Her maid knew she hadn’t been sleeping well, making the weak excuse somewhat believable. “Susan, I’d like to present you to the Viscount Manningham-Tissinton. He will be escorting us back to Bright Place.”
Since her father wasn’t likely to admit him as a guest, they had decided to arrive together.
Felicity had no choice but to over come the particular weak feeling in her lower extremities after…
“Axel, Susan is my most valued maid. I don’t know what I would do without her.”
Axel bowed over Susan’s hand. He didn’t have to—she was a maid—and yet by doing so, he revealed another layer of his character.
“We met before,” Axel reminded her. “Miss Susan. I beg your forgiveness for keeping your mistress so long. I didn’t have the heart to wake her, but it was not my intention to alarm you.” This man. He was powerful in every sense of the word, but, Axel’s true strength, Felicity realized, was in hisgoodness.
“It’s my honor to meet you.” Susan’s suspicions evaporated under his charm, which was quite telling. For weeks now, her maid hadn’t a single kind word to say about the man who’d bedded her mistress while she’d been feeling unhappy following Westerley’s betrayal.
But it seemed he was to be forgiven, which was bolstering in itself. Because having the support of a servant was of far more value than most realized.
“Shall we?” Axel offered his arm, and Susan fell into step behind them.
Felicity hadn’t bargained on spending so long at the park, and familiar gentlemen of the ton were already driving ladies in elaborate day dresses and feathered hats.
“My dear Manningham.” An incredibly handsome woman had her driver halt their open barouche before their trio could escape unseen. “Such a surprise to see you out and about, escorting Lord Brightley’s daughter, I believe?”
Axel stiffened beside her. “Felicity, may I present you to my father’s wife, her ladyship, Countess of Crestwood. Louisa, this is my… This is Lady Felicity, my… very good friend.”
“Pleased to meet you, my lady,” Felicity dropped into a curtsey, anxiously realizing that this woman was her future mother-in-law.
“Likewise, I’m sure.” Polite words, but Felicity couldn’t help but miss the chill in the woman’s cool grey eyes.
“Hello, Conner,” Axel addressed a small boy seated proudly in the corner of the barouche.
“Manningham.” Nothing in the boy’s appearance would have had Felicity guessing he was Axel’s brother. Nothing in his looks, nor what was almost a condescending demeanor.
“You missed dinner last night. Cook would appreciate it if you would show some consideration and inform her beforehand. Do you intend to join us tonight?” Lady Crestwood’s smile softened her criticism.
“Not this evening,” Axel’s voice came out tight sounding. “But I’ll speak with Cook later myself. It’s never my intent to be an inconvenience.”
“You might as well take a room at one of the Lodging houses for as much time as you spend with your family.” She ignored him a moment to wave across the park to another vehicle and then looked down at him again. “Poor Cordelia is feeling quite abandoned by you.”
Axel cleared his throat. “I suppose I can join the family for dinner this evening if you’d like. Although I highly doubt Cordelia would ever allow anyone to abandon her.”
“She is a lady, after all. But don’t change your plans for your family. We have guests coming, and the numbers are already set. Another time. Connor, you always enjoy Manningham’s visits, don’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am.” The boy sounded incredibly solemn for being only twelve. And then his mother’s gaze fell back on Felicity.
“Incredibly kind of you to allow our Manningham to escort you this afternoon.”
“I am the fortunate one,” Felicity responded honestly. “No doubt the new debutantes are wishing me to perdition about now.”
Lady Crestwood’s brows rose, and then she threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, my dear. Aren’t you simply delightful?” However, her lip curled, and, if possible, her eyes turned even cooler.
“We mustn’t dally, though. Do come around more, Manningham.” The woman smiled again and then dropped back into her seat. “Drive,” she ordered, and with a jerk, Axel’s stepmother and half-brother moved along.
Felicity would have stared after them, lost in thought, if Axel wasn’t urging her away from others who might wish to stop them.
He had told her once that he didn’t like being called Manningham—because it was what his how his family addressed him. Now, although Lady Crestwood hadn’t been outwardly rude, Felicity understood.
Away from the park, their trio had the walk mostly to themselves.
Felicity had not been joking when she’d told Lady Crestwood that the debutantes of the ton would be disappointed. His burly good looks notwithstanding. Because any time a titled and wealthy gentleman was scooped off the marriage mart, a handful of ladies—and their mothers, of course—fell into mourning. Did his family seriously believe that Axel lacked intelligence? It seemed preposterous—no, in fact, itwaspreposterous.
