Madcap Miss

He didn’t have to look, she thought as her eyes met his. He already knew. He knew everything. He returned a warm smile to her, and she felt her body flush with pleasure.

“Indeed, little love, it is. Would you like me to present you?”

Felicia recoiled in horror and withdrew her hand from his. “Faith no!”

He chuckled and took up her fingers once more, this time lifting her bare wrist to his lips.

Once again it occurred to her that her life would never be the same. It had changed forever, from the moment he had entered her line of vision.

He said, “He won’t bite you, sweetheart … at least not while I am present, and I shan’t ever leave you alone when he is about.”

Once again, their gazes were joined, and it was as though she had entered a place where she was in his arms once more, in his bed, and he was making delicious love to her. Did he feel it? He did, she was sure of it from the smoldering in his silver eyes.

Their moment was sharply interrupted by the sound of a deep male voice, and she saw the duke frown as James Reinhart entered their box and bowed over Felicia’s dainty and gloved fingers.

“You beauty, you … gold silk suits you. Why, you look like a goddess!” Reinhart said, and Felicia almost giggled for she could see the duke roll his eyes.

She did, in fact, laugh and said, “Ah, James … are you looking forward to this play?”

“How can I, or any man, watch the stage when you are here, looking as you do?” he answered.

The duke choked, and Felicia laughed out loud. “James, you are too kind.”

Reinhart turned to the duke and said, “Somerset, this is selfish of you, indeed, it is. You are hogging your ward all to yourself.”

Felicia saw Becky, who had been deep in conversation with Scott, turn, open-mouthed, wait for the outcome of this confrontation, which nearly made her laugh again.

“It is a pleasant duty, sir, to guard my ward from the many dangers that lie all around her,” the duke said lightly.

Reinhart apparently was no fool. His thick brow went up. “Indeed? Rest easy then—when she takes a turn with me, she will be safe.” Without waiting for the duke’s response, he turned to Felicia once more and said, “Allow me to escort you to the vestibule, where I saw Lady Daphne a moment ago. I think you might find it entertaining, and there is time before the curtain goes up.”

The truth was that Felicia was happy right where she was. Becky and Scott were deep in conversation with their heads together like lovers, and this warmed her heart. Becky would forever be her dearest friend, and to have her and Scott make a match of it was beyond anything she could have dreamed of obtaining. The duke beside her was simply everything else she needed.

She smiled warmly at Reinhart, for she did not wish to embarrass him with rejection, but neither did she wish to be forced into doing something she didn’t want to do. She said, “Oh, thank you, James. You are most kind, but I have not seen my guardian all day, and there are things we need to discuss.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she actually witnessed an expression of gloating flit over the duke’s face, and her hand fluttered to her eyes as, and then to her mouth as once again, she nearly burst out laughing.

Reinhart put a hand to his heart and in mock accents of dismay said, “My lady, have I been sent on my way? How shall I recover?”

She beamed up at him and offered, to soften her dismissal, “No, no, you absurd man. You may sit and join us, if it is your wish.”

“It is,” he answered. He pulled up Lady Daphne’s vacant chair and sat slightly behind her but took her gloved fingers and her attention by saying immediately, “Look there, see that woman in the box directly across from us?”

Felicia’s eyes scanned the box and rested on a tall and somewhat dowdy-looking female in a gown that was far too extravagant for her plump figure. “Y-y-es?”

“That is our regent’s wife,” he offered confidingly.

“But, they are not in the same box,” she returned with some surprise.

“No, they share very little these days,” he said and chuckled.

“But they are married?” Felicia was deeply surprised. She knew that love and marriage did not always unite a couple. The gentry often made marriages of convenience, yet she believed that publically there was some consideration for one another.

“Marriage? What is that to say to anything?” Reinhart scoffed. “They heartily dislike each other, you know. She isn’t even allowed the care of her daughter.”

“But how awful for her. Why?” Felicia was shocked.

The duke touched her chin and said softly, “Don’t be distressed, my dear.” He frowned at Reinhart. “The regent does allow them to dine together once or twice a week, but, for reasons of his own, he doesn’t allow Caroline to raise Charlotte.”