Felicity shook her head.
“I shouldn’t be crying, but my emotions seem to be a little awry these days. It is a good thing really, though I dread telling Algernon. He is already more than agitated about my condition, but I am simply bursting to share the news with someone.” She took in an excited breath, but before she could speak again, a young woman entered the room bearing a tray of tea and scones. The teacups rattled in their saucers until she set the tray down. She bobbed a curtsy.
“Would you like me to pour, my Lady?” The girl’s voice was barely above a whisper and she didn’t lift her eyes to acknowledge Sophia.
Felicity shook her head.
“Thank you, Anna. We will manage by ourselves, but would you tell Mrs. Gladmore that we will take dinner at seven and my friend, Lady Sophia Barclay would like a bath before then.”
The girl nodded once and quickly left the room. Felicity sighed and looked troubled. She lifted the teapot and poured as she spoke again.
“Poor Anna. She is but seventeen and too scared to say boo to a goose. Your uncle once beat her black and blue with the poker and, even though it was over a year ago, she still feels most vulnerable. I don’t know if she will ever recover from her fright.”
Sophia’s eyes widened in horror.
“My uncle? But why would he do such a thing? What had she done to deserve such brutal punishment?”
Felicity added a splash of milk to the cups.
“She did nothing of any significance. An ember simply fell from the grate after she lit the fire and burned a scorch in the flooring. It took all of three minutes to polish the mark out but it was too late by then. Your uncle had done his worst. By all accounts, it is lucky she is still alive. Naturally we look after her as best we can. I doubt she could work for any other people.” Sadness filled her voice.
Shame filled Sophia. It was as if she had beaten the girl herself.
“I hope that man rots in the hell of his own making. I thought mother and I suffered enough at his hands. If I had known...” Her emotions caught in her throat and she had to stop speaking.
Felicity passed her a cup of tea.
“But you didn’t. None of us did until we came here. Algernon and I are doing all we can to help her, but I am not sure that we have done the right thing. I thought her spirits would have lifted by now, but the orphans can be loud and I have seen Anna jump with fright on several occasions.” She worried her bottom lip. “I am at a loss as to what to do.”
Sophia glanced at her friend.
“You cannot let it worry you while you are in this condition, but you still haven’t told me your news.” She blew on her hot tea as she looked at her friend expectantly.
Felicity put her own cup down and glanced to check that the door was closed.
“You must promise not to tell Algernon. I cannot bear to see him more anxious than he is. I can hardly move for him at the moment. I’ll suffocate if he becomes any more attentive.”
Sophia’s eyebrows dipped and she placed her cup back on the table. Felicity’s news was obviously more serious than she had thought.
“I cannot promise not to tell if it has any bearing on yours or your child’s health. I will not keep my brother in the dark if it is anything serious. He would never forgive me if anything were to happen to you or the baby.”
Felicity gave a small grin.
“Babies,” she whispered quietly.
There was a second’s silence while Sophia blinked in confusion before her eyes widened in surprise. Then she jumped from her seat and shrieked with excitement.
“You cannot mean it! Oh Felicity!” She stopped as the door suddenly burst open and Algernon hurtled through.
“What happened?” He fell on his knees in front of his wife. “Are you ill? Do you need me to call the doctor? Speak to me!” He took hold of Felicity’s shoulders and began shaking her.
Sophia hid her giggles behind her hand while Felicity rolled her eyes and batted her husband’s hands away.
“For goodness sake, stop shaking me, Algernon. It was only a spider. Sophia took a sudden fright as it ran up her skirts. I must ask Mrs. Gladmore if we have a bowl of horse-chestnuts anywhere. The hairy individuals seem to be coming in more often.”
Algernon stood up sharply and turned to his sister.
“Good grief, woman! I was passing the door and nearly had a heart attack when I heard you scream. Why would a spider frighten you so? I’ve never heard you make such a fuss before.”
Sophia held back her grin.
“I wouldn’t normally worry about a spider as you know.” She raised her eyebrows at Felicity who had clearly forgotten that Sophia wasn’t the least bit scared of the eight-legged creatures having long become used to them lodging in her dilapidated London home. “But this one was a rather spectacular specimen and I simply wasn’t expecting him to make so free with my petticoats.”
Algernon frowned as he looked about the floor.
“Well, you half scared me to death wondering what had happened. Are you sure you have shaken it off. I certainly can’t see the blighter now.” He lifted the throw on the settee and peered beneath.
Sophia flapped her dress and rolled her eyes as Felicity grabbed a scone and crammed half of it into her mouth in an attempt to stop her laughter.
“He must have scuttled beneath the panelling. Please don’t worry about it Algernon. Now that we have been introduced I wouldn’t be so shocked if he turned up again.”
“Well, if you are sure...” Algernon stared at her for a moment longer before picking up a scone for himself and walking from the room.
Sophia sank back down onto the settee, tears of laughter on her cheeks as she hugged her friend.
“Oh Felicity! A spider? Really? Is that the best you could think of?”
Her friend swallowed the rest of the scone.
“At short notice, yes. Dear Lord! But you screamed so loudly and he appeared so suddenly. I couldn’t think of anything else to say to him.”
Sophia shook her head.
“You could tell him the truth. The poor man is going to have such a shock.”
“And you think I didn’t. Doctor Jenkins suspected twins on his visit a couple of months back and mentioned his suspicions privately to me. Something about too many protruding parts. I thought I was becoming huge very quickly but this is ridiculous.” She patted her stomach gently. “I still have several weeks to go, though the good doctor doesn’t believe I will carry them to the full term. Twins usually come a little early.” She tried to keep her own worries at bay.
Sophia’s eyes softened.
“But you are healthy at the moment. There is no cause for concern?”
Felicity shook her head.
“The only thing I am concerned with is having two sets of everything ready on time. Algernon is becoming suspicious of the amount of furniture already. If I begin ordering doubles of everything, he will go into a complete funk, but I need to be prepared. Even with help, this is going to take some getting used to. I thought to hide some extra things amongst the furniture in the orphanage, but I know that Mary will guess immediately and won’t be able to contain herself. ” She referred to the woman who had begun taking in stray children when they still lived in London.
Sophia pressed her lips together for a moment as she mulled the problem over.
“We could ask Brendon to store some things at Fallows. It’s not as if he is that far away that we cannot get everything to you within a day or two.” She didn’t know if it was a good idea, but it might be workable if Brendon were willing to keep the secret.
Felicity looked confused.
“Fallows? Why would Brendon come all the way to Fallows to store things for me? The family haven’t been there in years.”
Sophia suddenly remembered that her friend knew nothing of her father’s condition or his request that Brendon take over running the estate.
“I think we had best order some more tea. I have much to tell you and you must pro
mise me not to be shocked or upset for everything is not as bad as it seems.”
Felicity leaned forwards, clearly alarmed by her friend’s serious tone.
“What has happened? Is Brendon well? Has his temper got the better of him again? Oh my, I hope he hasn’t tried to hit Lucas. He is likely to get one right back and he would not come off well.”
Sophia gave a laugh as she pulled the bell rope.
“Hush, do not disturb yourself. Brendon did hit Lucas,” she held up her hand at Felicity’s gasp of horror, “No, no, do not panic. Lucas held his own temper far better than Brendon ever could. Your brother is absolutely fine, however your father...” She continued to tell as much of the story as she knew.
Many gasps of shock, two more cups of tea, and a plate of scones later, Sophia thought that Felicity had taken the news quite well.
“There is no point in making yourself ill in going to see him. Your mother will send word if there is any emergency, but Algernon said he looked fine, if in some pain, when they visited.”
Felicity gulped back her shock.
“But why has father sent Brendon to Fallows, surely he needs him in town.”
Sophia turned away from her friend and gave a small sniff.
“I’m sure I don’t know his reasoning. It seems to me that Brendon isn’t ready for the responsibility. It’s not as if he’s taken any this last year.”
Felicity reached out and touched her friend’s arm.
“That sounds a little bitter to me.”
Sophia bristled immediately, her spine straightening as her shoulders stiffened.
“Bitter? I don’t know what you mean. I have nothing to be bitter about.”
Felicity waited until Sophia’s rapid breathing calmed.
“You cannot hide things from me. We might not have seen each other in a long time, but I know your heart would never waver. You love him still even though he has avoided you these past months.”
Sophia shot her friend a look.
“How do you know that? How do you know that he has avoided me?” Tears glistened on her dark lashes as pain lanced her heart.
Felicity gently squeezed Sophia’s hand.
“You might find it surprising, but Brendon and I do correspond regularly, and what he doesn’t tell me, my mother does. I know that he has not been to visit you or seen you at any events since last year. I assure you that she would not have missed telling me of such an occurrence in one of her many letters. Mother would be beside herself with glee if she had seen him dance with you.”
Sophia couldn’t help the smile that twitched at the side of her mouth.
“She would?”
Felicity nodded.
“Of course. Both mother and father adore you and Algernon. I know they would be delighted if you were to become their daughter in law.”
The tears dripped as Sophia’s heart crumbled beneath her breast.
“But that will never happen now. Oh Felicity! He has not so much as visited this year until he barged into our house demanding answers of Algernon yesterday morning. And then I found out why he has been avoiding me. I feel so silly for not knowing his reasons before, but after Algernon’s demands last autumn, I thought Brendon might simply be too shy and embarrassed to be around me. It never occurred to me that he had taken a mistress.” She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket.
Felicity’s eyebrows came together.
“A mistress? Brendon? I highly doubt that.”
Sophia drew in a breath.
“I assure you that it’s true. Algernon told me, and Brendon didn’t deny it when the matter came up at dinner. It seems that it is common knowledge in town. Of course, being a virtual recluse, I was the last to know, as usual.”
“A recluse? But I thought now that Algernon had the finances back under control...”
Sophia interrupted her.
“I go out. With mother when she is there. Always in the early afternoon to either a card party, or a musicale.” She tried to keep the bitterness at her limited lifestyle out of her tone and lifted her chin defiantly as she carried on. “The ladies are lovely but it’s hardly scintillating entertainment when all you hear is the latest en dit or gossip from an occasion that you were not invited to. The only other events I have attended are when your mother thinks to ask me, but that is not always convenient to her friends. Yes, I sneak to the gun club occasionally, but I’m never in the company of men unless Lucas Caruthers bothers to ask me to breakfast with him.”
Felicity’s eyes widened.
“And you go? On your own?”
Sophia shrugged.
“We used to go together. I don’t see the difference if I go alone now. It’s not my fault that my brother has stolen you away from me. And it’s not as if Lucas has ever said or done anything inappropriate. No one ever sees us anyway. Most of the ton have only just gone to bed at the time Lucas and I are in the gun club.”
“Well, I am almost jealous of you. But I am not sure that this is a wise path. Algernon would be horrified if he knew that you breakfasted with Lucas. So would Brendon,” Felicity added thoughtfully.
Sophia’s fingers tore at the lace edge of her handkerchief.
“They know already.” She waved down Felicity’s shocked intake of breath. “I had a small fit of temper the other day when Brendon came to ask if we knew any details of your father’s duel. Algernon was being so sanctimonious all because I knew of Lucas’ apartments in Hanover Square. I’m afraid I let the pair of them have it and told them a few home truths. And about the gun club. And the breakfasts,” she added as a smile suddenly quirked at the side of her mouth.
Felicity couldn’t stop the chuckle that fell from her lips.
“I can all but see their faces now! Algernon’s mouth hanging open and Brendon turning a delicate shade of puce!” She laughed aloud.
Sophia let out her own giggle as she recalled Algernon’s gaping mouth and the spots of red on Brendon’s cheeks.
“I think it rather surprised them.”
Felicity held her stomach as she laughed.
“I would have done anything to be a fly on the wall after you left the room. It’s a wonder poor Lucas is alive to tell the tale.”
Sophia stifled her mirth.
“They did leave the house looking as though they meant business and I rather wondered if it was the reason Brendon thumped Lucas, but I do not know. Algernon only mentioned that an altercation had been averted.”
Felicity tapped her finger to her lips.
“And now Brendon is at Fallows while you are here, barely a stone’s throw distant. I wonder...”
Sophia blinked rapidly.
“You wonder what?”
Felicity drew out her fan and wafted it gently.
“Oh, just wondering if your plan to store my extra furniture might not work. But he’ll never keep the secret from Algernon. Perhaps I should not tell him it’s a second set. We can just say that they are some extra things from the orphanage that we cannot store while we are decorating some room or another. He has no reason not to believe us.”
Sophia nodded.
“Of course. That is the perfect solution. He’ll be none the wiser and if he should happen to mention the furniture to Algernon, he’ll assume that you have organized something for the orphanage, not for your own children.”
“So you will do it then? Thank you! That’s a huge weight off my mind. I cannot tell you how worried I have been about it. We’ll sort it out later this week and then you can perhaps take it all in the carriage.” Felicity breathed out a sigh of relief.
Confusion swept over Sophia.
“I don’t know what you mean. Are you suggesting that I take your furniture to Fallows?”
Felicity nodded brightly.
“Of course. I thought that’s why you offered.”
Heart beating wildly, Sophia tried to back track.
“But I didn’t mean that I should...” She stopped as her friend winced and pressed her hands to the small
of her back.
Tears formed in Felicity’s eyes and she bit her bottom lip.
“Ouch! Oh dear! Algernon is going to be so worried. I don’t think I can cope with the strain...”
Sophia reached out as concern for her friend swept over her. How could she refuse if it kept Felicity calm and Algernon in blissful ignorance? She sighed deeply as she felt herself being trapped in a corner of her own making.
“Yes, yes of course I will help take everything over to Fallows. Perhaps you will loan me one of Mary’s brood to assist me.”
Felicity’s hands fell from her back and her eyes brightened instantly.
“Excellent! I’m sure Toby or William will be available to help. They are strapping young lads. And I could send Anna with you too. You will have to stay overnight, of course.” She added as if the idea had suddenly occurred to her. “She will be perfect as your lady’s maid and chaperone. The change and the responsibility might suit her.” She rose from her seat and headed across the room before Sophia could argue. “Now, let’s get you upstairs and in that bath. Those inns are not the nicest places to sleep. I am sure I saw hives on Algernon’s wrists. Makes me wonder at the quality and cleanliness of the sheets! Besides, I am sure you could do with relaxing for an hour before we have dinner.” She swept from the room leaving a stunned Sophia to trail behind her.
Chapter Nine
A Surprising Appearance
Brendon stood up to his thighs in grass and weeds and stared curiously as Algernon’s carriage drove through the now open gates with Sophia leaning out of the window. The driver slowed and eventually stopped beside him.
He managed a short bow as Sophia stared back at him, her gaze wandering up and down his torso.
“Good heavens, Brendon. You really are getting stuck in. Don’t you have a gardener for this kind of thing?” She enquired while gaping at his perspiring form with a strange look in her eye.
He shook his head. No point in disguising the truth.
“No, and I have the blisters to prove it.” He peeled off a glove and showed her his palm. Her eyes widened in apparent horror at his tender skin.
A Promise of Pure Gardenias Page 10
