“Aye, that’s the one,” Fran said and pulled the gown out of the box. She held it up to Felicity’s frame. “The bust might be a bit tight, but the length should be fine.”
Felicity looked down at the delicate fabric. Silvery blue feathers were embroidered along the neckline and then fanned out like wings along the sides of the bodice, framing the breasts. The sleeves were sheer silk stocking with blue cuffs. Embroidered feathers were placed around the skirt as if free falling through the air. Felicity had never seen something so lovely.
“I couldn’t—”
“It’s yours,” Lady Amelia said. “My final gift to you. It was made for you, Felicity. I’ve never even worn it.”
Felicity looked at her in shock. “How could you not have worn such a gorgeous gown?”
Lady Amelia shrugged. “I bought it last year. It’s not in fashion, but it has a timeless quality. It was made for someone who never came to pick it up. Madame Suzanne said she was going to reconfigure it into something else, but it was too beautiful to see it cut to pieces.”
“Oh, my.”
“Try it on,” Lady Amelia ordered.
Felicity tried to resist again, but she wanted this dress down to her marrow. She touched one of the feathers, mesmerized by the fine threads. Fran hung the dress and gestured for Felicity to turn. Felicity swallowed before shuffling to present her back.
“You’re shaking,” Lady Amelia said.
“I don’t change in front of others, usually.”
Fran hesitated. “I don’t have to help if you don’t want.”
“This is not a dress one can put on alone,” Lady Amelia said. “But I can leave.” She smiled sympathetically as she stepped past Felicity.
“Miss?” Fran said, peering around to see Felicity’s face.
Felicity nodded. “It’s fine. I need your help. I don’t want to damage the dress.”
Fran nodded. “I’ll need to see your undergarments to be sure you have the proper attire to wear under the dress. I’ll go find Matilda.”
Felicity nodded, her eyes stinging. Left alone in the dressing room, she turned back to the dress and touched the feathers again. Something was happening inside her. It was like a glow, a beam of warm sunlight shining on a dark part of her, illuminating a corner of herself she’d forgotten was there.
She was going to wear this dress. She was going to marry Tristan. She was going to see her sisters again. She’d settle for nothing less. If Chadwick thought he could take her future, her inheritance, her happiness, with one act of forced intimacy, he was going to learn an important lesson: Her will was stronger than his. She would not cower, she would not bend, and he couldn’t break her.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Tristan did notdress in fine clothing. His boots were worn but polished, his jacket a sturdy black wool, and his shirts crisply ironed white linen. His waistcoat was plain black brocade with black enamel buttons. In the Den, even the footmen were dressed finer than him. But clothing did not make a man. When he entered the floor, many of these men, fine lords, entitled noblemen, some with wealth to rival the crown, would not meet his gaze.
He knew their secrets, their weaknesses, their fears. It was his job to make enemies, not friends. His existence as the widow’s spy—her dog, some often said, because of his ability to fetch her information at her beckoning—was a lonely affair. He slept, he woke, he worked. That had been his life for the last year as he slaved for every penny to pay back his brother’s debt. She paid him a fair wage for his expertise, but Tristan had learned that others were willing to pay handsomely for secrets, too. So, he’d been able to subsidize his pay and whittle down his brother’s debt faster, but still, if he continued this path, he’d be working the Den for the next five years. and he knew now the widow wouldn’t hold his deed for that long.
He’d been desperate when he’d made this bargain. He hadn’tpictured what the rest of his life would look like. His brother and sister were safe. He spared as much as he could in coin for his cousin to help alleviate the burden of extra mouths to feed, but looking back, he’d made many mistakes. He could see that now. Regret was not useful, but he let it fire the kiln of his determination because tonight, everything would change. He’d seen the amounts of wealth that could cross these felt-covered tables. Just the taste of the possibility of returning home with Flick at his side was enough temptation now to test his luck. He might come away with much more than he needed or could dream. He could change all of their lives, buy newer equipment, improve the plumbing, and make repairs that had fallen to the wayside under Colin’s care. Lark Hall could once again be the gem it was.
All on the turn of a card.
The temptation to crave more, to risk it all, was strong.
Instead, he turned away from the rattling of dice and the gentlemen below. He’d bathed and shaved, but under his shirt, the sweat of his repressed worries dampened his skin. He stopped by the bar for a dram of whisky to settle his nerves. Alston had spent the afternoon with him, hammering every tip and card face into his mind. He’d lost every game, but Alston said he was finally making progress. Tonight, Alston would be watching, not that Tristan needed the extra pressure, but he liked to think that they’d formed a friendship of sorts. Mutual respect at the very least. Tristan would be forever grateful to the lord for helping him when he had no reason to. Alston could have turned him away at the door, but he hadn’t.
Lord Hugstead arrived, acknowledging him with a brief nod before heading straight to the private dining room. Did he know the stakes of this game? What he’d lose to Tristan? His jealousy roared to life. Hugstead had met Flick one time, and yet he’d offered marriage. Did he want her? Was he willing to fight for her?
The whisky settled in his stomach, lighting a fire inside him to drown out the doubts that had been circling like vultures. He wouldnot lose her. He would not lose Lark Hall. He would not lose this bloodygame.
Titan, the leader of the wolf pack, approached with his ever-stoic mask.
“I’m warning you to behave yourself,” Titan said.
“Me? When have I ever misbehaved?”
