Lord Grenville's Choice (5 page)

Felicity had had a lovely bath the night before and washed her hair. Now Martha arranged it in a modish style, half up on her head, the other half in ringlets over her shoulder. She wore a day gown of light green muslin trimmed with daisy lace under her bosom and around the hem. She guessed she had another week at most before it became obvious that she was increasing. Oh, that she could hide it for longer!

The truth was, she had begun to think, after five years, that Alex might be beginning to care for her. Now that she was about to present him with another child, she had been especially hopeful. But those hopes were now dashed. His life was once again full of Elizabeth. When she told him she was going to remain at her father’s house, he was going to be angry about not having daily access to his son, and she could not begin to imagine his thoughts about this new child.

When the party arrived, Felicity greeted them in her father’s drawing room. Anabella looked pert and fashionable in a daffodil-colored muslin, and Lady Henrietta was handsome in a light pewter day dress with lime green trim that complimented her silver hair.

When Felicity finally looked up at Alex, she saw him regarding her solemnly and wondered if there was any new gossip about him. She had not read the newspaper as yet this morning. A pang of dread sliced through her. He looked a bit worn around the eyes but was putting on a show of good cheer. He was especially appealing this morning in a dove gray topcoat and sky blue waistcoat.

“I was so sorry to hear about your father,” said Lady Henrietta. “How does he?”

“Thank you for your concern. He is improving by the day,” Felicity said.

“You are looking sadly pulled,” said Anabella. “It must have been a terrible ordeal for you.”

“We have a very good physician, and Alex has helped in his care.”

“I told you, I think,” said her husband, “that in addition to nursing her father, she has been making bandages to send to John.”

“A true paragon of a wife,” said Anabella. “Now, when are we to see Jack? Alex’s letters are full of him.”

Felicity rang for the butler and asked him to have Nanny Owen and Jack present themselves in the drawing room. At the same time, she also ordered tea and scones.

While waiting for Jack to appear, Alex discussed his son’s desire for a dog and the plans he had to buy him a black Labrador when next they went to the Lincolnshire estate.

“I adored our dogs,” said Anabella. “It will be wonderful to have one again.”

“This one is not to be dressed up in lacy caps!” Alex declared.

Jack appeared in the doorway and, after taking in the sight of the visitors, ran to Felicity and stood in the circle of her arm. Nanny Owen sat down unobtrusively by the door.

“Darling, I know it has been several months since you’ve seen your Aunt Anabella and Great Aunt Henrietta. Can you give them your best bow?”

Putting an arm across his waist, her son bowed promptly.

“Come to Papa, Jack!” Alex called from the corner where he stood by the window.

“Papa, I did not see you standing there!” The little boy ran joyously to his father, who hoisted him, held him under the arms, and twirled him around in a circle. “You did not come to see me before bed last night,” Jack said.

“I am truly sorry, Son. I had an important errand to do for your Uncle John.”

“Is he home from the war?” Jack asked, excitement in his voice.

“He will be home this winter, at Christmas time.”

Lady Henrietta had pulled a package out of her reticule. “Lord Jack, I have a present for you.”

“You do?” Felicity watched delight form on her son’s face. In a moment, his shyness fled and he ran to the older woman.

“I will let you unwrap it,” Lady Henrietta said, handing him the square gift.

For a moment, Jack struggled with the string, finally pulling it off and tearing the paper with enthusiasm. “It is a book!” He looked at it in wonder. “It has a knight on the front.” He opened it, turning the pages eagerly. “Papa! It is a story about knights! It has pictures.”

Alex clapped. “Well done, Aunt! Jack is particularly fond of knights.”

The scones and tea arrived, and Jack sat happily on his great aunt’s lap, eating, while she read him the story in low tones.

Anabella and Alex reminisced about their favorite childhood books, their treehouse, and their ponies. Brother and sister recounted the scrapes they had fallen into with much laughter. As usual at such times, Felicity felt herself to be part of the background. After everyone else had been served their tea, she carried a cup over to Nanny Owen and sat down at her side.

When was she going to speak to Alex about her plan to change her residence? Maybe today would not be the best time. She would write him a note tomorrow, asking him to call on her alone. That would be the best thing.

After tea, her husband took his aunt and sister up to visit with her father, and Felicity returned with Jack and Nanny Owen to the nursery.

“Can you take me to the park after my nap today, Mama? There are new baby duckies and they swim in a line after their mama.”

“It depends upon your grandpapa. If he is doing well, perhaps I can leave him with his valet for a while. But, if not, Nanny Owen can take you.”

“But I want to show you the duckies!”

She enclosed him in a tender hug and said gently, “You know that sometimes we cannot always have exactly what we want when we want it. Grandpapa has been very ill. He is getting better, but he still needs me.”

“All right, Mama,” he sighed gustily.

“Now I must return to our guests.”

As everyone stood conversing in the foyer prior to taking their leave, Alex said, “You father is much improved. He said my name. And he had a twinkle in his eye for Aunt.”

“Yes, I am very encouraged,” Felicity said. “Dr. Caldwell is pleased.”

“So, when will you be coming home? Now that you have hired a nurse, surely, he no longer needs you here day and night,” her husband said.

Raising her chin, she said, “I do not think this is the moment to discuss it, Alex.”

He looked puzzled as he stood waiting for his sister and aunt to put on their spencers. “When shall we discuss it, then?”

“Perhaps you would come by tomorrow morning.”

“Is there something about your father’s condition I do not know?”

“We will discuss it tomorrow,” Felicity said, forcing herself to meet his bewildered gaze.

Anabella said, her voice light, “It could be she does not mean to come home at all, Alex. With the gossip and all.”

He looked at his sister, his brows lowered. “Do be quiet, Anabella.” Turning to Felicity again, he asked, “You do plan to come home, do you not?”

His eyes were angry, but whether that emotion was directed at her or his sister, she could not tell.

“We will discuss it tomorrow, privately,” she said, trying to make her voice firm.

With a look that was indecipherable, he turned and followed his sister and his aunt out the door.

Felicity felt thoroughly unsettled by the encounter as she climbed the stairs to her father’s room. She had thought Alex would be relieved to be rid of her, but now she faced the possibility that he might be very angry, indeed.

{ 7 }

A
lex began the afternoon in a black mood. Leaving his aunt and sister to fend for themselves, he went to his club.

Females! Who could understand them? What made Anabella such a cat when it came to Felicity? Was Felicity actually going to remain in her father’s house and refuse to come home? The thought made him boil.

Then his mind turned to the gossip that was currently making the rounds about himself and Elizabeth. Did people have nothing better to do?

His friend Winton found him scowling into the fire.

“So are the rumors true, then? You have taken up with Lady Beaton? You look rather like a man who has been thrown out of his house.”

Alex looked up. “Not you, too? Please spare me. There is nothing to the gossip. I am out of sorts because I have been set upon by females—my sister and aunt. They are here for the Season. For some reason, my sister has always disliked Felicity. Makes things devilishly difficult.”

“Ah! The lovely Anabella! And the dashing Lady Henrietta! I would be happy to be of service. Shall I take them riding in the park this afternoon?”

“Winton, that would be the act of a true friend. Maybe I could return home and concentrate on my correspondence, at least.”

“It would be a pleasure. Are they going to Lady Frensham’s do tonight?”

“They just arrived in town. It is too early for invitations to have been sent.”

“Never mind. I shall escort both of them as my guests. Why do you not join us? ’Twould chase away that black humor of yours to go to a ball. I have not seen you in society this age.”

Alex decided in that moment that he would insist on a conversation with Felicity this evening. He did not want to wait until the morning to learn about whatever maggot had gotten into her brain.

“I am certain Anabella and Aunt Henrietta would accept your offer. They are very eager to enjoy the Season. Anabella has just sent another suitor packing. But I shall not join you. I wish for nothing more than a quiet evening.”

“Does Lady Grenville not enjoy society? I have not seen the two of you at a ball for at least a twelve month.”

“I am the culprit. It is not my wife. I have become a man of dull habits, I am afraid.”

“And what does your wife do with her long evenings?”

“She has friends. Felicity belongs to several literary salons. And she has her music. She is a talented vocalist, you know. She is forever attending or singing at
musicales
.”

“Not exactly your cup of tea.”

“No. We are not compatible in that way.”

“A word of advice: if you want to stop this gossip, I should appear with her in public. The bigger the venue, the better. It is my notion that you ought to bring her to Frensham’s ball tonight.”

“She would not come. Her father is ill. She will not leave his bedside.”

“Ah! That complicates things, certainly. Is he at death’s door, then?”

“No, as a matter of fact, he is doing much better than expected. He is recovering.”

His friend was silent for a few moments as he lit a cigar. “Let me put it to you, Grenville. This gossip about you and Lady Beaton is widespread. Nothing society likes more than star-crossed lovers. But it is damaging to the lady. If you care about her at all, you will put a stop to it. Is Lady Grenville aware of it?”

Alex nodded, grimly. “Unfortunately.”

“She must want an end to it as much as you do. Put it to her that the best thing to do is to go to Frensham’s ball. Surely you could hire a nurse for the evening.”

Alex felt as a beleaguered sailor must feel once he has glimpsed land. He turned to his friend and slapped him on the shoulder. “Excellent strategy! You are a friend, indeed.” He finished his claret in a single swallow. “Forgive me if I leave you. I must see to this without delay. Felicity will want to fetch a ball gown and such things. Dine with us at eight o’clock!

Alex called on Felicity before tea. Glover informed him that she was with Dr. Caldwell, if he would care to wait.

Irritated, he walked into the morning room. Why should he not be included in a conference on his father-in-law’s health? Officious butler.

Alex walked out of the room and up the stairs where he made his way to his Lord Morecombe’s room. He heard Felicity’s voice in the sitting room. Without knocking, he went in.

Felicity was seated next to the doctor on the small love seat. Until she looked up and blushed scarlet, saying “My lord!” in a tone of sheer surprise, he thought nothing of their closeness. The doctor sprang to his feet, clearly discomfited.

“What is taking place here?” Alex asked, his voice thunderous.

“Nothing with which you need concern yourself,” Felicity said, drawing herself up and looking him in the eye. “You should have knocked. I was consulting privately with Dr. Caldwell.”

“You are ill?” he asked, disbelief coloring his tone.

She put her head on one side and surveyed him levelly, as though making up her mind about something. “I had hoped to tell you when you were in a better mood, but the fact is, I am increasing. We shall have another child in the autumn.”

He looked from Dr. Caldwell’s smiling face to Felicity’s solemn one, unable to believe his ears. “Increasing? You are increasing?”

“Yes. I thought you would be pleased,” she said.

Pure joy penetrated his breast and he grinned hugely, pulling her to her feet and into his arms. “That is the happiest, most wonderful news you could have given me! How long have you been keeping this to yourself? You minx!”

“I have suspected for several months, but I have had so many false starts, I wanted to be certain this time,” she said, smiling at last.

“False starts? You have miscarried? How could I not have known?”

“They were very early miscarriages. I did not want to alarm you.”

He remembered now. There were days over the past four years where she had claimed to have influenza. She had kept to her bed and a physician had been called. Alarmed, Alex had questioned the doctor closely when he insisted on a private examination. But the doctor had always assured him that all would be well if his wife only could have several weeks of quiet and rest.

Felicity’s revelation made him feel curiously small. “You did not trust me enough to confide in me? You must have been heartsick, and in considerable pain, as well.”

The doctor fidgeted, then gathered his satchel and hat. “I will be leaving now, my lady,” he said as he suited action to word.

Alex’s eyes were fixed on Felicity’s as he said, “Thank you, doctor. I depend upon you to see yourself out.”

“I know how much you love Jack,” she said as the door closed behind the physician. “If I had told you about the miscarriages, you would have taken it very hard, I think.”

“So you suffered alone to spare my feelings,” he said. In spite of the good news, her confession saddened him. “That does not speak very highly of the trust between us, Felicity. You do not have to spare me your feelings.”