A Most Inconvenient Wish by Eileen Richards Page A

is that her father has settled twenty thousand pounds on her.”
    â€œGoodness! That is a powerful inducement, but how did you cause this?”
    Sophia pressed her lips together and struggled to put the words together. Anyone else would think she was mad, but Juliet would understand. “I climbed the Fairy Steps yesterday.”
    Juliet laughed. “I thought you didn’t believe in that nonsense.”
    â€œAs you well know, there is evidence to the contrary. I thought if I made a wish it would make Lord Bateman’s engagement a sure thing.”
    â€œEvidently not.”
    â€œIt gets much worse. I was climbing the steps when Mr. McDonald appeared, demanding that I stop. We were both angry and I’m afraid I might have wished that he be stuck with me forever.”
    Juliet laughed.
    â€œIt’s not funny.” Sophia’s shoulders sagged. “Lord Bateman was supposed to propose to me.”
    â€œHe’s an earl. Why would he propose to you?”
    This was the outside of enough. Was she not worthy of an earl? She was the daughter of a baronet. Her dowry might not be large, but it was respectable. “Why does everyone think he will not propose?”
    â€œSeveral reasons. You don’t have a large enough dowry, for one. You don’t have the appropriate connections, nor are you titled.”
    â€œWe are daughters of a baronet.”
    â€œYou always aimed too high. How many proposals have you turned down, Sophia?”
    â€œNone of that matters now. Lord Bateman singled me out in Town this Season. He made his intentions very well known. Why would he do that if he wasn’t going to propose?” Lord Bateman had treated her carefully. He’d had feelings for her; Sophia could tell.
    â€œDo you love him, then?”
    Love did not enter into the equation for her future. “He’s an earl. He has a town house in London and several estates. He comes from a very prestigious family.”
    â€œSophia, all those things mean nothing. You should marry someone you love.”
    â€œI can spend more than ten minutes in his company without wanting to escape.” She liked him well enough, she supposed. He was handsome. Not with the same rugged good looks as Mr. McDonald, but in a more refined way. She removed the rest of her clothes and dumped them into a pile. “You’re going to need to burn these.”
    Juliet wrinkled her nose. “I think so. I’ll have someone dispose of them.”
    Sophia stepped into the bath and sank into the heated water. She removed the pins from her hair and set them carefully aside so she could use them again. She reached for the soap.
    â€œYou were saying that you liked Lord Bateman enough. Marriage is forever, Sophia. You really should more than just ‘like’ him.”
    Sophia lathered her skin. “I’m not the same as you, Juliet. You and Anne have a capacity to love that I don’t have.”
    â€œThat’s not true.”
    â€œYes, it is. I’m too much like Father. I’m selfish and vain.”
    â€œSophia—”
    â€œIt’s fine. I know what my weaknesses are. I’ve accepted them. I know that if I marry for love, I’ll end up hurting him as Father hurt our mother. I can’t do it.” Sophia blinked away the sting of tears and pulled in a controlling breath.
    Juliet said nothing for a long moment. Sophia couldn’t look at her sister and see the pity in her eyes. She was better off knowing her own weaknesses. She could plan her future without worrying about hurting the man she would marry. Many couples started with less.
    â€œI’ll leave you to finish your bath, Sophia. Ring for a maid when you are ready.”
    Sophia nodded.
    Juliet moved to open the door, then paused. “I think you’re wrong, you know. I think you have a great capacity to love.”
    Sophia stared at the door as it closed behind her sister, pondering Juliet’s words.