“Is there one of you?”
He made a face. “Several, at various ages. The last was done when I came into the title, some five years ago. These things are expected, you know. It is not pomp.”
“Tradition?”
“Exactly. One has certain inescapable duties and tradition is one of them.”
A light footstep sounded from the direction of the saloon and Felicity turned to see a youthful creature trip into the room. She swept one glance across and her face lit up.
“Raoul!”
With a shriek of delight, she ran across the room and threw herself at the marquis, who rose to receive her in a startling and comprehensive embrace, lifting her quite off her feet. “Have a care, little sister! You’ll have me over.”
The girl was laughing in a delighted fashion as he set her back down. “I didn’t expect you for ages! Why didn’t you send a message? Are you staying long? Has something happened to bring you?”
“I will tell you if you will stop trying to strangle me.” Raoul extricated himself from his sister’s clinging embrace and bodily turned her to face Felicity. “I have brought Miss Temple to see you. Felicity, this is my graceless little sister, Lucille.”
An indignant Lady Lucille dug him in the ribs with her elbow. “Graceless! How horrid you are!” She smiled at Felicity, who had risen, and moved to take her hand, dropping a curtsey. “How do you do, Miss Temple? Pray don’t heed my brother. I am perfectly well behaved in company as a rule, only he gave me a shock arriving out of the blue.”
Felicity warmed to her straight away. “Pray don’t pay any heed to me either. I had been feeling quite a stranger here, but you have made me feel at home at once.”
“Miss Temple has been a schoolmistress, Lucille. She is used to dealing with hoydenish young ladies.”
The vivacious creature threw him a mischievous glance but her concentration remained on Felicity. “You can’t be a schoolmistress. You aren’t old enough.”
Felicity laughed. “I have been one for six years.” She looked from Lucille to Raoul. “How like your brother you are!”
Lady Lucille shrieked a protest, but the resemblance was marked. She had the same dark hair, and similar cast of countenance, although softened by youth. But it was easy to see her features would be commanding in time, though attractive. She was not a beauty in the conventional sense, but her personality was instantly taking.
“She is not in the least like me in temperament, however,” said Raoul, with a teasing look at the girl. “A more pert and bouncing female I hope I may never meet.”
This unflattering description sent her ladyship into a peal of laughter. “You make me sound like a dog.” She turned to Felicity. “He is a perfect beast to me, you see?”
“On the contrary, I am excessively indulgent and am forever incurring Miss Wimbush’s displeasure for spoiling you to death. Where is your duenna, by the by?”
His sister made a dismissive gesture. “Oh, she will be here all too soon. I could not come at her dawdling pace when I was longing to see you. And you haven’t answered me!”
“Well, sit down and stop fidgeting Miss Temple.”
“She isn’t fidgeted. Besides, if it’s true she is a schoolmistress — not that I believe it for a second — she must be used to being fidgeted.”
“You’re fidgetingme, wretched child! Sit down!”
“Yes, but you must sit with me, Raoul,” the creature said gaily, seizing his hand and dragging him to the sofa. But no sooner had he consented to sit beside her than she swung about to Felicity, patting the space on her other side. “You too, Miss Temple! Quick, before old Wimby comes, and then she won’t dare try to drag me away if I am parked between you.”
Felicity could not help laughing, but she declined to join them. “I can talk to you much more comfortably from here, I thank you. I shan’t be able to look at you if I sit there.”
Lucille put her hands to her face, peeping between her fingers like an infant. “I was used to play peep-bo with Raoul, like this.” Her merry smile was cast upon her brother. “Didn’t I?”
“I’m supposed to remember all the tricks you played as an infant?”
He was leaning comfortably back, his legs once more crossed, regarding his sister with a good deal of affection in his face. A pang smote Felicity. Was it because of the recent reminders of Papa? She hardly heard Lucille’s rejoinder, beset by an inexplicable yearning. The fondness between brother and sister was patent, showing a side of Raoul she had not been privileged to see. He had been carelessly kind, amusing sometimes, but too often enigmatic and cryptic. Felicity had not before seen him show this wholehearted enjoyment in anyone else’s company. She had ample opportunity to observe it while Lucille was present, that young lady proving irrepressible.
A faded lady of middle years came clucking in and was immediately persuaded by Raoul to allow her chattering charge free rein. “Lord knows why I have this effect on her, Miss Wimbush, but I can endure it for a short while.”
“Oh, my lord, you are so very… Indeed you should not. Her ladyship is very naughty to plague you,” fluttered the duenna.
She was a wispy female who, to Felicity’s experienced eye, was clearly no match for her charge. Nor for Raoul, who introduced her and bade her take a chair in an authoritative way that evidently overawed her, although she clucked away as she hovered by a chair.
