mother had been right all
along. For an intelligent, pragmatic young lady, she had been a fool, and a
stubborn one at that.
CHAPTER 8 ~
SEEKING CALM
Andover charged through the fields,
pushing his mount to outpace, outdistance, the plague of problems. He failed.
Dreams, needs were realized and
then, in one ill-fated night, tumbled out of control. He needed Felicity. She
listened to a man without chattering on endlessly. She was thoughtful in her
words, displaying circumspection rare in a woman.
In truth, it was more than that.
There were other girls of a quieter nature he had vaguely considered, then
turned away from. There were lively girls who made him laugh. None of them drew
him like Felicity.
The calmness, the quiet, the
ability to listen and understand, her practical nature. She neither swooned nor
shrieked when she caught sight of him after his fight with Thomas. Even when
she recommended potions, she didn’t fuss or push. A paragon, that’s what she
was, conveying in a few words what others babbled a mountain to express.
All lush curves and sweet smiles.
His
Felicity. The idea wafted over him as he turned his horse back toward
Ansley House and his problems. He had been away from Montfort too long already,
had planned to propose, announce the betrothal and head back to his mother.
Despite the nagging urgency to be gone, he now had to find a way to regain
Felicity’s favor.
He needed her.
Thomas came out of the barn, as he
rode into the stable yard.
“Andover.” The lack of hostility
failed to ease the tension.
Andover nodded back. “Redmond.”
He debated staying atop his horse.
He didn’t need any more schoolboy scuffles to add to his problems.
“My aunt went to your rooms.”
“Interesting you should say that.”
He kept a close eye on Thomas as he dismounted, handing the reins to a stable
lad. “She did show up in my rooms.”
“Uninvited, I dare say.” Thomas’s
grimace gave hope.
“As a gentleman…”
“As I said, uninvited. I didn’t ask
you, but I also know she would be the last person you would invite to your
rooms, no matter how randy you were. And certainly not here, in our home,
after…” Thomas looked toward the house, “…after proposing to my sister.”
“I’m sorry I kept my hand so close
to my chest.”
“You knew how I would react.”
“She’s your sister.”
“She is that.” Thomas looked down,
chuckled. Andover didn’t know if that was prelude to a charge or a thought
until Thomas looked up, wearing a smirking half smile. “And you need her,
though I don’t think you know how very much you need her, and the changes she
will wreak on your household.”
There it was again: The depths of her .
Thomas hit his target, unnerving
him. Andover didn’t need or want any more turmoil. That was precisely why he
had chosen Lady Felicity.
Worry quickly turned to anger.
“What are you trying to say, Redmond? Not to marry her for my sake? Not to
marry her for hers? Or that I will deserve everything that is coming to me?”
“Stop!” Thomas raised a hand, “Calm
yourself. After last night, there is no option but marriage. Why the bloody hell Felicity went to your rooms is
beyond me. I tried to ask her, but she’s closed herself in her rooms and won’t
speak to me. There’s no question that she brought this on herself, unless you
invited her.”
“I did not.”
“I had already ruled that out. You
are not such a cad as to invite my aunt to your rooms. Neither would you expect
Felicity to go traipsing around the house in the middle of the night. You would
go to her.” He paced in front of Andover. “So I’ve been thinking, and I realize
Felicity is perfect for you.”
Andover shook his head, as the
ramifications settled. “You are no longer angry with me?”
Thomas’s head shot up. “I wouldn’t
go that far. That was callous of you to discuss marriage with my father and not
let anyone know.”
“And have her the victim of
along. For an intelligent, pragmatic young lady, she had been a fool, and a
stubborn one at that.
CHAPTER 8 ~
SEEKING CALM
Andover charged through the fields,
pushing his mount to outpace, outdistance, the plague of problems. He failed.
Dreams, needs were realized and
then, in one ill-fated night, tumbled out of control. He needed Felicity. She
listened to a man without chattering on endlessly. She was thoughtful in her
words, displaying circumspection rare in a woman.
In truth, it was more than that.
There were other girls of a quieter nature he had vaguely considered, then
turned away from. There were lively girls who made him laugh. None of them drew
him like Felicity.
The calmness, the quiet, the
ability to listen and understand, her practical nature. She neither swooned nor
shrieked when she caught sight of him after his fight with Thomas. Even when
she recommended potions, she didn’t fuss or push. A paragon, that’s what she
was, conveying in a few words what others babbled a mountain to express.
All lush curves and sweet smiles.
His
Felicity. The idea wafted over him as he turned his horse back toward
Ansley House and his problems. He had been away from Montfort too long already,
had planned to propose, announce the betrothal and head back to his mother.
Despite the nagging urgency to be gone, he now had to find a way to regain
Felicity’s favor.
He needed her.
Thomas came out of the barn, as he
rode into the stable yard.
“Andover.” The lack of hostility
failed to ease the tension.
Andover nodded back. “Redmond.”
He debated staying atop his horse.
He didn’t need any more schoolboy scuffles to add to his problems.
“My aunt went to your rooms.”
“Interesting you should say that.”
He kept a close eye on Thomas as he dismounted, handing the reins to a stable
lad. “She did show up in my rooms.”
“Uninvited, I dare say.” Thomas’s
grimace gave hope.
“As a gentleman…”
“As I said, uninvited. I didn’t ask
you, but I also know she would be the last person you would invite to your
rooms, no matter how randy you were. And certainly not here, in our home,
after…” Thomas looked toward the house, “…after proposing to my sister.”
“I’m sorry I kept my hand so close
to my chest.”
“You knew how I would react.”
“She’s your sister.”
“She is that.” Thomas looked down,
chuckled. Andover didn’t know if that was prelude to a charge or a thought
until Thomas looked up, wearing a smirking half smile. “And you need her,
though I don’t think you know how very much you need her, and the changes she
will wreak on your household.”
There it was again: The depths of her .
Thomas hit his target, unnerving
him. Andover didn’t need or want any more turmoil. That was precisely why he
had chosen Lady Felicity.
Worry quickly turned to anger.
“What are you trying to say, Redmond? Not to marry her for my sake? Not to
marry her for hers? Or that I will deserve everything that is coming to me?”
“Stop!” Thomas raised a hand, “Calm
yourself. After last night, there is no option but marriage. Why the bloody hell Felicity went to your rooms is
beyond me. I tried to ask her, but she’s closed herself in her rooms and won’t
speak to me. There’s no question that she brought this on herself, unless you
invited her.”
“I did not.”
“I had already ruled that out. You
are not such a cad as to invite my aunt to your rooms. Neither would you expect
Felicity to go traipsing around the house in the middle of the night. You would
go to her.” He paced in front of Andover. “So I’ve been thinking, and I realize
Felicity is perfect for you.”
Andover shook his head, as the
ramifications settled. “You are no longer angry with me?”
Thomas’s head shot up. “I wouldn’t
go that far. That was callous of you to discuss marriage with my father and not
let anyone know.”
“And have her the victim of
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