Edmund, and, it seemed, Franz, did not.
    “Franz, if you can’t be sensible, we should let Sophia go to her bath and I should go to Captain Warren.”
    “Of course, the dashing Captain Warren.”
    Franz was dismissive.
    “You know him?”
    Sophia was curious to know how John had come to make such a bad impression on a man she had held in high esteem before she had even met him. She wondered how long Franz had been in Paris and whether he had met John. John said he had been to the house to pay his respects to Edmund and Mary. He had probably dined here several times. Her thoughts faltered. If John had dined here, Edmund and Mary would already have convinced him of the dangers presented by Bonaparte’s return. Something was wrong here.
    “Everyone knows him… or of him.”
    Sophia did not like the way Franz spoke about the man she loved. Neither Edmund nor Mary had defended John, and that worried her more.
    “Sophia has known John Warren all her life,” said Edmund.
    Sophia knew she was not meant to see the slight shake of his head as he warned Franz, but Edmund’s training had been too good, and her observational skill matched his own.
    “I doubt he is the same man you knew,” said Edmund. He sounded sad, no, disappointed. “You should bathe and probably sleep, you look exhausted.”
    Sophia did not doubt she looked exhausted, for she was. She did, however, want to know what Franz, and Edmund and Mary, it seemed, knew about John that was so much to his detriment. John was a man driven by duty. She had never known him to do anything mean or dishonest and she trusted him completely. It was true that Edmund and John had quarrelled in London, although Mary had not told her any details, but neither was a man to bear a grudge.
    “That can wait, I’d...”
    “Sophia, dear, if we’re to leave tomorrow, you should rest.” Mary squeezed Sophia’s hands. “Your luggage was never unpacked, but you might want to take some clothes out of your trunk, as we won’t have time to wash or repair anything you’ve brought with you.”
    Mary was gentle, but forceful and Sophia realised that she was not to learn anything more about John for a while.
    “I won’t even get to see what they’re wearing in Paris,” she said inconsequentially.
    It would not hurt to let Franz think she was an empty-headed fool. Her only thoughts about Parisian fashions were governed by a desire for John to see her at her best.
    Mary took her arm.
    “Then I think you will be happy with some purchases that I’ve made for you.”
    “Oh, thank you.”
    In truth Sophia was no more bothered about fashion than Mary was. Any gowns that Mary had had made for her would have been made at the suggestion of her maid, a young woman with a good eye and taste. Agnes also believed that Sophia did not display her body to her best advantage, so Sophia knew that whatever awaited her upstairs would be so revealing, especially of her décolleté, that she would be embarrassed to wear it, except in front of John, on whom, of course, it would have no effect.
    “There was little point buying anything for myself,” said Mary and Sophia wondered how many trunks of clothing she now had.
    “And I haven’t even seen the children yet.”
    “They’ll wait. Come, we can look at your new gowns while we wait for the water.”
    Sophia allowed herself to be led away. There were so many thoughts going round her head that she was a little dizzy. John was here and coming to dinner and… Would he be bringing his wife?

Chapter Two
    John sat unmoving at his desk for over an hour. Untended, the fire had gone out again and the ink had dried on his pen.
    Sophia had been here in this room. After months with no news of