Chapter Eleven
Felicity could stay like this forever, in his arms, still tingling from the kiss that had left her breathless.
She kept her hand pressed to his cheek, sinking into his eyes that churned with so many emotions.
“I am sorry about keeping you away for so long. This shy little mouse had much soul searching to do to find my courage.”
Drake tipped her chin higher and brushed a tender, heart-stopping kiss across her mouth. “I am sorry for everything,” he whispered, seeming as though he wished to say more.
“What is it, Drake? Please tell me.”
“The honorable thing for me to do would be to release you until I get my life in order.”
Catching her breath, she went to deny it, but he pressed a finger across her lips to stop her. The sadness in his eyes made her ache to find a way to console him.
He slowly shook his head. “But I am neither an honorable nor a self-sacrificing man. I am selfish, Felicity. As selfish as my uncle. I cannot let you go. You are my haven, my bright star of hope in my life’s angry storm.
” He bowed his head and again pressed his forehead to hers.
“Please forgive me for being too weak to deny the wants of my heart.”
His words stirred her as much as his touch.
She framed his face with her hands and made him look her in the eyes.
“We shall ride out the storm together. I know how to swim.” Snuggling in to rest her cheek on his chest, she closed her eyes and breathed him in.
This felt oh so right. “Do you think we might hide in here for the remainder of the party?”
His soft chuckle rumbled against her cheek. “Doubtful. Two of your sisters are outside the door at this very moment. They know we are here.”
“I wondered how you found me.”
“Lady Joy. My first inclination was to look in the kitchens.”
“Those dratted footmen blocked my way, or I would have gone to the kitchens.” She fully intended to speak to Joy about that.
Of course, they had allowed her the luxury of this exquisite privacy with Drake.
She hugged him tighter, enjoying the impropriety while she could. “This is quite scandalous, you know.”
“Shall we join your sisters, then?”
“We shall not.” She toyed with the folds of his cravat, which was tucked neatly beneath the lapels of his waistcoat.
Then a thought occurred to her. Fortuity had once said that such situations caused men a great deal of physical stress because it teased their amorous inclinations.
Come to think of it, her own insistent yearning had grown increasingly uncomfortable.
She wanted more kisses, more…well, she wanted a taste of what she had read in some of her sister’s books. “Uhm…do you think we should join them?”
He trailed his hands down her back, squeezing her closer, molding her against him. “We will have to join them soon, lest we get carried away.” His low groan thrilled her. “After all, my dearest lady, we are courting…not engaged.”
“We could be engaged,” she said before she lost the courage to say it. Her heart pounded so hard, there was no possible way he could not hear it.
He eased back a step, dropped to one knee, and took hold of both her hands. “I have nothing to offer but myself, my lady. But if you could find it in your heart to accept me, I shall spend the rest of my life doing my best to make you happy.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “I will accept you, my lord, and we shall be happy. I just know it.”
He pressed a kiss to each of her hands, then hugged them to his cheek. “I love you, Felicity.”
Before she could answer, the door burst open, and Joy and Serendipity poured into the room.
“Well done.” Joy excitedly bounced the tip of her cane harder against the marble floor. “Well done, indeed.”
Serendipity hugged Felicity and whispered, “You are certain?”
“I am certain.” And she was. Something within her had clicked into place as if this were what she had needed all this time to make her whole. “We shall have the vicar announce the first of the banns this Sunday.”
“Then we have but a month to plan the wedding and the breakfast.” Serendipity hugged her again, then turned to Drake. “Chance should arrive sometime this afternoon. You may speak to him then, although I cannot imagine his refusing Felicity’s wishes.”
“I am of age,” Felicity said, wanting to make that clear. This was her decision. Not Chance’s.
“Still,” Joy said, “Chance deserves that common courtesy. I know he can be a lout at times, but we must humor him. You know how fractious he gets when we ignore him.”
“Indeed.” Men could be as petulant as toddlers. “Where are the rest of the girls? If I don’t share my news with them before anyone else hears it, they will be most displeased.”
“Lady Grace was fetching her dogs,” Drake said, his expression unreadable.
“How many did she bring?” Felicity asked Joy. Grace had as many hounds at Wolfebourne Lodge as their sister Blessing had cats.
Joy counted off on her fingers. “Gastric, of course. He is her favorite. Connor and Sissy’s dog Hector, and I believe Lucy, the foxhound.”
Felicity turned back to Drake. “Why was she fetching them? She usually sees them settled in a side garden somewhere away from the festivities until it is safe to allow them back into the house.”
Drake rolled his shoulders as if shrugging on an uncomfortable jacket. “She was going to set them on me for upsetting you.”
Felicity laughed. “Gastric is so round that he waddles. Hector is a terrier who would barely reach your knees, and Lucy’s favorite activity is stretching out in a sunny patch and napping. I daresay you would be quite safe.”
With a leery shake of his head, he nodded at the far wall of windows. Beyond the span of panes, Grace could be seen marching along with the dogs in tow. “With your sister goading them on, I have no doubt they would rise to the occasion.”
“I shall tell her all is well.” Joy hurried to the window, tapped it with her cane, and drew Grace’s attention. Then she smiled and tapped her ring finger on her left hand.
Grace grinned and herded the trio of canines back in the direction from which they came.
“That leaves Blessing, Fortuity, and Merry—most especially Merry.” Felicity looped her arm through his and tugged. “We must tell them before you speak with Chance.”
Drake gave her a bemused look. “Should I not speak with your brother first?”
“Oh, no. Sisters first.” Felicity couldn’t help but smile. “Chance likes to think himself the head of the household, but we are the neck.”
“I see,” he said, the wariness in his tone becoming more pronounced.
“I will protect you,” Felicity promised, then tugged again. “You already know Merry will be thrilled. I am sure Blessing and Fortuity will be too.”
“Everyone will be thrilled as long as our Felicity is happy.” Serendipity leveled a pointed look at Drake.
“I assure you, I will do my best to keep her happy.”
“See that you do.” Joy moved to the door and held it open. “Onward. I know Merry is in the nursery. I am unsure where Blessing and Fortuity got off to, but we shall find them.”
Felicity hugged closer against Drake’s side and patted his arm. His hesitancy concerned her. Did he fear they might reject him? She knew he struggled with bruised pride from all that had gone wrong since he inherited the title. “It will be all right,” she whispered.
“I hope so,” he said just as softly, then cleared his throat and stood taller. “We shall make it all right, shall we not?”
Joyous excitement bubbled through her. “Indeed, we shall.”
*
After sharing their happy news with the rest of the sisters and receiving their blessings, they returned outside in search of refreshments.
Drake kept Felicity on his arm, determined that one and all would see that she belonged to him.
If not for the nagging worry about Rum and Catherty, his joy would be complete.
But the threat of blackmail and possibly worse hung over him like a black cloud, following him everywhere.
“Where are your thoughts?” Felicity playfully tugged his arm. “You are scowling.”
“Forgive me, dearest.” Shoving the unpleasantness to the back of his mind, he patted her hand where it rested in the crook of his arm. “Would you like some lemonade or tea, perhaps?” He escorted her to one of the tables beneath the shade of a white, open-sided tent billowing with the summer breeze.
“Let us sit for a while, and then perhaps I will enjoy something.” Her sparkling smile lit her up as she looked at all the partygoers. “Joy is so pleased. Everything is splendid. Lady Constance will be green with envy.”
“Lady Constance?” The name sounded vaguely familiar, but he wasn’t certain.
“A one-time friendship of Joy’s that turned sour.” Felicity folded her hands on the table, then flattened them on the white tablecloth, smoothing away wrinkles only she could see.
“Felicity?” He waited, holding his breath. Something dire was troubling her. “We promised to share our worries. Remember?” Could he possibly be a larger hypocrite? He ignored his conscience, shunting it away.
“I know you said you would relinquish my dowry, but I prefer you don’t.” Her quietness was laced with steely resolve. “There is much work to be done at Wakefield Manor, and that money could be put to good use.”
While he heartily agreed, his pride would not allow it. He had told her to keep her dowry, and he meant it. “It could indeed be put to good use, but I fear that is not possible. I will not go back on my word.”
“You would not be going back on your word. I would be insisting.”
“Felicity.”
“Do not say my name like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I am a child, trying to wheedle you into giving me my way.”
He couldn’t help but smile. If today’s kisses were any indication, once they were married, she would always get her way. “I cannot go back on my word.” He waved down a passing servant carrying a silver tray of beverages. “Lemonades?”
The footman bowed. “Yes, my lord.” He set a glass in front of each of them. “Will that be all?”