by Golden Angel
“This ball is rather boring,” Lady Winchester said with a sigh, fanning herself. Tonight she was clad in a gown of gold and red, with an even lower bust line than before. If her bust line kept creeping down in this manner, eventually she’d be showing her nipples to the entire ton. There were men actually drooling over her – why was she so damned attached to him? “Perhaps we could go somewhere else more… lively.”
Her hand brushed over his thigh and Felix shifted away, clenching his jaw.
As a gentleman, it was his responsibility to ensure the lady enjoyed her evening. However, there was only so far he was willing to go, especially since he hadn’t offered himself as an escort to the lady in question. In fact, at first he’d been relieved that she didn’t appear at Surrey House and he’d had hopes she’d gone to one of the other events on offer that evening. He’d been all set to ask Gabrielle to dance when Lady Winchester had appeared out of nowhere.
Sighing, he shook his head. “I’m sorry my lady, but my presence is required here. Perhaps I could find you another escort.”
She pouted. Felix was becoming heartily tired of her pouts. “But Felix-“
Gaze skimming over the ballroom, Felix went suddenly rigid. Gabrielle was dancing with Viscount Fenworth – a complete cad whose desperate need for a well-dowered bride was widely known. How the hell had that happened? Arabella’s brother, the Duke of Manchester, had been standing with Arabella and Gabrielle, and the man would never have allowed Fenworth near either of them normally.
He brushed Lady Winchester’s hand away. Enough was enough. “Excuse me,” he said coldly, interrupting whatever inane suggestion she was making. The lady made a scandalized sound as he quickly moved away, heading toward the circle of suitors where Manchester was still standing with Arabella. The Duke was an imposing figure, with dark brown hair and eyes, standing several inches taller than most of the men in the room. He was young to the title, but he wore it with confidence, and had the kind of confident aura that his male peers aspired to but never quite achieved. He too was scowling at the couple dancing together. After all, Philip had made a kind of arrangement with Manchester – everyone watched over both ladies. It made things easier.
Which meant that Manchester would feel responsible for Gabrielle’s current dance partner.
“My apologies,” Manchester said, when Felix reached him. “My sister was speaking to me; I only turned my attention away for a few moments and Fenworth swooped in.”
“Oh pish,” Arabella said, smacking her fan against Manchester’s arm. “You’re all alarmists. Fenworth’s hardly going to do anything on the dance floor in the middle of a ball.”
“It’s not here that we’re worried about,” Felix said grimly. If Fenworth got Gabrielle outside or alone, even for a moment… He looked at Manchester. “You’re fine here with Arabella?”
Manchester nodded. “Hyde and Spencer are by the refreshments table and my brother is in the card room.”
Nodding his thanks, Felix went to round up reinforcements. Fenworth might have gotten Gabrielle to dance with him, but that was as far as they’d be going. He wouldn’t be given the chance to leave the room with her.
******
“Agreed?”
“Agreed.” Gabrielle smiled at the Viscount. “Tomorrow then.”
The Viscount smiled back at her, putting her in mind of a snake. She wished she had another suitor that would be willing to move as quickly as Viscount Fenworth… he was not her favorite male, but he wasn’t so terrible either. Young, handsome, charming when he wanted to be, and he needed her dowry as quickly as possible. Which meant that he was willing to do things quickly.
Now that she’d decided she wanted out, Gabrielle wanted it to happen as quickly as possible. She didn’t think she could stand any more balls where she had to watch Cordelia’s look-a-like paired up with Mr. Hood. Her plan was as simple as she could make it, but with all the guards she had, it was also necessarily a bit complex.
Gabrielle couldn’t help but sigh as the Viscount led her back to her circle where Arabella’s brother, the Marquess, and Mr. Hood – thankfully without his woman – were all waiting, scowling at her and Fenworth. Cordelia and the Marquess must have just returned from wherever they’d snuck off to. They did that quite a lot during the balls. She’d spotted the rest of their friends around the room, blocking all exits in case Fenworth decided to try and run off with her in the middle of a ball.
If only they knew.
Chapter 6
It all went off beautifully at first, just as Gabrielle had hoped.
Arabella did her first part, trodding clumsily on Cordelia’s hem and tearing it. Off to the retiring room Cordelia went, with Lady Hyde, to make the necessary repairs.
A few minutes later, at his post by the garden door, Lord Hyde was approached by a footman with a rather titillating note, in his wife's handwriting, asking him to come meet her for a clandestine rendezvous. Seeing the Marquess of Dunbury, the Duke of Manchester and the ever-present Mr. Hood still standing with Lady Gabrielle and Lady Arabella, he decided there was no harm in going to meet his wife.
At about the same time as Lord Hyde was heading towards the house's library, a similar note was brought to the Marquess of Dunbury by a different footman. Aroused and incited by the words, the Marquess grinned at how far his little Cordelia had come since they'd wed. Excusing himself, assured that the ladies were still sufficiently chaperoned (especially as this ball seemed particularly low on rakes hovering about), Philip hurried towards the morning room the note had indicated his wife would be waiting for him in.
No sooner had he exited the ballroom, than a delighted Lady Winchester approached and practically threw herself on Felix, causing a small stir. Simultaneously, Arabella had signaled to a group of young ladies that she told her brother she "particularly wanted him to meet." All five young ladies were cousins, blonde, blue-eyed, rather shrill, and overjoyed at the prospect of meeting not just a Duke, but such a singularly handsome Duke. The horrified nobleman found himself suddenly surrounded by the bevy of blonde beauties, all chattering to him at once.
It had been remarkably easy. All she’d had to do was imitate some handwriting and have the notes prepared beforehand. She’d left them in a vase by the entrance for Fenworth to pick up and deliver to the footmen, who took them to the Marquess and Lady Hyde. He’d also dropped a word in Lady Winchester’s ear – that was the part of the plan that Gabrielle hated the most, but it was necessary to succeed.
Since it was fairly early in the evening, the rakes were not yet out in force and so the guard was more relaxed anyway, which meant it was quite easy for Gabrielle to slip away when Arabella set the young, blonde beauties on her brother.
She hurried outside to the gardens, where she’d arranged to meet Fenworth. From there they’d be on the road to Gretna Green where they could be married at once, and then Gabrielle would retire out to the country. Fenworth could do whatever he did, and Gabrielle could have the quiet life she’d become used to. She’d dreamed of glamor and excitement, but London had proved a little too much for her. Happy endings weren’t to be found in the city. She’d be happy with her own house, that she could decorate and run as she wished, with occasional visits from her husband. Children sounded nice as well. She didn’t have much use for Fenworth himself, but he would need a child or two and she could raise them, give them the love and happy childhood that she’d always wanted but never had.
Maybe their lives would turn out more like Cordelia’s that way, and less like Gabrielle’s.
Ugh. Sometimes she was so morose than she hated herself. But she couldn’t help it right now – this was the ending to whatever small dreams she’d had left. Now she’d just settle for not being miserable and feeling like she was a child standing outside of a candy store that no one would let her in to.
The garden was dark, almost somber, and dimly lit. That certainly didn’t help the feeling of impending doom either. She hurried along the pathway, eager to get
to the gazebo where she would meet the Viscount and be off.
"Gabrielle!"
She whirled around at the hissing voice calling her name, shocked. How had her stepmother finished fixing her hem so quickly?! She should have been in the retiring room for much longer! Gabrielle was so shocked that she didn’t even move. All her careful planning… and now what?
"Cordelia! Go away!"
"What are you doing?" Cordelia demanded as she finally reached Gabrielle, panting from the effort of her exertions to catch up.
Anger flashed through Gabrielle. Anger and envy and resentment… Cordelia already had it all and now she was getting in the way of the very little that Gabrielle was trying to take for herself. "I told you I would accept the first offer of marriage that I was given, and I have."
"It can't be a worthy offer if you have to sneak away to marry the man," Cordelia said, aghast.
"We're eloping, it's romantic," Gabrielle said in a low voice, even though it was neither. She looked around, but she didn’t see anyone else running to catch up with them. It was just her and Cordelia, and Cordelia was not enough to stop her. "Now go away."
"Gabrielle, I'm trying to help you. You can't really want to do this."
"Of course I want to, why else would I be out here? I can't spend one more day in that house, I just can't. I don't want to go to balls anymore, I just want to be married and go live in the country, away from... from everyone." She knew Cordelia would hear the ring of truth in her words. She was starting to feel almost desperate to get the other woman away. This had to end, tonight, and her plan had worked almost perfectly, up until now. It could still work perfectly. "If you want to help, go distract everyone until I'm gone."
"No. Whatever is wrong, Gabrielle, we can work it out. We'll talk to Philip and-"
"No! Just go away. If you won't distract them, just don't tell them where I've gone or the second your husband catches up to me I'll tell him all about how you trapped him into marriage." Gabrielle knew her voice was becoming hard, cruel, but she couldn’t stop herself. She felt just like she had whenever she’d tattled on Cordelia to the Baron – not that Cordelia had ever done much that could upset the Baron, but whenever she had, Gabrielle had used that to her advantage.
Cordelia's jaw dropped. "What?- I never- That's a lie!"
"But it's not, that's what makes it so perfect," Gabrielle said with a bitter laugh. "I overheard you and Marjorie talking about inviting him to the house party, one of a few gentlemen, and how you would be able to entice him into marrying you."
She didn’t know if the Marquess would care or not, but he might. If there was even the chance this would make Cordelia go away, Gabrielle was willing to take it. She wasn’t bluffing either. If Cordelia wouldn’t leave her alone, she was perfectly willing to try and take down the other woman with her. She doubted Cordelia would want to risk it. Cordelia was such a people pleaser, she wouldn’t want Philip to know.
But her stepmother took a deep breath and straightened her spine.
"Tell him whatever you wish, but I am not letting you do this. If you don't turn around right now and come back to the house with me, I will go straight to Philip and bring him out here. I might not have the strength to drag you back inside, but he certainly does."
Bristling, Gabrielle gaped at her. "You can't do that!"
"I can, and I will."
"But I'll tell him everything! He'll never trust you again! He'll know what a scheming charlatan you are!" Gabrielle's voice got higher, louder, and Cordelia winced. Everything was truly breaking apart. Where had Cordelia dug up the gumption for this?
"I hope he knows me better than that," Cordelia replied in a low voice. "If nothing else, despite what I may or may not have done in the past, I will not betray his trust now. I will not provide you with a distraction or assist you in disrespecting my husband's authority over you as his ward."
"I appreciate that Cordelia." Philip's deep tones struck both of them silent.
No… no, no, no. Agony cracked through Gabrielle. It had all been for naught. She and Cordelia both turned to look.
The Marquess was standing there, his face grimly blank in the moonlight. Directly behind him was Felix, Lord Hyde, and Eleanor, all with grim expressions on their faces. Eleanor was the only one who looked at all sympathetic.
"We need to leave. Now." His voice cracked like a whip, indicative of the emotions he was holding inside.
Gabrielle groaned and sagged, as if she were a puppet whose strings had just been cut. So close… she’d been so close.
******
The look of utter defeat on Gabrielle’s face made Felix’s chest hurt. He couldn’t imagine why she would look so, unless… had she arranged to meet a man that she’d fallen in love with? One whom she didn’t think Philip would approve of? He couldn’t imagine another reason why she would risk doing so again, unless there was true emotion involved.
Rabid jealousy tasted bitter on his tongue. He’d waited too long.
Flanking her, with Philip on the other side, and Lord Hyde bringing up the rear, they turned to follow the path back to the house. Lady Hyde and Cordelia had already gone on ahead, walking much faster. He figured Cordelia was probably rather distressed by her stepdaughters behavior. She’d certainly looked upset.
Not far from the entrance to the gardens, there was a scuffle and a few shouts. Recognizing his brothers’ Thomas and Walter's voices, as well as a third he couldn't quite place, the men all glanced at each other and hurried forward. Felix grabbed a hold of Gabrielle’s arm, making sure she stayed with them. She looked at him in something like alarm, but kept up. They came into the light to see Cordelia and Eleanor hovering a few steps away from the drama, which was between them and the house.
Standing between Thomas and Walter, hands on his hips as he demanded they let him pass, Viscount Fenworth looked past them to see Philip's party, with Gabrielle at its center.
"There she is!" he shouted loudly, drawing even more attention from the balcony beside the ballroom, where a small crowd was already gathering. He pointed dramatically at Gabrielle, whose cheeks had gone bright red. "I told you my bride was waiting for me!"
Felix muttered a curse. Fenworth? She’d been meeting Fenworth?
He didn’t know whether to shake her or grab her and take her away to save her from herself.
Worse, with his announcement, Fenworth had just ruined any chance they had at smoothing over a scandal. Even though Gabrielle had obviously returned from the gardens well chaperoned, between her dance with the man last night, his shouted accusation, and the fact that she'd gone to meet him tonight, assumptions would be made. Gabrielle's reputation was effectively ruined, despite their attempt to save her from her poor choices.
"Waiting for you? I was taking a walk in the garden with my friends, and I'm already married," Eleanor said haughtily, looking at Fenworth like he was a worm. Felix couldn’t help but bark a laugh at her audacity, even though he knew the damage was already done.
Fenworth went red in the face, his fists clenching at his sides. "Not you, the Lady Gabrielle of course! My bride-to-be!"
"We," Eleanor emphasize the word as she turned back to stand next to Gabrielle on the other side, hooking her arm with Gabrielle's, "were walking in the garden."
"She wasn't with you when you left the ballroom a few minutes ago," Fenworth shot back.
"That's enough, Fenworth," Philip growled, glancing around the growing crowd. Felix knew exactly what his friend was thinking. The best thing they could do was remove themselves from the situation as quickly as possible, regroup, and figure out what to do now. He especially wanted to get Gabrielle away from Fenworth; she didn’t look like a woman in love and she was trembling. He softened his grip on her arm, angling himself so that he was standing a bit in front of her, between her and Fenworth.
"I suppose I should come with you," Fenworth said smugly, smirking at Philip. "We'll need to discuss arrangements."
Philip stared him down coldly. "
I see no reason to do so."
The look on Fenworth's face was almost comical, despite the seriousness of the situation. The Viscount sputtered. "No one else will have her now! She has to marry me!"
"You-!" Gabrielle's outraged sputter turned into a gasp of shock as Felix suddenly sprung forward, planting his fist firmly in the Viscount's jaw. It was the second time he’d done it for her and he didn’t regret it for a moment. Bloody bastard. He had no honor.
Chaos descended as Fenworth went down, Felix on top of him. He could hear Gabrielle shrieking at him to stop, but he drew back his fist for another go until her small hands grabbed his arm. Just in time, he stopped his backward motion, just barely keeping from elbowing her in the face.
Cordelia had grabbed onto Gabrielle, trying to hold her back and Philip was holding onto her… bloody hell, this was turning into a mess. The close call he’d almost had with accidentally hitting Gabrielle turned his blood cold.
"What were you thinking?" Felix bellowed at her, pulling her away from the fallen Viscount. "You could have been hurt jumping in like that!"
"What were you thinking?!" she shrieked back at him. "He's a Viscount! You can't just attack him!"
"I'll hab you up on chargesh for dis!" Fenworth's muffled words punctuated her retort as he held his nose, which was bleeding heavily.
Thomas, a future viscount himself, loomed over Fenworth. Ha, as if Felix’s family would ever let a worm like Fenworth come after him. "Get the hell out of here while you still can, unless you wanted to face attempted kidnapping charges."
"We were elobing!" The Viscount scrambled away as Felix turned towards him again, still holding his nose.
“Unless you want an appointment at dawn, leave now.”
Fenworth paled. Felix had quite a reputation as both a fencer and a crack shot, whereas Fenworth's activities were much less... active. Duels were illegal, although still fought on occasion, and Fenworth would probably hide behind that when pressed. For now, he just whimpered and scampered away into the shadows of the garden. Good riddance.
