Chapter 5 #4
Loath to let him win, she nonetheless couldn’t resist listening when Sara began her saga of the building of the house.
Soon Felicity was asking questions, scrabbling for some piece of information about those last few weeks of her father’s life.
Once or twice she caught Lord St. Clair watching her so closely she wondered if she’d dropped mustard on her chin or something.
But she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her react. She ignored him instead.
As soon as everyone had finished their apple Charlotte, the gentlemen returned to their sport. She relaxed the moment the irritating viscount disappeared out the door with his companions. Now if only she could avoid him entirely for the next few days.
Lady Dryden decided to walk back to the house for a nap, but Sara invited Felicity to stay in the cottage and join her for some tea.
Within moments of the men’s defection, the servants had whisked all the dishes into a waiting cart and tidied up.
So it was with some anticipation that Felicity found herself alone with her hostess.
Sara handed her a cup of tea, then gestured to an ancient but comfortable sofa near the fireplace.
As they seated themselves, Sara smiled at her.
“I was astonished to discover you’d already met Ian.
But I suppose I shouldn’t have been. With his recent search for a wife, I’m sure he attends many of the same social gatherings as you.
” Sara leaned forward and added, “The two of you seem quite comfortable together. I hadn’t realized you knew each other so well. ”
Felicity started to protest the conclusion the countess had clearly drawn, then caught herself.
This might be her chance to learn more about the progress of his courtship of Katherine since Lord X’s article had appeared in the Gazette.
Katherine and her parents hadn’t been “at home” to anyone recently, even her.
She dropped her gaze in seeming embarrassment. “It was my understanding that Lord St. Clair had already found a wife. Isn’t he seriously courting Miss Hastings?”
Sara hesitated, as if debating what to say. Then she set down her tea cup. “Yes, he was. But I have it on good authority that he isn’t any longer.”
Elation swept through Felicity. Her article had worked! Katherine was free of him! “Has Miss Hastings broken with him, then? I can’t blame her, you know—there seemed to be no deep affection between them.”
“I think you’re right. His reasons for seeking a wife—the usual ones of needing an heir and perhaps some companionship—didn’t require deep affection. I suppose he thought Miss Hastings would fill the position well enough.”
“Not well enough if he’s keeping a mistress,” Felicity mumbled without thinking.
Sara shot her an interested look. “Ah, so you did read that article in the Gazette. You pretended otherwise at lunch.”
This time Felicity’s embarrassment was genuine. At a loss for words to explain why she’d taunted Lord St. Clair, she hesitated.
Thankfully, Sara didn’t wait for an explanation.
“I understand your feelings. It did seem rather blatant of him to flaunt a mistress while he courted someone. But Ian explained the situation to all of us today.” She smiled sheepishly.
“We wouldn’t stop teasing him about his newfound fame, so he finally told us the entire story.
I suppose I shouldn’t discuss it, but I hate to see Ian unfairly accused. ”
Felicity’s ears pricked up. “Unfairly?”
“Yes. You see, the situation isn’t at all as that newspaper person said.
Ian was simply helping a friend of the family.
” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I believe he said the woman was the wife of a compatriot during the war. Or was it the man’s sister?
” She shook her head. “In any case, after Ian’s friend died, the poor woman fell on hard times, and Ian stepped in to help. Ian’s like that. A very generous man.”
Felicity had to stifle a snort. Lord St. Clair’s friends were as gullible as they were loyal if they believed the story he’d tried to pass off on her. “I would never have guessed that Lord St. Clair had served during the war. He doesn’t seem the type.”
“It did take us by surprise.” Sara hastened to add, “Not that he would fight; he’s not a coward or anything. We were merely surprised he never told us about it.”
“I dare say he’s modest about his accomplishments,” Felicity remarked dryly. It was easy to be modest about nonexistent accomplishments.
“Ian is indeed modest. And it upset me to hear how he’d been misrepresented in the paper.” She sighed. “I don’t think it did him any harm, however. If anything, it might have saved him from making a terrible mistake. Apparently, his prospective fiancée had her own side interests.”
“What do you mean?”
“You haven’t heard? Everyone in London was talking of it this morning—or so said Emily, my sister-in-law.
Emily and my brother Jordan live close by here, you see.
They came in from town this morning and stopped by on their way home.
Emily and I talked privately, and she told me the most astonishing news.
” Sara leaned forward with a conspiratorial air. “According to her ...”