Madcap Miss

Scott offered, “I daresay he went out for a night of joviality with his friends.”

Becky glared at him, and Felicia sighed and said sadly, “Of course. I am sure he was heartily sick of attending me all the time.”

Freddy looked at her at this and said, “Well, as to that, saw him when I was on m’way home from Sutter’s. He was on his way into the Black Dog and looked as though he was already foxed. Something eating at him, if you ask me.”

“Dash it, Freddy!” Daffy objected. “You shouldn’t be telling us that now.”

Freddy looked a bit taken aback. “By Jove, love, you are in the right of it. Forgot myself. Telling tales—not the thing.”

Everyone laughed, and Felicia attempted to as well, but found she couldn’t as she pushed away from the table and excused herself.

Becky got up as well and said, “Come, Scott … let’s take Felicia into the library and play a game of cards.”

Felicia made a valiant effort to concentrate on the game but gave it up at length and said she was very tired and was headed for her bed.

Her ladyship and Freddy met her in the central hall as they were on their way out to visit friends, and Daffy took her arm and stopped her. “Felicia, I don’t know what that devil of a brother of mine said to you, but I have a feeling things will right themselves very soon. Men often say the wrong things … without understanding just how it will be taken.”

Felicia eyed the duke’s sister and nodded but could not respond any further. Trying desperately to maintain her composure, she turned, took the stairs, and headed for her room.

In bed, she tossed, turned, and finally fell asleep, but no sooner had she when she was sharply awakened by the sound of someone stumbling just outside her room.

She got up and ran to open her door to find the duke, one shoe on and the other held in his hand as he leaned into the wall. He smiled absurdly at her and said, “Hallo, madcap. What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? What are you doing here?” she returned in shocked accents.

“My house …?” He frowned. “Should be here.”

“No, it isn’t. This is Waverly.”

“Waverly? What the devil?”

“Yes, you are here at Waverly,” Felicia answered and started to smile. She loved him so, and he looked absurdly, foolishly like an adorable boy.

“Ah, so that is why Jeffries opened the door. I wondered at it,” he said and grinned. He showed her his shoe. “It came off somehow.”

“You are foxed! Badly dipped,” Felicia accused on a giggle.

“So I am,” he agreed merrily.

“Oh! Isn’t that just like a man? You do and say awful things and then go and … and … well, it is the outside of enough!” She had a very good mind to let him slip to the floor as it appeared he was about to do and leave him there. Instead, she said, “Come on, then, we’ll put you in the guestroom down the hall.”

She took his arm and with something of a struggle managed to get him into the room, where she allowed him to fall backwards onto the bed.

He smiled and promptly passed out. She silently wagged a finger at him, made a few angry sounds, and stomped off to her own bed feeling oddly … hopeful once more.

“Felicia, you are an idiot. Why should his being in his cups have you hopeful? ’Tis absurd.” She did, however, feel her lashes lower. Sleep, she knew was about to take her. How could it not, she thought, as the world slipped away. He was just down the hall.

* * *

Morning breakfast proved to be a strained affair, for neither Daffy nor Becky was present to help Felicia.

Felicia found herself exchanging clipped remarks with the duke, even after Scott had arrived and had happily served himself a large plateful of food and sat beside her.

He looked from Felicia to the duke once or twice and arched a brow but added nothing to their already too hotly sparked conversation.

“Right then, you never did tell me, Flip, how was your ride with that Reinhart fellow? Heard tell his matched four grays are quite something to look at,” Scott asked innocently.

Felicia’s eyes glittered with cold shafts of light as she answered, “Indeed, Scott. They are beautiful and move together superbly. That he managed to find four so closely resembling one another is, I think, remarkable.” She smiled and said sweetly, “James is a whip with great skill. I enjoyed watching him handle the driving reins. It was certainly something to see.”