Sally laughed to shake off the memory of Felix’s betrayal, but the pain was always there. “Aunt Pen will never marry. She could never stand to be away from Newberry Park for long. She rarely goes anywhere these days except to visit with Arabella and Rothwell now they have patched up their differences. She is happy as she is, so do not talk foolishness.”
“I agree.” Louisa nodded. “You cannot count on love at first sight or otherwise. That is just a delusion.”
“Not every love is the same.” Sally was well aware her feelings for Ellicott fell short by a wide margin from those she had once held dear. She had grown up a lot since those foolish, impulsive days. She had made mistakes and almost paid the price, but she knew Ellicott’s character and had no doubts about what sort of husband he would make. It was not a grand passion she had with the earl, but it was enough for her to begin with.
Tonight’s dinner and the announcement of her engagement would be an event she would remember for the rest of her life.
Chapter Five
Felix had been informed that the Duke of Rutherford dined formally every night and kept to a strict schedule worthy of a naval captain running drills on His Majesty’s fastest frigate. As he slipped his arms into his dress uniform and straightened the gold epaulets, he cursed Admiral Templeton yet again for keeping him waiting. He should not be here. He should be in London pleading Jennings’s case, not dressing to impress a family that denied any connection beyond the navy.
Besides, what should he say when he came face-to-face with Sally Ford? Especially now that someone else was courting her? Did you miss me seemed wildly inappropriate, but it was the question he had wondered most of all over the years.
He had missed her.
He cursed and stepped into the hall only to come upon a liveried servant outside his door.
The slightly built man with a shock of ginger hair bowed formally. “Mr. Morgan sent me to fetch you to dinner, Captain Hastings.”
Felix pulled closed the door to his chamber, somewhat relieved, to be honest, at having an escort. Newberry Park was a large, sprawling home, and he did not want to blunder about like a ship without sails.
“Lead the way,” he murmured. After a few steps, he glanced at the man escorting him. “Your face is familiar. What is your name?”
“Rodmell, sir.”
He recognized the name only vaguely. “Captain Lord Maitland’s valet?”
Captain Maitland was Sally’s elder brother, a viscount, and not his particular friend of late.
“Yes, sir.” The man nodded, smiling proudly. “While he is away at sea, I am charged with attending to the duke’s guests. If you are in agreement, I’ll be assigned to you from tomorrow morning to act as your valet.”
“I would appreciate that very much.” Maitland’s man knew the ropes and could be depended upon to look after his uniform properly. “I am surprised he did not take you on board.”
“He felt his interests were better served with me remaining behind to keep him apprised of family developments.” The valet glanced over his shoulder. “If you do not mind my saying so, you look better than last time I saw you.”
Felix could not recall the fellow with any clarity or where their paths might have crossed in recent years. “When was that again?”
The valet winced. “Your nose was bloody from Lord Roth
well’s fists.”
“Ah,” he said carefully, any comfortable feelings around this man fading fast. Six years ago that had been. A time he could not forget for the injustice done to him.
He wisely clamped his mouth shut for the remainder of the journey downstairs. There was no sense revisiting the past, especially not when he had allowed his ignorance of navy politics to lead him into trouble and regretted it to this day.
At the bottom of the stairs, Rodmell paused. “The family and guests gather in the white drawing room before dinner every evening. Walk through that doorway and turn to the right. A dozen yards will bring you there. I hope you can find something in the evening to enjoy. Good luck.”
“Thank you,” he said but thought Rodmell’s remark odd.
Then the man bowed and fled through a servant’s doorway and toward the rear of the property as if the devil chased him.
Left to his own devices a moment, Felix took a breath and then squared his shoulders before strolling forward. How bad could seeing Sally again possibly be? He paused on the threshold of the room, surveying the scene before him. Little groupings had sprung up already. A trio of gentlemen, including Lord Ellicott, stood drinking on one side of the room, a half dozen women seated and gossiping on the other.
Sally stood in the center of the room with her back to him.
He did not need to see her face to recognize her.
He knew the curve of her neck and the blemish behind her ear very well.