Felicity pressed her hand to her mouth.
“Which they were anyway due to the uncle. If only I had known but unfortunately Sophia has had plenty of practice and is a master at covering her true feelings.”
“But then why did father send me down here. He must have known we would discover the secret eventually.”
Felicity shrugged and yawned.
“Perhaps, with the uncle now out of the way, he thought it time for the secret to come out. He must have known that Algernon and Sophia wouldn’t turn their back on the man. Perhaps that is the reason he sent you to Fallows?”
Brendon gazed out of the window as Algernon and James passed along the terrace with Sophia walking between them, but he barely noticed the men, such was the dark haired woman’s allure.
“It might have been one of the reasons but I doubt it was the only one. The place is a mess, Felicity, and he knows it is but a few miles from here. I don’t think father thought of this as a temporary move for me. It feels as though it might be permanent.”
“And is that so bad? It is a fabulous home for a family, you already know that.” Her eyes sparkled up at him.
Brendon stood up, suddenly feeling entirely too awkward.
“But I don’t know if I want to start a family. I haven’t even found the right woman yet.” He couldn’t believe he was discussing such things with his sister.
Felicity let out a laugh as she watched her brother’s conflicted expressions.
“I heard that you gave Angelique her congé.”
Brendon drew in a sharp breath and glared at her.
“Does everyone know about my personal affairs? Does a man not have any rights to privacy? Not that Angelique has anything to do with any of this.” He grumbled on to himself. Damn Algernon for telling Sophia of his confidential arrangements. The women had obviously gossiped and now not only Sophia, but Felicity too thought him a complete cad.
Felicity rearranged her skirts over her stomach and shifted to make herself more comfortable.
“Well, I never met the woman so whom am I to judge, but you do seem quite attached to Sophia however much you try to avoid her.”
He ripped his eyes from the woman outside and turned to face his sister.
“Whatever gave you that idea? She is merely my best friend’s sister, nothing more.” He blustered as he puffed out his chest and began taking an intense interest in some china figurines sitting on the mantelpiece.
“Oh? And that delighted grin you had slapped on your face when you first saw James and Algernon together meant nothing? Admit it Bren, you were relieved that the man is clearly her brother. Did she say something to make you worry about an attachment while she was at Fallows with you?” Her teasing tone caught him unawares.
He ran his fingertip along the mantle and inspected it for dust, buying a few seconds before he had to answer his annoying sister.
“She did mention that he might make some other woman an excellent husband.” Damn it! Why did he sound so annoyed? He rubbed his clean finger down his trousers before turning to face his sister’s knowing smile. “Leave it, Felicity,” he warned as she looked as though she was about to speak again. Good Lord! The woman was tenacious. He held up his hand to stop her. He couldn’t face any more interrogations. “Sophia and I are totally incompatible. We would drive each other insane.” He gulped as he noticed the trio pass the windows again, Sophia still between the two, tall, dark-haired men. Her dress suddenly caught in the breeze and drifted against slender legs. Brendon fisted his hands at his sides. Oh she was driving him insane all right. Insane with want.
Chapter Fourteen
A Summer Storm
Felicity wafted her fan for what felt like the thousandth time.
“Don’t you feel the heat, Sophia? It must storm soon. The air is so oppressive.” She reached out and took a glass of lemonade, rolling its smooth coolness across her heated brow before taking a sip.
Sophia lifted her attention from her book.
“I thought it quite pleasant in here, and it’s especially nice that it is so quiet.”
Felicity glanced out of the open window. Heavy clouds littered the sky but for once there were no other people in sight.
“The summer fair over at Fairleigh has its advantages. Ted took the cart and the whole family as well as the servants. What with Algernon, Brendon, and James gone I think Sommersford is completely empty except for us.”
“And Anna. She said that she would rather play with the kittens, though I am not sure if she will like their sharp little claws.” Sophia examined the lines of tiny scratches that marked her forearm, a small reminder that they weren’t simply adorable bundles of fluff. “I certainly won’t be going near them again.”
Felicity puffed out a breath.
“At least she is talking now. You seem to have worked wonders on her and in only a day or two away. I think she should remain with you permanently.”
Sophia shook her head.
“And take her back to London? I don’t think so. She is far better off here in the quiet calm of the countryside.” A sudden lump in her throat caught her unawares as her gaze wandered out over the gardens and to the trees beyond. Even with a summer storm approaching, Sommersford was so tranquil. She wasn’t sure she wanted to return to the city ever again. Not that she had any choice. Felicity and Algernon had never mentioned her staying with them permanently, and who could blame them. There were enough people in the house already.
Felicity caught hold of her silk skirts and wafted them about her legs.
“Gosh! I feel as though I am melting. There’s not a breath of air. I cannot believe you don’t feel it.”
Sophia shook her head.
“As I said, I am quite comfortable, but I don’t have internal heating at the moment. Perhaps we should move out onto the terrace. I think the rain will hold off a while longer.”
Felicity sighed and shifted in her chair.
“I don’t know if I can be bothered. It would be just my luck that as soon as I sat down the heavens would open.” She wiped a hand across her brow. “I feel as heavy as lead and twice as lethargic, and I still have several weeks to go. No one tells you how uncomfortable pregnancy is going to be. And the indigestion it causes! I have been embarrassed to be in Algernon’s company on several occasions.”
Sophia smiled as she marked her page and put her book down.
“I don’t think Algernon is going to worry about a little trapped wind.”
Felicity couldn’t help a small chuckle even though her cheeks flushed bright red.
“That was the embarrassing part about it. It wasn’t trapped. It all passed through with no problem at all.”
Sophia’s eyes widened and she covered her shriek of laughter with her hand.
“Oh Felicity! You didn’t...” She caught sight of her friend’s grin and shrieked again. It was a few moments before either woman could contain their giggles.
Felicity let out a sigh.
“Shocking, isn’t it. Algernon was so polite about it. He actually looked out of the dining room window and remarked that one of the pigs must have escaped into the garden. We laughed until we cried.”
Sophia held her sides as a thought crossed her mind.
“Can you imagine Brendon’s reaction if you had done such a thing with him present?”
Felicity sat up taller, sucked in her cheeks and peered down her nose.
“I say! Do you mind not farting at the table? It is rather ruining my appetite for dessert.” She deepened her voice and sniffed disdainfully giving a remarkably accurate impersonation of her brother at his most indignant, while raising her hand and pretending to punch herself on the chin.
Sophia wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes.
“I didn’t know you had studied him that well.”
Felicity wiped her own tears and let out another great sigh.
“He is such a pompous arse sometimes. I’m hoping this stay at Fallows will loosen him up a little.
”
“He might not be as pompous as you think. Did you know that he dunks his biscuits in his tea?” Sophia nodded at her friend’s stunned expression. “I know, I nearly passed out myself, but it is true. I saw it with my very own eyes.”
Felicity gave an unladylike snort.
“Perhaps he is not so stuffy as I imagined. Dunking his biscuits indeed, but I bet he timed it perfectly. Mary’s husband always seems to make the biscuit too wet. She is always washing tea stains from his shirts.”
Sophia laughed again.
“Perfectly timed, as you guessed, but let us not talk of the men. We are blissfully alone for the day and without Algernon hovering over you for once. Perhaps you should put your feet up for a while. I can play the piano if you would like.” Sophia stood and shook the creases from her gown.
Thunder rumbled in the distance and a sudden streak of lightning crossed the sky, but the rain still held off.
“That would be lovely, so long as the thunder remains in the distance. I wonder if it is raining at the fair?”
With Sophia’s assistance Felicity struggled out of her chair and onto the chaise. She lifted her feet and lay back, sighing in relief as she found a more comfortable position.
Sophia glanced out as another rumble reached their ears.
“I hope not. They will all be soaked.” She sat at the piano and let her fingers drift over the keys. “This is lovely. Our instrument in London is not nearly so fine, and it needs tuning.” She turned over a music sheet and studied it for a few moments before beginning.
Felicity wriggled her foot in time with the gentle strains and closed her eyes.
“I believe the babies like music,” she mumbled. “They seem to have suddenly settled. Last week they were like a pair of eels squirming about inside me. Now, since you have been here entertaining me, they have calmed considerably.”
Sophia lifted her shoulders, feeling the music sinking into her.
“Perhaps they no longer have room to move.” She struck a few more notes.
“Quite possibly. I am as wide as a Thames barge.” Felicity began to hum gently before speaking again. “You play quite beautifully, you know,” she commented lazily. “I make it sound like a cat wailing in an alley. Even Algernon has more talent for the instrument than I.”
Sophia laughed.
“Mother made us both have lessons and I used to practice every day when I was young, but I’m not as proficient as I was. I didn’t have time when Algernon was away and since renovating and decorating our London home, I seem to have let things slide further.” She turned the page and continued to play.
Felicity stopped humming and moved her legs on the chaise.
“Lord, let me be comfortable for more than five minutes.” She crossed then uncrossed her ankles, but gave up. “I think I need to walk for a while.” She managed to swivel in her seat and stand up. “Ow!” she gave a startled gasp and pressed her hand to her stomach.
Sophia hit a discord and stopped playing.
“Are you well?”
She stood as her friend shook her head.
“No! Something has happened.” Felicity looked down at the floor. A growing puddle of water soaked into the rug at her feet.
Sophia ran to her side.
“I think we should get you up to your room. Give me one second to call someone. I’ll ask them to send for the doctor.”
Felicity shook her head as she gave a gasp.
“Have you forgotten? There’s no one here. They are all over in Fairleigh.”
Sophia sucked in a startled breath as she tucked her hand under Felicity’s arm. This wasn’t the time to panic.
“Surely not everyone went. There must be someone about. This place is normally alive with people. I’ll call Anna. You said that her mother lives only a mile away. She can run to her and perhaps then they can summon the doctor. You are having twins, and it seems that they are coming early. This is not a normal situation.” She tried to keep the worry from her tone as another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, shortly followed by a rumble of thunder. She glanced over towards the now threatening sky. The storm was coming closer.
Fear etched Felicity’s features as they made for the door. She tightened the hold on her friend’s arm as a contraction gripped her.
“I need Algernon!” She gasped desperately as she bent to gain some relief, and then walked as quickly as she could as soon as the contraction released her.
“You know that he has gone to Fallows, but he will be back tomorrow or the day after.” Sophia grabbed the bell pull, hoping that Anna was within hearing distance while Felicity suddenly dissolved into noisy tears.
“But I can’t do this without him. He promised to be here with me.” She gasped out the words.
Sophia breathed a sigh of relief as Anna appeared from below stairs and immediately understood the situation.
“Let me help you, Lady Sophia. I’ll run for the doctor as soon as we have helped her to her room.” The girl fitted herself beneath Felicity’s other arm and began assisting her up the stairs.
The journey to the bedroom was not an easy one. The contractions came in frighteningly rapid succession and they had to stop and wait before moving again. It was almost half an hour before Anna set off over the garden and another hour more before she returned with her flushed faced mother shaking raindrops from her cloak.
“The doctor is dealing with an emergency in Fairleigh.” The woman spoke breathlessly. “Major Fairfax’s prize bull took fright when a bolt of lightning hit the church steeple. It escaped its pen at the fair and rampaged through the town. Several people have been badly injured. He said he would come as soon as he can but he’s coping with a goring and several broken limbs as well as other more minor injuries. Almost everyone who wasn’t hurt is helping those who were.” Anna’s mother explained her presence before being asked.
Sophia almost fainted on the spot.
“But Lady Barclay is having twins and I have no experience of birthing.”
Anna’s mother gave her a tight smile and removed her outer garments.
“I have some experience over you then, though never with twins. Anna tells me that his Lordship is away. Probably just as well, but you might want to send him word. Birthing babies is a dangerous undertaking at the best of times, let alone when there are two of them.” The woman turned away from Sophia and gave her daughter some instructions. Anna hurried from the room and her mother rushed to the bedside.
Another cry of pain from the bed had Sophia’s stomach tied in knots. Felicity needed Algernon. Now. Sophia took a last look at the woman who soothed Felicity’s brow and dashed for the door.
Huge spots of rain landed on her cloak as she left Sommersford on one of Algernon’s mares. With Algernon taking the carriage and the household using the cart, she wasn’t left with many options. Fortunately one young lad had remained in the stables to care for the horses and, after explaining her mission, he chose the most docile looking animal available, saddled her, and sent Sophia out into the gathering storm.
Only Felicity’s predicament could have made Sophia do anything so foolhardy, but with no one else available, she was out of options. She hadn’t ridden for years and could barely keep her seat, perched as she was on the ridiculous side saddle, but she held on valiantly as she cantered out of the gates and took the road towards Fallows.
Chapter Fifteen
A Meeting of Minds
Algernon stared hard at the sabotaged balcony, his eyes narrowing at the obvious destruction to the masonry.
“I have never heard of a Mr. Johnson, but then it would seem likely that he bore not only a false name but a fake letter of recommendation if his purpose was to kill your father.”
Brendon ran his fingertips over the evidence, still visible even after the recent rainfall. He and Algernon stood on the balcony, having decided that James alone should question his mother about his true lineage.
“Yes, that had crossed my mind. I sent word
to Lucas but don’t really expect any explanation. I doubt the name will mean anything.”
Algernon stood up straight again and brushed the dust from his breeches.
“It was meticulously planned. Cracked with the least amount of interference yet giving the maximum result. Only a master builder would have known how to do it. Just a few taps that no one would hear unless they were right next door, and he was done. As bold but as sly as a Seven Dials pickpocket!”
Brendon shuddered.
“Please don’t remind me. Seeing Mr. Dodds lying sprawled in that bush almost gave me heart failure, but the thought that Sophia might have wandered out here and fallen...” He had to stop speaking. He could barely breathe.
Algernon struggled to catch his own breath.
“Don’t even think it.” He gazed at his friend’s stricken expression and clapped his hand on the man’s shoulder. “Take a breath Bren. You can admit that you have feelings for her, that you were scared for her. I’m not going to punch you like I did last year.”
Brendon drew in a long breath as his eyes met the knowing gaze of his friend. His heart lurched again. What was the point in denying it any longer?
“I’m afraid that it is far more than mere feelings for her. I never noticed it creeping up on me, but I take one look at her and it feels as though my blood thickens. My heart begins to race and my senses dull until I can see only her, think only of her. And her scent...” He closed his eyes and shook his head as if unable to explain the sensations that wrapped him every time he smelled her perfume. The silence that followed his confession became ominous and he opened one eye to peer at Algernon warily, unsure whether the man might change his mind about punching him. Algernon had a fist like iron and Brendon didn’t particularly want to be on the wrong end of it ever again.
Algernon merely rolled his eyes as he paced across the terrace, glancing at all the joints and coming to the same conclusion his friend had done. He glanced over his shoulder at the silent man behind him.
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