Surviving the Parents
Two nights later, Felicity met Axel’s eyes from across the drawing room and shrugged. For all she’d dreaded the gathering between their two sets of parents, the evening had been surprisingly uneventful.
Axel cradled a snifter of amber liquid and leaned casually against the mantel, for all appearances, looking as though he was following their fathers’ conversation. But he had a thoughtful expression in his eyes that told Felicity his mind was otherwise engaged.
While taking tea with her fiancé the day before, her mother had brought up the gunshot incident in the park. Her mother had heard about it from her lady’s maid—who had heard it from another lady’s maid who had been walking in the park that afternoon.
Mantis explained that although they hadn’t caught the shooter, it had likely been nothing more than an accident. That was the logical conclusion. She hadn’t any enemies, and he would have told her if he thought he had.
Wouldn’t he?
“I know you are the prospective bride, but I’m fairly certain your presence is not required for any of this.”
Lady Cordelia, Axel’s sister, whispered beside Felicity, although whispering probably wasn’t necessary. Because Lady Crestwood and Felicity’s mother had all the wedding plans well in hand. Felicity liked Lady Cordelia enormously, and Axel had described her quite accurately—tall and noble but not at all unfeminine.
Felicity grinned at his sister’s comment and then met Axel’s gaze.
He winked, causing her grin to stretch even wider.
“I do believe my brother is happier than he’s ever been.” His sister unexpectedly reached over and squeezed Felicity’s hand.
Had he been unhappy before? The unanswered question in her mind was a reminder that there was a great deal that she didn’t know about him, and that they weren’t, in fact, in love; they were only pretending to be for their parent’s sakes.
Even if they were going to marry and his child was growing inside of her.
Felicity noticed the distance between Axel and his father. He regarded the earl with a sense of wariness, and his father occasionally glanced over at him with…disdain.
“We’ll serve every delicacy imaginable at the prewedding ball.” Lady Crestwood’s voice carried across the room from where she jotted notes on a piece of parchment provided by Felicity’s mother. “If we were in the country, we could have made a house-party of it. The gentlemen could have hunted fresh game, but we’ll simply have to make do. I’ll ensure Cook serves the richest meats. She makes this positively delightful parsley sauce. We’ll have no less than a dozen courses—or perhaps fifteen. What are your thoughts, Lady Brightley?”
Felicity’s mother leaned forward and covered Lady Crestwood’s hand, a secretive smile dancing on her lips. “Nothing too rich, my lady. I do believe Felicity’s condition has affected her constitution.”
“Her…” Lady Crestwood froze, looking confused, and then cocked a brow. “Condition? What condition is that?”
Felicity’s mother smiled secretly. “The one that has all of us anticipating a most exciting event come the holidays this year.”
In that moment, the lighthearted mood of the evening devolved into something that was almost… insidious. Although Felicity had expected some scorn in that they’d acted outside of society’s norms, she also expected his parents to show the slightest relief knowing the heir would waste no time in setting up his nursery.
They were going to be grandparents!
Felicity, the daughter, and only child of an earl, was well aware of the importance of these matters as one of her cousins, rather than a brother, looked to inherit her own father’s title.
“Crestwood.” Axel’s stepmother’s eyes narrowed as she garnered her husband’s attention. “Were you aware of the circumstances surrounding this betrothal? ThatLady Felicityis… not quite the genteel lady we took her for?” The woman cocked a brow. “No offense meant, of course.”
Felicity ignored the insult in order to watch for the Earl of Crestwood’s response.
The muscles in his jaw ticked ever so slightly and his fists were clenched, surprisingly reminding her of Axel. But his eyes, darker than his son’s, were cold and hard as they stared back at Lady Crestwood. Had the earl turned somewhat grey at the news?
“I was not.”
Axel had pushed away from the mantel. “Lady Felicity is, and always will be, a lady. Louisa, you will apologize at once.” His eyes blazed and Felicity could almost feel the anger rolling off him.
On her behalf. But she had no wish to be the reason for any discord between their two families. “No. It’s fine—"
“I refuse to allow anyone to speak thusly of my daughter. Most certainly not in my own home.” Her own father stepped forward as well.
“But by definition, a lady would not…” As though entering a battle, Lady Crestwood rose from where she’d been sitting.“Find herself in such circumstances.”
“Louisa,” Axel warned.
