Chapter Two
Mayfair, London
Major Felix Kourier sighed with relief and contentment as he settled into his favorite winged-back chair in the drawing room with his sock-covered feet propped on a footstool with an embroidered cushion.
Cheerful flames danced in the hearth behind an ordinary iron grate while a chilly rain fell outside.
The only thing I’m lacking is a faithful dog.
Then he frowned, for he wasn’t fond of wintertime. It made his joints ache and his bones hurt, and the cold especially cocked up his old injury, which meant he had to rely more heavily on his cane, which rested against the side of his chair.
Christmastide. Bah.
Perhaps a dog wasn’t the only thing he lacked in his life.
The time and companionship of a woman was the other.
As the thought of Miss Caroline Ives bounced through his mind, he pulled her latest letter from the inside pocket of his jacket.
Since that May Day house party, they’d written each other letters every week, for they’d been separated since she’d remained in Kent with her family until late September and he’d returned to London.
Truth to tell, their letters hadn’t truly stopped since she’d come back in Town, but they came less frequently, but each day one arrived, Felix had a brighter outlook for a bit. This one was dated two days ago.
… as much as I was looking forward to being in London alone for the Christmastide season, it seems my father doesn’t trust me not to get up to scandal. He’s installed his elderly aunt to live-in with me until the family returns after Twelfth Night…
Of course, his mind had jogged to wicked places, for perhaps they could finally have some time alone to reacquaint themselves carnally as well as to figure things out between them. Surely an elderly aunt would require several naps, and she wouldn’t prove an intrusive chaperone.
As he folded the letter and tucked it a box on the small table at his elbow, Felix frowned into the fire.
It had been over six months since he and Caroline had worked on solving a murder case together, and just as long since he’d ruined the hell out of her.
Were they now lovers? That was debatable, since they hadn’t come together carnally since then due to logistics and schedules, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t wanted to spirit her away and do wicked things to her.
Beyond that, he missed her presence in his life.
He’d worked a few cases and had wished she’d been with him to provide insight and keep him from retreating into himself.
Yet what he wanted from her, needed from her, was more than that.
Every time he turned to ask her something or comment on something she might have interest in, of course she wasn’t there, and it made him even more grumpy than he’d been before.
Where did he hope this relationship would go, then?
“There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
Dear God in heaven, why the hell can’t I be left alone for more than ten minutes?
When his sister came into the drawing room, he stifled a sigh.
She and her children were staying with him for at least part of the holiday season while her husband was away on business.
He was to join them on Christmas Eve, for their townhouse was being renovated after a small fire in the kitchen.
At that point, they would journey to Surrey to spend the remainder of the season with her husband’s family.
Since his older brother had recently taken the viscount title, he'd been anxious to host a gathering.
Honestly, to Felix’s way of thinking, the lot of them couldn’t be gone too soon. He hadn’t known a moment’s peace for a week since their arrival.
“Well, since I do have a position as consultant for Bow Street as well as being a private investigator, I am often not in residence.” He grabbed his brandy glass off the table and then took a sip. “Can I not relax in silence without being bedeviled by one of you?”
Felicity huffed as she flounced over to a low sofa and threw herself upon it.
She was his junior by five years, making her six and thirty, soon to celebrate a birthday at the end of the month.
She’d married just out of finishing school, for she’d been taken under their aunt’s wing.
Since that austere woman was a viscountess, that sponsorship had helped Felicity land the third son of yet another viscount.
They’d had two daughters: one now fifteen and the other thirteen.
But he’d died and she’d remarried, this time to one of Felix’s friends from the military eight years ago.
She had two sons with him, ages seven and five.
Having four children beneath his roof, oftentimes fussing and arguing with each other, had tested the bounds of his patience.
“Do stop, Felix. You are such a curmudgeon.” His sister shook her head. “Family is important. You should learn how to appreciate yours.”
“Haven’t I let you stay here until your husband arrives?”
“You have, of course, but you should really try to spend time with your nieces and nephews. They are growing up so fast.”
After knocking back the remaining contents in his glass, Felix swallowed and then rested the tumbler on the table. “I’m busy.”
“You are sulking,” Felicity countered with a shake of her head. “Which leads me to my next question.”
“Oh, God.”
She nodded. “Are you still courting Miss Ives?”
“As far as I know, I am.” Though he’d done a piss-poor job of it. The whole thing made him uncomfortable, and it was a bit awkward, especially when he couldn’t do what he wanted due to there being chaperones around. “Why?”
“It’s been over six months, brother dear. How do you feel about her?”
“That is something between the lady and me.”
“Don’t be like that.” His sister propped her forearms on the bolstered end of the sofa while leaning toward his chair. “Surely you have figured out by now how you feel. The two of you were thick as thieves together back in May. Have you abandoned her, then?”
“What?” How could she think that? “Of course not. I’ve been busy and—”
“That is an excuse, and you know it.” She huffed. “And not even a good one.” With the shake of her head, she lifted a blonde eyebrow in question. “Why haven’t you asked for her hand yet and made an honest woman out of her?”
“I am in the process of thinking about that.” Wasn’t he?
She snorted. “Do you truly think she’ll be happy being essentially your mistress this whole time?”
He scoffed. “Mistress is a bit off the mark, since that would imply I’ve set her up in a house or that we share bed sport on a regular basis. Neither of those things have happened.” And damn his eyes for having to admit that out loud.
“Oh.” Surprise jumped into his sister’s eyes. “Why not? Does your prick not work as it should due to your age?”
“What the devil?” Heat shot up the back of his neck.
What had he done to be given such a precocious sister?
“Of course that’s untrue. I do quite well with that, thank you.
” He and Caroline had worked a couple of cases together since May here in London, but time together to chase carnal activities hadn’t come their way.
“Also, I’ll have you know that one and forty isn’t as old as you apparently think. ”
“It’s not exactly young either.” Felicity flounced into a more proper way of sitting on the sofa. “Listen, Felix, the longer you delay, the more problems might spring between you. And consider this, if you are engaged, the two of you will be afforded more freedom than you have right now.”
“That is not something I’ve considered.” Quite frankly, he desired Caroline still, wanted to continue learning the secrets of her body as well as spending time with her, but marriage? Was he that sort of man?
“You should.”
He heaved a sigh. “I don’t know if I’m a marriage-minded sort of man. What if I’ve been alone for too long? What if I’m too broken for any woman to be proud of?” These were all things that he worried about daily, especially since meeting Caroline.
“While I understand those concerns, some are unfounded. You merely need help breaking free from that shell of a curmudgeon. Miss Ives was doing an admirable job of that during the house party, but once you were parted from her again, you relapsed.”
“I did no such thing.” Felix shoved the fingers of one hand through his hair.
“However, I will concede that when Caroline is present, I feel more… hopeful.” It had been quite some time since he’d felt that way.
Being in London and knowing she was within Mayfair the same as he was but not being able to be in her company rankled.
Often.
“Consider this. If you continue dragging your feet about asking for her hand, some other man will surely snap her up. Miss Ives is a pretty young woman, and more or less on the shelf, so her parents will want her wed more sooner than later. And it probably won’t matter to whom.”
“Bah.” Felix frowned. “Lord Beckham doesn’t care for me, as a man or a good match for his daughter.” That was the truth.
She shrugged. “Is that going to stop you?”
“Quite possibly no, but if we did marry, there would be bad blood between us. I don’t imagine I can do that to Caroline.
” In fact, after the contretemps from last May, he’d told Caroline that he didn’t need her father’s permission to court her.
And he still meant the sentiment. Yet the knowledge he’d need to go through with it sent cold chills down his spine.
“Yet I feel as if I’ll make a rubbish husband. ”
That assumed Caroline would accept if he asked.
Felicity frowned. “Why would you say that? You attained the rank of major, for goodness sake, and you are quite a handsome man. If you refer to your injury, a pox on you. That doesn’t have any bearing on whether you’ll be a good husband or not.”
He allowed a small grin. “I appreciate your faith in me, but what do I know of being a husband? You must admit, our own father was a proper bounder most of the time.”