Chapter Five
A week later, Felicity sat in her drawing room with Lady Bromley and the Duchess of Sinclair, laughing. The heat had returned, but she was glad to have visitors. Felicity liked both ladies and felt a kinship with them. This was the first tea she’d hosted since arriving in London.
“Do you miss traveling?” Leonora asked. Lady Bromley had insisted they forgo formality when she arrived, making Felicity like her even more.
Felicity was so glad she’d sent her a missive to meet. Leonora had responded right away and suggested that they include the Duchess of Sinclair. Rose was a scholar who’d fallen in love with her duke while in London two years ago.
Answering her new friend’s question, Felicity said, “I’ve only been in the city for a few weeks, so not yet. England still feels new and exciting to me. I’m sure someday it will feel like home. Hopefully by then, it will be time to take my children on a grand tour of the Continent.”
“My husband and I are planning a trip abroad in a few months. I have a little one at home. We wanted to wait at least a year after his birth before we all ventured out,” Rose stated.
Felicity grinned at her. “Is your trip for work? I’m very excited to visit the exhibits at the Historical Society for Female Curators.”
The scholar’s eyes flashed with excitement. “Yes, it is, but also to see friends. I hope you enjoy your visit to Seely House. The building is packed with antiquities. There was a period we weren’t sure if we would have any.”
Leonora smiled. “You will love it. Make sure you take your children. It is delightful for the entire family.”
Happiness filled Felicity. For the first time since her arrival in London, the idea of staying didn’t overwhelm her with alarm. She’d been worried that she wouldn’t connect with any of the ladies of the ton, but Leonora and Rose had proven her doubts wrong.
Leonora glanced at the clock on the wall. “I believe it is time for us to depart. We don’t want to monopolize your morning.”
Both she and Rose stood. Felicity followed. “It was lovely for you to visit.”
Rose added, “Let me know when you venture to Seely House. I will make sure I’m there to show you around.”
Felicity smiled. “I would like that.”
The ladies departed, and Felicity plopped back down on one of the sofas, smiling, delighted that she’d made some friendly connections in this new city that was to be her and her children’s home.
Morrison stepped in, and she beamed at him. “I do think that went well.”
The stoic butler’s lips twitched upward. “I’m happy to hear that, my lady.”
The butler’s seriousness had terrified Felicity at first, but she suspected that underneath it lurked a wicked sense of humor.
“I wanted to inform you that the Duke of Swan is here,” he added.
Her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t seen Harrison in a few days. She smiled. “Please show him to the drawing room.”
When Felicity first met Harrison, she’d been apprehensive about his role in the estate. Yet, over the last few weeks, the regal man had grown on her. She enjoyed his presence, whether they were reviewing ledgers or spending leisure time together. Both Arabella and Harry adored him.
He stepped through the door, and her heart fluttered.
Well, she liked her time with him, except that he disconcerted her.
There was an attraction between them. She pretended it didn’t exist, but it was becoming harder and harder to deny.
Today, Harrison wore a navy suit. His large frame, dark hair, and piercing blue eyes, she suspected, drew attention wherever he went.
He smiled at her, and the fluttering increased.
He is your husband’s best friend, she reminded herself.
Still, Harrison’s appearance was the smallest part of what made him appealing.
His attentiveness was what intoxicated her.
When she spoke, he listened as if she were sharing the most important thing, regardless of the topic.
She’d loved Collin, but in their last few years as husband and wife, he’d been easily distracted.
Well, until he fell ill. Then it seemed all they had was time together.
“Morrison shared that you are making friends,” Harrison stated.
Even his husky voice enticed her. What was wrong with her today? She rose, making her way to him. “I am, but you will always be my first friend in London.”
Harrison laughed. “I remember that first day, I thought you were preparing to go to battle with me.”
“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but you can portray yourself as severe.”
“I know. Collin often told me that.”
Shocking them both, she tapped him on the chest with her palm. “But you are not. In fact, you are quite the opposite. I appreciate all you’ve done for the children and me. You, Harrison, are a remarkable friend.”
He placed one of his hands on hers, squeezing it. “I will always be here to assist you.”
Their eyes locked, and warmth coursed through Felicity.
Their hands still rested on his chest. Instinctively, she splayed her fingers across the front of him.
The warmth under his shirt enticed her. She found herself wanting to touch more of him and wondering whether that would truly be so wrong.
Harrison took a ragged breath. Desire pulsated between them, beckoning her to move closer to him.
He released her hand that still rested on his chest and slid his fingers along the side of her waist. His thumb stroked the fabric in slow, leisurely circles. They swayed closer to each other as she pondered what it would be like to have this man’s hands slide over her bare skin.
The time they’d known each other hadn’t been long. Yet, somehow, it felt as if she’d known Harrison forever.
She lowered her hand, and his arm circled her waist, pulling her close. Harrison was going to kiss her. Felicity should step away, but her body resisted. Their lips were a breath apart, and he murmured. “You are the most tempting woman I’ve ever known.”
His words exhilarated her. Their lips had barely touched in a whisper of a kiss when the drawing room door flew open. They sprang apart. Felicity’s heart hammered.
Her son, Harry, grinned. “Morrison said Harrison was here. Do you want to put your feet in the fountain with us?”
Harrison appeared momentarily speechless, but finally he snapped out of it. “Unfortunately, I have a meeting. I only stopped by to give your mother an invitation to a ball an associate of mine is hosting.”
She flushed, feeling as if she’d thrown herself at Harrison when he’d simply called on her to deliver a missive.
“My mother will be in attendance,” he continued. “I’m not sure if I will go or not.”
Felicity took the envelope, ignoring the tingling sensation that rippled through her body as their fingers brushed against one another. “Thank you.”
He turned back to Harry. “I will visit again soon, and then perhaps I can put my feet in the fountain.”
Her young son nodded excitedly. Before Felicity could say anything else, Harrison strode to the door. Once there, he turned and their eyes connected again. The desire that had been denied still thrummed between them. “Good day.”
“Goodbye,” she mumbled back.
She listened as his footsteps reached the front door and then disappeared. Sighing, she turned back to her son. “You can’t ask a duke to frolic in our fountain.”
Harry scrunched up his nose, confused. “Why not?”
She didn’t have an answer for him, but she was also having trouble justifying why she couldn’t kiss a duke, either.
Felicity really wanted to. Shaking her head, she pushed her thoughts away.
Harrison was kindly assisting them and was her husband’s closest friend.
Nothing could or should happen between us, she insisted silently.
*
Harrison stood at Stafford’s ball, his eyes roaming the room for Felicity.
He hadn’t seen her since he’d delivered the invitation for the event.
A vision of her staring up at him with her hand splayed out across his chest appeared in his mind.
He almost groaned out loud. What was he doing? Christ, he’d almost kissed her.
He blamed it on the heat. It had been hot when he stopped by Felicity’s townhouse, and it was still bloody smoldering now.
Rationally, he understood it wasn’t the weather, but he wasn’t the type of man who randomly kissed women in the middle of their homes—at least unless they made it perfectly clear they wanted to be kissed.
Harrison could still feel the heat of her fingers on his chest. Foolishness surged in him because it hadn’t been an amorous touch. Yet his body had reacted instantly as if it were. He needed to apologize.
His gaze stumbled to a stop when he spotted Felicity. She wore a pale blue dress, and her brown, wavy hair hung partially down her back.
She was so damn beautiful. Collin had been a fool to allow himself to wander away from her. If she’d been Harrison’s, it would have never happened.
He shook his head, shocked by the direction of his thoughts. Felicity wasn’t, nor would she ever be, his. His focus should be on an apology. There was no pretending that he hadn’t almost kissed her.
“Your Grace, are you enjoying yourself? The heat is wreaking havoc on my and my daughter’s hair,” Lady Brewster said. Her daughter, Lady Evangeline, stood slightly behind her.
He pulled his gaze away from Felicity and politely said, “I think you both look lovely.”
They beamed at him. He glanced back to where Felicity had stood, but she was gone. Where did she go? “If you will excuse me, I need to speak with someone.”
Lady Brewster didn’t look thrilled, but her daughter seemed unbothered.
He strolled through the room, looking for Felicity, but she was nowhere to be found.
Where had she gone? His gaze drifted to the terrace doors, and he wondered if she’d escaped again to the outdoors for a reprieve from the crowds.
Harrison walked to the doors, and relief filled him when he spotted her peering over the terrace ledge into the darkness. He stepped out. “Are you out here to take a break from all the ladies and lords in the ballroom, or are you hoping the air will be cooler out here? It is not.”
She turned and smiled at him. His heart stuttered. Christ, he was a mess.
“I do enjoy a few moments of quiet, even at events like this. Though you are correct, the heat is horrid no matter where I stand.”
“Isn’t it hot on the Continent?”
Felicity nodded. “It is, but there is something about the London heat that feels heavier and stickier.”
Harrison wouldn’t know, as he’d never left England. He stepped closer to her. “Someday, I will travel to the Continent and have your inside knowledge.”
She laughed, and he grinned at her. He liked them like this. Harrison didn’t want things to be awkward between them.
“Felicity, I want to apologize—”
“I should be apologizing to you. I don’t know what came over me. I almost kissed you. You should be focused on finding a bride, not dealing with a widow throwing herself at you.”
He very much wanted to be focused only on this widow, but he refrained from saying so. “You didn’t throw yourself at me. I was the one who initiated—”
“We don’t need to discuss it. It wasn’t a wise choice. I don’t want to damage our friendship. I have adored having you assist me,” she said in a rush, a blush tinging her cheeks.
“I will always be here for you. I mean that,” he reassured her.
They stared at one another, and for a moment, the flare of desire crackled between them again. He needed to stop this. This was Collin’s wife. She could never be his.
“My duty to Collin demands it,” he continued.
“Your duty?” she repeated. He nodded. Felicity shook her head as if trying to rebalance her emotions. Finally, she said, “Yes, I’m grateful that you’ve assisted me. Collin would want that.”
A group of ladies stumbled out onto the terrace. One complained, “It isn’t any cooler out here.”
They suddenly noticed Harrison and curtsied. “Your Grace,” they chorused.
Felicity glanced between him and the ladies. “Excuse me.”
He didn’t want her to leave, but had no valid reason to insist she stay close to him. Well, besides that he enjoyed her company. Hadn’t they just agreed that nothing further could happen between them?
Harrison watched her return inside. Every part of him wanted to follow her. He felt as if he’d hurt her somehow. Helping her and being near her wasn’t just a duty; it was so much more.
“Your Grace, what are some things you’ve discovered to cool off in this weather?” one of the younger ladies asked him.
He pulled his gaze away from the door Felicity had just entered. “I haven’t found much.”
Yet his mind flashed to that first day he had spied Felicity, Arabella, and Harry in the fountain.