suddenly pale. Lady Stanton mentioned you left her early yesterday with complaints about being tired.”
Felicity stared up at her father’s handsome face. If she told him Gabriel Morrison was here, he would come to her rescue. He would throw the man into the street personally. But all that would serve would be to cause an enormous scene and make people ask questions. The kind of questions she had avoided thus far.
She was too old for saving now.
Felicity swallowed past the enormous lump in her throat and somehow managed to pretend a smile. “No, father, I apologize. I was… distracted by the crowd. But I can continue.”
He wrinkled his brow with concern, but backed away from her with a nod. “Very well.”
Felicity forced herself to stop staring at Gabriel Morrison and looked at the pianoforte keys instead. By God, she would not let him know he had affected her. She had that much pride left, at least.
And as soon as she had finished playing, she could hide from him. Pride could only go so far.
#
Gabriel took a long drink of punch and wished it was something far stronger. After what he had just witnessed, he could use a stiff drink.
Perhaps this was the very thing that had led his father and brother down the paths of temptation and vice. Just one strong drink had led to another. Just one surprisingly tempting woman had led to another.
Only this time, the tempting woman was the one he intended to marry. Felicity Ellis.
He shook his head. Somehow he had imagined her quite differently after reading his father’s accounts of what had transpired. Somewhere between idiot and cunning whore, the two ways his father had used to describe her. Gabriel had been leaning more toward misled innocent.
But now he had to re-evaluate everything. Felicity Ellis had far more passion that he had expected. It had come out in the beautiful, haunting, intense way she played. And in the azure blue of her eyes as she stared at him with a mixture of horror and utter contempt.
This might be more difficult than he had imagined if Felicity already knew who he was.
But the path was chosen and all Gabriel could do was follow it. So he placed his cup on the nearest table edge and began to make his way through the crowd to find Lord Stoneworth. It was proper to garner permission from the father before one courted a young lady, so Gabriel would follow the rules to the tee.
He had made it a few steps when he heard someone calling his name.
“Windsworth!”
He turned in surprise. Though he was garnering a great deal of attention here, which made him believe those in attendance knew full-well who he was, no one had had the gall to approach him yet. But now an elderly woman was coming across the room at an alarming rate of speed for one with a cane.
“I thought that was you, Your Grace,” the woman said with a smile, even though her gaze moved over him from head to toe like she was appraising him. “You probably do not remember me, but I knew you when you were just a child. Before your dear Mama took you away from London. I am Lady Stanton.”
Gabriel’s eyes widened in surprise. His mother had spoken often of Lady Abigail Stanton. He almost felt he knew the lady.
“Why, yes, of course, my lady. My mother will be very pleased that you remember her,” he stammered as he pressed a quick kiss on the elderly woman’s hand.
“Of course I do. Is she in Town, as well? I shall have to call on her. It has been far too long.” A wistful expression came into the woman’s eyes, but then it was gone. “Perhaps I may have the honor of introducing you to our most talented songstress. Felicity, dear!”
Gabriel spun on his heel to where Lady Stanton was motioning wildly. Felicity Ellis did, indeed, stand just a few feet away, but from the way her back curved, it looked like she had been attempting to sneak past without being noticed. Now she slowly straightened up and turned to face them.
“Oh, Lady Stanton,” she said, without sparing him
Felicity stared up at her father’s handsome face. If she told him Gabriel Morrison was here, he would come to her rescue. He would throw the man into the street personally. But all that would serve would be to cause an enormous scene and make people ask questions. The kind of questions she had avoided thus far.
She was too old for saving now.
Felicity swallowed past the enormous lump in her throat and somehow managed to pretend a smile. “No, father, I apologize. I was… distracted by the crowd. But I can continue.”
He wrinkled his brow with concern, but backed away from her with a nod. “Very well.”
Felicity forced herself to stop staring at Gabriel Morrison and looked at the pianoforte keys instead. By God, she would not let him know he had affected her. She had that much pride left, at least.
And as soon as she had finished playing, she could hide from him. Pride could only go so far.
#
Gabriel took a long drink of punch and wished it was something far stronger. After what he had just witnessed, he could use a stiff drink.
Perhaps this was the very thing that had led his father and brother down the paths of temptation and vice. Just one strong drink had led to another. Just one surprisingly tempting woman had led to another.
Only this time, the tempting woman was the one he intended to marry. Felicity Ellis.
He shook his head. Somehow he had imagined her quite differently after reading his father’s accounts of what had transpired. Somewhere between idiot and cunning whore, the two ways his father had used to describe her. Gabriel had been leaning more toward misled innocent.
But now he had to re-evaluate everything. Felicity Ellis had far more passion that he had expected. It had come out in the beautiful, haunting, intense way she played. And in the azure blue of her eyes as she stared at him with a mixture of horror and utter contempt.
This might be more difficult than he had imagined if Felicity already knew who he was.
But the path was chosen and all Gabriel could do was follow it. So he placed his cup on the nearest table edge and began to make his way through the crowd to find Lord Stoneworth. It was proper to garner permission from the father before one courted a young lady, so Gabriel would follow the rules to the tee.
He had made it a few steps when he heard someone calling his name.
“Windsworth!”
He turned in surprise. Though he was garnering a great deal of attention here, which made him believe those in attendance knew full-well who he was, no one had had the gall to approach him yet. But now an elderly woman was coming across the room at an alarming rate of speed for one with a cane.
“I thought that was you, Your Grace,” the woman said with a smile, even though her gaze moved over him from head to toe like she was appraising him. “You probably do not remember me, but I knew you when you were just a child. Before your dear Mama took you away from London. I am Lady Stanton.”
Gabriel’s eyes widened in surprise. His mother had spoken often of Lady Abigail Stanton. He almost felt he knew the lady.
“Why, yes, of course, my lady. My mother will be very pleased that you remember her,” he stammered as he pressed a quick kiss on the elderly woman’s hand.
“Of course I do. Is she in Town, as well? I shall have to call on her. It has been far too long.” A wistful expression came into the woman’s eyes, but then it was gone. “Perhaps I may have the honor of introducing you to our most talented songstress. Felicity, dear!”
Gabriel spun on his heel to where Lady Stanton was motioning wildly. Felicity Ellis did, indeed, stand just a few feet away, but from the way her back curved, it looked like she had been attempting to sneak past without being noticed. Now she slowly straightened up and turned to face them.
“Oh, Lady Stanton,” she said, without sparing him
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