“If she is the eldest, the sisters who have already married must be younger. They do not appear to be pairing off in the usual order.” Hisuncle had already returned to his sly, calculating self.
Drake was glad to hear the old codger’s ribs weren’t broken. It would take several weeks for Uncle to heal, but he would eventually be back in his bath chair, complaining about his lot in life.
“Full steam ahead, boy. Get thee to Broadmere House and call on Lady…Lady…” Uncle George frowned. “What did you say her name was again?”
“Lady Felicity.”
He grunted. “Meansintense happinessoreloquence. Did you know that?”
“I did not, but I find it quite fitting. The lady is most pleasing to chat with.”
Uncle George waved him away. “Go see her today. Do not wait until tomorrow.”
“I asked permission to call upon her tomorrow, and she granted it. It would be rude and presumptuous of me to show up on her doorstep today.” Drake was as eager for his next meeting with Felicity as his uncle was, but he did not wish to overplay his hand.
“Well…I suppose you are right.” Uncle George cleared his throat, then grimaced and caught his ribs. “Keep her away from here. She must not discover the state of things until you have properly snared her, and she cannot escape.”
And that was where misgivings had started gnawing at Drake’s gut. Felicity was so kind and considerate. Didn’t the lady deserve to know the truth about his circumstances?
“I know that look,” his uncle growled. “You are just like your father. Get it out of your head right this very moment. If you tell her the entirety of the truth, you will lose her.”
“What look? Your eyes are swollen shut.”
Uncle George snorted again. “You know very well what I mean. Your conscience is your downfall, boy. Once you receive her dowry and set things right, she will never know the difference.” The old manmanaged a lopsided grin. “And if there is any to spare, perhaps we might go gaming and increase our investment.”
“Never again, and you know it. I forbid you.” Drake had taken everything remotely worth being gambled away and ensured it was out of his uncle’s reach. In fact, most of it had been used to lessen the depth of their pit of debt.
His uncle gave an insulted huff and waved the words away. “Let an old man dream. What else is left to me in this life?”
Drake wanted to remind the man that his poor choices had led him to where he was today, and he had no one to blame but himself. But he didn’t. It wouldn’t do any good. How many times had his father begged his uncle to do better? “Try to get some sleep while I see about your bath chair. We can ill afford another.”
“Stop talking to me about what we cannot do!” His uncle threw an arm over his battered face and turned away.
It would be time for the tantrums now because Drake had dared to remind his uncle that he had left them with nothing but a mess.
Drake left the room, unwilling to listen to the foolish prattling of an ill-tempered old bastard who thought of no one but himself. As he headed back to the garden, he pulled in a deep breath and let it back out with a groan. Heaven help him in this venture, and God forgive him for pulling dear Lady Felicity into it. But he had no choice, and he did like her very much and would never treat her poorly. Hopefully, in the young lady’s eyes, that would be enough to at least start courting.
One of the bath chair’s iron rods was slightly bent. Nothing John couldn’t take to the forge and hammer back into place. Drake righted the thing and left it there, refusing to deal with it today. Besides, it wasn’t as though his uncle would leave the sickbed for a day or two.
He foraged deeper into the overgrown garden, hoping some of the flowers, maybe even a few roses, had survived the onslaught of the weeds. He couldn’t very well call on Lady Felicity with nothing to offer other than a smile and the sincerest hope that she would find himas pleasant as she had seemed to last night in the kitchen. The memory befuddled him. Why in heaven’s name had she been in the kitchen instead of among the crowd enjoying the games or the dancing? A beautiful woman such as herself would be surrounded by likely suitors. Perhaps she was shy? Or worse. Perhaps she was hiding away because she was saving herself for someone else. He sincerely hoped not.
She is mine.A possessiveness for her came to him as naturally as breathing. The tense knot in his chest eased a bit and calmed for the first time in a long while, because of her. And not just because of her money. Yes. She was his—or soon would be.
*
“Since we arenot too far and spent hardly any time at all in the village, I say we walk by the Wakefield estate and have a peek,” Merry said, sounding entirely too excited about her plan.
Felicity knew from her sister’s tone that she would never be able to steer her toward another option. “Merry.”
“Do not say my name like that. Since Lord Wakefield intends to come calling tomorrow, it is only prudent that we see what you might eventually be mistress over, if all goes as I think it will.”
Felicity rolled her eyes and wished the day’s timing had not crossed their paths with the Earl of Wakefield. Now that Merry had seen him, she was like a hunting dog tracking her prey. “We should be getting back. I promised to help Cook with tea.”
“Cook can lay out a proper tea with her eyes closed,” Merry said, “and that includes the baking of seven different kinds of biscuits. Under her command in the kitchen, the tea practically prepares itself.” She tugged on Felicity’s arm. “Come along now. You know you want to see it too.”
“I do not.”
“Liar. You just wrinkled your nose.”
