"Lord Hexley's carriage is arriving."
Cedric tensed. Sofia reached over and gently grasped his wrist. He looked over at her. Sofia gave Cedric a small, reassuring smile. He seemed to relax just the tiniest bit. The moment ended when the sound of a door opening and heavy footsteps echoed into the sitting room. As the footsteps got closer and closer, Cedric tensed more.
"Cedric, breathe!" Sofia hissed softly.
Before Cedric could respond to Sofia, a new figure stepped into the sitting room. Lord Hexley seemed slightly surprised to see the two people sitting with his wife. Winnifred stood up to greet her husband, Sofia and Cedric following her lead.
"I hope you had good travels," Winnifred said. "This is Miss Sofia Balthazar. She's Mayor Cyning's daughter. I'm sure he mentioned her in the limited communications you two have had. Sofia, my husband, Lord Hexley, Goodwyn Sebara."
Sofia curtsied neatly. "It is an honor to meet you, Lord Hexley."
Lord Hexley eyed Cedric critically, ignoring the introduction made.
"I'm certain I made it quite clear you were not welcome here, Cedric."
With that, Lord Hexley left the sitting room.
"Well, that went great," Cedric said sarcastically.
Sofia sighed. "Well considering he had no idea that you were here, it could have gone worse."
From her spot in the room, Winnifred grinned in amusement. If no one else saw it, she at least could tell the two were just what each other needed.
"Well, we may as well give him some time to get used to you being around. You two go out for a bit. Cedric, you'll see him again at dinner. But do be aware, Ceddykins, your sister and niece will be joining us for dinner."
Cedric stared blankly. "Niece? Cordy is married and has a child now?"
"Was married. Her husband died mere weeks after Calista was born. I mentioned both in the letter I sent Sofia to give to you."
Cedric looked a bit sheepish. Winnifred's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"You didn't read the letter, did you?"
Cedric shook his head. Winnifred simply sighed.
"You'll like your little niece. For now, go riding. Both of you. I imagine the old fool and I are about to have words since I didn't warn him we have company. You don't need to be here for that."
Sofia glanced at Cedric, hoping her expression conveyed how much she did not want to hear whatever argument the older couple were likely to have.
"I think we should do as she says," Sofia said softly.
Cedric nodded agreement. He was just as uninterested in hearing his parents argue as Sofia was.
Winnifred grinned. "Enjoy yourselves then."
Cedric and Sofia quickly disappeared from the sitting room before Winnifred could say anything more. As quickly as they could get changed into proper riding clothes, they went to the stables. Cedric looked at Sofia, surprised to see her actually wearing a proper riding habit. Though the fact that it was not made from a dark material was very telling. It was one of the outfits his mother had forced Sofia to accept the day before.
"Purple looks good on you," Cedric said.
Sofia brushed her hands across the skirt of her habit.
"Thank you. I have to admit, your mother chose very well when she ordered the colorful wardrobe, even if I'd rather have leggings and a high low skirt. Do you think if I ask her nicely enough, she'd give me that outfit back?"
Cedric shook his head. "Not likely. She seemed very adamant that you have color in your life."
"Pttf. Side saddle it is for me today then."
In moments, the two were on their horses. Sofia fidgeted in her saddle.
"Ugh, give me a forward facing saddle anytime I go riding. And leggings too."
"I take it you don't care for doing this the proper way?"
Sofia snorted. "I should think you would know that very well."
"Are you even as good at riding side saddle as you are forward facing?"
"Is that a challenge to my skills?" Sofia raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe."
"Ooh, prepare yourself, My Lord. Those are fighting words. I may not care for the side saddle but I am still good at it."
With that, Sofia set Minimus into motion. Cedric quickly followed.
For the next couple hours, they rode through the nearby forest. True to her words, Sofia was able to hold her own quite well, despite riding astride. And the time outdoors, with such lovely company was almost enough to completely distract Cedric from everything that was happening.
Almost.
oOo
Sofia added stitches to her current knitting project. Since returning from her horse ride with Cedric, she'd changed back into the blue dress she'd put on earlier and was now quietly passing the time till dinner working on a blanket. It was almost finished too. Just another row of stitches and it would be ready to find a new home.
"Excuse me, My Lady. Lady McFarLane is here."
Not even a second after her presence was announced, Cordelia waltzed into the sitting room, stopping in her tracks at the scene before her.
"Well this is quite the surprise. You finally came home, Ceddy. And who is this darling woman? Did you get hitched without telling anyone?"
Sofia coughed in discomfort as Cedric stood up from his seat.
"I'm still a bachelor, Cordy. Miss Sofia is Mummy's guest."
Before Cedric could say anything more, a small child came running around the corner and into the room. Cordelia quickly grabbed her young daughter.
"Calista, come meet Uncle Cedric."
Calista stared up at the man, wide eyed and curious. Cedric bent down so his niece could see him better. Calista reached for her uncle's hair, intrigued to see the same two toned hair as she had. Unexpectedly, she grabbed hold tightly of Cedric's white locks and yanked on them.
"Ouch!" Cedric grimaced.
Calista giggled at Cedric's expression before something else caught her attention.
"Red!"
Calista immediately ran over to Sofia and started pulling on the blanket, trying to get it away from the woman. Sofia pulled it back as best she could. The blanket wasn't even finished.
"It's a bit of a phase," Cordelia said. "She loves all things red."
Calista gave a hard yank as she tried to run away with the blanket. Sofia very nearly lost her grip on it.
"Doesn't do me any good when I still have a few stitches to go and she could unravel it if I were to let her have it now," Sofia said, pulling the blanket back.
Cedric grabbed a hold of the blanket and pulled it closer to Sofia so she could focus on the remaining stitches without the child pulling it away. Calista pouted and continued pulling on the blanket.
"Mine!" Calista said as she yanked as hard as she could.
Sofia moved her knitting needles as fast as she could. Within moments, she finished the last stitch and tied the end off.
"Let your niece have it," Sofia said as she let go.
Cedric let go just a split second before Calista yanked hard again. Without the resistance, the child stumbled a bit and nearly fell over. Calista looked momentarily surprised but then smiled and ran off with the blanket.
"It's going to be a fight getting that back from her," Cordelia warned.
"That's okay, she can keep it," Sofia said. "I have plenty of others to take to the orphanage back home."
Cordelia looked mildly intrigued.
"You look a little young to be a patroness of anything."
"My father is the principal patron," Sofia stated calmly. "He founded the orphanage years ago as part of an ongoing project to better my village and neighboring villages too. But I have been considered an unofficial patroness because of the time and effort I've put into helping there."
Cordelia might have fired some more comments and questions Sofia's way had a servant not come to announce that dinner was ready to be served. For that, Sofia was silently glad. Considering some of Dunwittie's history…it still amazed Sofia that the village hadn't turned into a ghost town.
At the dinner table, Cordelia and Winnifred did most of the talking, telling tales of Cedric and Cordelia's childhood and some tales about Calista. Sofia told a few of her adventures from her childhood. Ones that took place after her parents had married. Cedric was mostly quiet, unless he was asked a direct question. And Lord Hexley just flat out ignored everything around him.
"Will you be going to the mud festival next week?" Cordelia looked at Cedric.
"What's the mud festival?" Sofia asked.
"Oh, the first of the springtime festivals held in the village," Winnifred answered. "That's not its actual name but it got nicknamed that for how muddy it sometimes gets. I doubt very many remember the original name. I think you'd enjoy it."
"It sounds interesting," Sofia said.
Sofia glanced at Cedric, wondering how he was doing. She herself thought the dinner was going very well, all things considered. But she wasn't the one who wasn't supposed to be there.