“Georgiana and Belinda.” Her throat thickened. She didn’t say she hoped to see them soon. It felt like a jinx at this point. “I hope they’re not giving my mother too much trouble.”
“If we hurry, we can stop by the Blakewood residence and see what they are up to this morning. No men allowed.”
Lord Alston cleared his throat. “I have a gift for her you could deliver.”
Felicity smiled at him. “That’s sweet.”
Lord Alston blushed. “You know, I never properly thanked you.”
“For what?”
“For freeing me from the contract. If you hadn’t refused, Mrs. Dove-Lyon wouldn’t have relented. Miss Blakewood and I owe you. I hope you’ll come to the wedding, if you’re able.”
Felicity blushed. “Oh, well, I’d love to. Thank you. You helped me as well, you know. You gave me the courage to speak up. I wish you all the best.”
“We wishyouall the best,” Lady Amelia said. “Now, let’s have some breakfast and be on our way. If we’re lucky, she’ll be looking at fabric for her wedding gown.”
Felicity smiled to appear pleased, but a strange mixture of longing and sadness turned her stomach. What would it be like to be marrying with so much joy? Lady Amelia had wed in haste, while Lord Alston was near death. She hadn’t a proper wedding. Mrs. Dove-Lyon hadmentioned that she’d given them a special license. What would it be like if she married Tristan? She wouldn’t have her mother or sisters to share her special moment.
All at once she was angry. Chadwick had taken so much from her already.
“If you don’t mind, I think I will not join you in visiting Miss Blakewood. I don’t know her well. I don’t want to intrude on what is a private celebration meant to be shared with her family and friends.”
Lady Amelia frowned. “Very well. We won’t go. Anyway, it would be rude to arrive unannounced.”
“That hasn’t stopped you before,” Lord Alston murmured.
Lady Amelia rolled her eyes. “We can take a walk around the pond. A bit of sunshine can do wonders. I know what it’s like to be trapped inside a house, and while you have reasonable concerns for staying indoors, trust me on this matter. You need to feel the sun on your face. Graham can come with us. He intimidates everyone except me.”
Felicity accepted a plate of an assortment of breakfast foods. Despite her small appetite, she cleared her plate, and then Lady Amelia swooped her out of the house with her husband following.
She should have been scared, but Lady Amelia had an infectious bravery. They were far from the Den, and in a fine neighborhood where her father would never expect to find her. By the afternoon, Felicity’s feet were sore from touring the art museum with Lady Amelia. She’d seen paintings and sculptures she couldn’t believe had been created by human hands, many of them featuring mostly nude people. They visited a tea house, and Lady Amelia treated her to some shopping on Bond Street, insisting that she owed Felicity a great debt after helping her brother recover from his injury and enabling him to marry the woman he loved. Flustered by her generosity, Felicity tried to dissuade her, but Lady Amelia would not be denied. Thus, Felicity had new boots, a bonnet, and a lovely fan with little blue birds thathad caught her eye. They reminded her of the little blue and yellow birds from home.
They returned to Alston House by late afternoon and sat down for tea in the drawing room. Felicity hoped Tristan might be there, but he wasn’t. She missed him, even though she was certain she’d see him tonight when he snuck into her room. A note arrived and Mr. Blakewood opened it with a frown. He showed it to Lady Amelia, who also frowned.
“Is everything all right?” Felicity asked.
“Yes, it seems we’ll have to delay our trip to the theater.”
Felicity was secretly glad. She wanted to crawl into bed, rest her aching feet, and wait for Tristan.
“It seems we’ve all been invited to the Den by Mrs. Dove-Lyon.”
“Oh,” Felicity said as her stomach coiled.
“Don’t worry.” Lady Amelia patted her knee. “We’ll be with you the whole time.”
We? Would that also include Lord Alston? He had been called away while they were on their morning walk.
Lady Amelia and her husband shared a look. Felicity pretended not to see it, but between the note and their concern, it was obvious something was afoot.
“We’re almost the same size,” Lady Amelia said. “Why don’t we see if one of my gowns will fit you? You’ll want to feel your best, and feeling your best always begins with looking your best.”
“Does it? I’ve never heard that before.”
“Oh, yes. The proper dress is just as good as armor.”
“Are we going to battle?” Felicity said warily.
