Almost A Spinster (12 page)

Fury that was all her fault. The entire situation was her fault. Because she had surrendered control to Gabriel’s brother, all these consequences were hers to live.

Felicity stepped forward to intervene if she had to. The Duke was much bigger and much younger than her father. He could certainly put the older man on his back, injure him if he chose to do so. Except… he wasn’t. Felicity came to a stop, staring at Gabriel as he simply allowed the threats of violence inherent to her father’s brutal grip and flashing eyes. The Duke made no attempt to defend himself.

“Why are you, of all men, alone with your hands my daughter? Wasn’t what your brother did enough?” her father continued.

Gabriel winced again. “I should not be, my lord. And if you need to demand satisfaction for my utter lack of propriety, I am prepared to make reparations. In fact, that is why I am here. Not to cause your family,” he shot her a pleading glance. “Or Lady Felicity, more grief, I assure you.”

Her father gave an incredulous snort, though his fingers relaxed from Gabriel’s jacket. He stepped back with folded arms and stared as Gabriel smoothed his mangled lapels. “Felicity, go inside.”

She shook her head. She wasn’t about to leave him alone with someone from the Windsworth line. Despite the new Duke’s attempts at propriety and politeness, she didn’t trust him. She couldn’t afford to, especially after his ridiculous offer of marriage that still rang in her ears.

“No, Father.”

Gabriel cast her a side glance and his eyes lit up in surprise. As if he hadn’t expected her to be so bold as to deny her father’s order. Blood burned hot in her cheeks at that expression. He knew what she had done in the past. Probably he thought her nothing more than an empty headed chit with easy virtue. Her chin lifted in defiance as she looked away.

Her father turned on her. “Felicity, what I am about to say is not something for your ears.”

She reached up and placed a hand on his arm and found herself trembling. “This is because of what I-” the blush burned hotter. “-
did
. I want to stay.”

“My lord,” Gabriel interrupted. “I only ask that you hear what I’ve come to say. If, after I have finished, your mind is not changed, I will completely understand and you may do your worst to me. But I beg only a few moments of your time to hear my statement and my offer.”

Felicity’s father held her gaze for a long moment. She expected him to refuse and tell Gabriel to get out, but his expression didn’t reflect that. He almost looked… broken. Like he had after his confrontation with Jonathon Morrison and his father five long years before. Like he was out of choices.

He sighed before he turned his gaze on Gabriel. There was a wealth of mistrust in his eyes, but to her surprise, he nodded once. “Very well, Your Grace. I will hear you. But not on the terrace. Come inside where we may have privacy. I do not wish the entire party to be privy to whatever you want to say.”

“Of course,” Gabriel said with a respectful tilt of his head.

Felicity’s eyes widened as her father took her hand and led them back inside. What? Was he really going to listen to this man and his ridiculous notions? Well, Gabriel Morrison would be in for an unpleasant shock if he dared to make his impertinent offer for her hand in her father’s earshot. And she could not wait to see his face after he did.

#

Gabriel took a deep breath as Lord Stoneworth shut the door to his private office and motioned for him to sit. He did so, facing the settee where Felicity and her father sat together. Both of them were cold, their expressions leaving little of their thoughts about him to the imagination. But he expected that. It was part of what he would have to overcome thanks to his father and brother.

“My lord,” he began. “You have probably surmised that I know of the… incident that occurred between your daughter and my brother a few years ago.”

Lord Stoneworth stiffened and Felicity’s face darkened with a blush that made her bright eyes stand out in even starker relief. They were so uncommonly blue, so filled with life and emotion. He stared for a fraction of a second too long before he forced himself to continue.

“And I am also aware of how badly that situation was handled at the time. Now that I have inherited the Duchy, I am doing my best to make reparations for the damage my family has done in many quarters. Starting with your daughter.”

Stoneworth arched a brow and his expression remained incredulous, though there was a faint light of interest in his stare. “You are trying to make amends for their behavior?”

He nodded. “Yes. And it is-it is very difficult, sir. I’m sure you know that yours is not the only family my father and brother betrayed. Their drinking, the excessive gambling, the broken bargains… they are well-known in Society. I realize it could take me years to regain even a fraction of the respect our name once inspired, but I am driven to try.”

Stoneworth’s face relaxed, but Felicity’s demeanor had not changed. She remained sitting bone straight, her arms folded like a shield across her chest, her eyes narrowed. Would he ever crack that icy demeanor and see the real woman inside?

Gabriel started. Did he want to see the real woman? That wasn’t what he’d come for today. He had to offer for Felicity because of what had been done to her in the past. When he arrived, he’d considered it a sacrifice he had to make to regain some honor and respect.

Now, looking at her, he didn’t feel like it was such a sacrifice anymore. There was something about this woman…

“Your Grace?”

He shook off his musings to pay attention to Felicity’s father. The other man was glaring at him. Clearly he hadn’t missed Gabriel’s blatant perusal of his daughter. Damn, but that was bad form. It only served to prove he was his father’s son.

And he was beginning to wonder if he truly was that. His strong reactions to the young woman his brother had ruined were unexpected. Unwelcomed. He could only hope they wouldn’t prove to be undeniable, as well.

“Do continue,” Lord Stoneworth pressed. “I am fascinated by where all this is leading. Tell me, did you come here to offer my daughter some kind of financial settlement for what your brother took from her?”

Gabriel worked hard to keep his expression blank. Though the world knew about his family’s shames, Society as a whole was not fully aware of their financial troubles. His father had done a very good job keeping that fact utterly private, mostly by cheating merchants and offering ungentlemanly reasons for why he refused to pay debts rather than the truth.

“No, a financial settlement will not be enough, I don’t think,” he said, casting a glance at Felicity. He had to hand it to her. Despite the humiliating topic, she was holding up well. Her face flamed nearly as red as her hair, but she kept that proud tilt to her chin. The fire in her eyes drew him in inexplicably.

“Then what do you suggest?” her father asked.

It was Felicity who answered, thrusting her shoulders back with a bark of humorless laughter. “On the terrace, he offered to marry me. Have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous in your life?”

Gabriel bit back frustration at her interruption and locked gazes with Lord Stoneworth. He was ready for the man to come flying out of his seat and pound him. Instead, her father tilted his head, searching Gabriel’s eyes for… something. Perhaps it was honesty, perhaps it was honor… Gabriel could only hope he found both there. If he could garner her father’s support, it would be much easier to break down Felicity’s barriers to this union.

“Are you serious in this offer?” her father asked quietly.

Gabriel nodded. “I am, sir. When I saw that your daughter was still unattached, despite her talent and her beauty and her…” he cleared his throat. “…er, charm, I knew that what my brother did must have had some effect on her chances in the marriage mart. If we formed a union, I would make up for what my brother did, as well as align myself with your family.”

Stoneworth looked up at her with a brief sadness in his eyes. Something born from such love that Gabriel turned away from it. He’d certainly never seen that expression from his own father. There had only been resentment. Cold dismissal. Anger and pain.

“Felicity, we should speak about this privately,” her father said softly.

Hope sprung in Gabriel’s chest. If her father did not automatically dismiss his offer out of hand, he had a chance.

“Privately?” Felicity repeated and the hope fled at her shocked and horrified tone. “What is there to discuss? Do you really expect me to entertain an offer of marriage from… from…” She cast a quick glance in his direction. “
This man
?”

Her father’s chin dipped in defeat. “I do not like to see you resigned to being an old maid when you are still so young, my dear. I don’t like the idea of you giving up your dreams for children and a home and a life of your own. I know you’ve done that since you-”

“Made the worst mistake of my life?” Felicity said softly, filling in her father’s hesitation. “So you would rather see me married to someone who does not care for me? Who I could never care for?”

Gabriel flinched. Her hatred of him thanks to his family ran very deep. He understood that, but he still despised it for all it represented. This was the kind of prejudice he would be fighting to overcome for years. A judgment based on two men he had hardly known, despite their shared blood.

He wanted to prove her wrong. Prove everyone wrong.

Lord Stoneworth tilted his head. “You are angry now and surprised by this, as I am. But I don’t think it wise to dismiss it out of hand. Not until you’ve given this man a chance to prove he is not like his brother.”

“Or prove he is exactly like Jonathon,” Felicity barked, her gaze snaring his with heated anger that ripped through him.

Slowly, Gabriel got to his feet. He clenched fists at his side as frustration threatened to overwhelm him. “I have told you, my lady, I am not like my brother.”

“Do I take your word on that?” she sneered. “Like I did in the past?”

“No. Give me a chance to prove it to you,” he snapped back before he tempered his tone. “Give me a chance to show you I’m worthy of your trust. I’m certain you would not like to be judged on the mistakes of one night. Please do not judge me based on the actions of another man.”

Felicity jolted back, as if his words had actually affected her. She shook her head like she was shaking off the effects, then turned on her father and Gabriel saw tears sparkling in her eyes.

“Please, Father,” she whispered.

“Felicity, you cannot throw your life away based upon one night,” he answered. His gaze snagged Gabriel’s. “I won’t allow you to do that any longer. The young man has asked for a chance to prove his worthiness. You will allow him to do so. I won’t force you to marry him, but I will not let you refuse him until we’ve all had a chance to judge his worth based upon his own actions. His own words.”

Her eyes grew impossibly wide and her mouth opened and shut in mute shock. Then she turned and ran from the room without so much as a glance in his direction.

Sudden exhaustion overtook Gabriel and he sank back down into the chair with a long sigh. He looked up to find Lord Stoneworth watching him. Appraising him.

“She will not make it easy for you,” he said softly and Gabriel couldn’t tell what her father thought of that.

“Nor should she,” he replied, ignoring the throbbing of his head. “I would not expect anything different.”

“Give her a day, then call again,” Stoneworth said as he got to his feet. “I’ll make certain she at least takes tea with you. The rest will be up to you.”

The other man began to leave the room, but at the door he hesitated. “Five years ago when I first approached your father about her ruination, I was not willing to destroy her reputation in order to force your brother into marrying her. Your family all but dared me to go public and challenge him. But if you harm her, if you bring her pain, if you touch her in any way that is inappropriate… I will have your blood. I’ll have your head.”

Gabriel got up with a nod. “I understand.”

“Good afternoon.”

Chapter Four

“I’m not really sure what it is you want from us, Felicity.” Jane Hughes sipped her tea as she looked to her husband’s grandmother with a shrug. “But you know I adore you and I’ll do anything to help you.”

“Yes, dearest,” Lady Stanton said with a nod. “But don’t keep us in suspense any longer. Your note was so strange.”

Felicity sighed as she set her untouched tea cup to the side. Clenching her fists in her lap, she looked at the two women before her. Jane had been her best friend for as long as she could remember. Long before she had met and fallen in love with Wesley Stanton, Lady Stanton’s grandson. Felicity had a hand in their very happy union and had never been happier for her friend.

But now she needed Jane’s help and Lady Stanton’s, too. But for the opposite reason. She didn’t want them to help her find true love. She needed them to help her
avoid
Gabriel Morrison’s advances. And they could never know the true reason why.

“Felicity,” Jane said softly. “What is wrong? Why do you look so troubled?”

“Um, well I’m certain you noticed the Duke of Windsworth’s presence at my recital two days ago,” she began, willing the quell in her voice to cease without success. She arched a brow at Lady Stanton. “I know
you
did. You abandoned me to the man’s company!”

A ghost of a smile turned up the older woman’s lips. “Abandoned to the company of a handsome, attentive man. What horrors.”

“They are horrors to me, I’m afraid,” she said with a sigh. “The Duke wishes to pursue my hand and my father, for some unknown reason, has decided to allow that.”