even a cursory glance. “I did not see you there.”
As she trudged toward them, Gabriel sucked in a breath. There was no doubt why his brother had picked her as a conquest. Jonathon had always liked the prettiest girls of their acquaintance and Felicity was far and away more attractive than any of them. Her dark auburn hair was bound loosely, but tiny curls framed her face, drawing attention to the midnight blue of her eyes and accentuating a few charming freckles that dashed across her nose.
He could imagine she would light up a room if she smiled. But she wasn’t smiling currently. And from the way she refused to look at him at all, she would never gift him with a smile.
How could one mourn the loss of something they had never experienced?
“Come, my dear,” Lady Stanton said with a wide smile. “Meet His Grace. This is Lord Windsworth.”
Felicity flinched just the slightest bit and her gaze remained focused on his shoulder rather than his eyes. “Your Grace,” she murmured coolly and did not offer her hand.
“Lady Felicity.” He tilted his head in a vain attempt to snare her gaze. “A pleasure to meet you. I have heard very much about you.”
Now she looked at him, shock draining the color from her face. Gabriel bit back a curse. She thought he was referring to her past with his brother.
“Everyone in Society speaks of how talented you are,” he corrected swiftly. “You are very highly spoken of.”
To his surprise, her expression did not soften in the slightest. In fact, her eyes narrowed and she speared him with a glare that could have wilted flowers.
“Ah, I see my dear grandson and his wife motioning to me,” Lady Stanton said with a wicked smile. “I should join them.”
“No-” Felicity began, grabbing for Lady Stanton’s arm.
The older woman dodged her quite deftly. “No, no I need no assistance. You should not end your conversation with Lord Windsworth simply because of me. I will speak to you later.”
Then Lady Stanton was off into the crowd, leaving Felicity staring after her, her mouth partly agape. Gabriel shifted uncomfortably. This was not going according to plan at all. His intentions had been very proper. To speak to Lord Stoneworth first, then find the right time to approach Felicity.
She spun on him, her full lips pulled into a tight, thin line. “I did not realize you had been invited here today, Your Grace.”
He started at her forward statement. “I will admit to you that I was not.”
Her eyes narrowed even further. “Aha! I knew it. I knew my father would not invite you of all people into our home. What do you want? Why did you come here?”
Gabriel fought the urge to step away from her quiet accusations. He had never stepped down in a fight before, he certainly wasn’t about to start with this woman who carried half his weight, if that.
“I only wished to speak to you, Felicity.”
She stepped closer. “I gave you no leave to refer to me by my first name. I gave you no leave to refer to me at all.”
“Your anger toward me is not justified,” he said, watching her blue eyes darken with every word. He found himself wondering what color they would become if he dared to kiss her. The thought brought him up short. Those kinds of thoughts could only bring him dangerously close to being his father’s son in every way.
“Not justified?” she hissed. “You have come into my home uninvited.”
“I came here to speak to your father, nothing more,” Gabriel insisted. “And to make amends.”
She stopped speaking for a moment and caught her breath with a harsh sound. Her throat worked as she swallowed. “You have nothing to make amends to.”
“We both know that isn’t true.” Gabriel said softly.
She shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. And I want you to leave. Please-” She caught her breath again, but this time it was more like a sob. Gabriel’s heart lurched. He had never intended to make her cry.
And if she did,
As she trudged toward them, Gabriel sucked in a breath. There was no doubt why his brother had picked her as a conquest. Jonathon had always liked the prettiest girls of their acquaintance and Felicity was far and away more attractive than any of them. Her dark auburn hair was bound loosely, but tiny curls framed her face, drawing attention to the midnight blue of her eyes and accentuating a few charming freckles that dashed across her nose.
He could imagine she would light up a room if she smiled. But she wasn’t smiling currently. And from the way she refused to look at him at all, she would never gift him with a smile.
How could one mourn the loss of something they had never experienced?
“Come, my dear,” Lady Stanton said with a wide smile. “Meet His Grace. This is Lord Windsworth.”
Felicity flinched just the slightest bit and her gaze remained focused on his shoulder rather than his eyes. “Your Grace,” she murmured coolly and did not offer her hand.
“Lady Felicity.” He tilted his head in a vain attempt to snare her gaze. “A pleasure to meet you. I have heard very much about you.”
Now she looked at him, shock draining the color from her face. Gabriel bit back a curse. She thought he was referring to her past with his brother.
“Everyone in Society speaks of how talented you are,” he corrected swiftly. “You are very highly spoken of.”
To his surprise, her expression did not soften in the slightest. In fact, her eyes narrowed and she speared him with a glare that could have wilted flowers.
“Ah, I see my dear grandson and his wife motioning to me,” Lady Stanton said with a wicked smile. “I should join them.”
“No-” Felicity began, grabbing for Lady Stanton’s arm.
The older woman dodged her quite deftly. “No, no I need no assistance. You should not end your conversation with Lord Windsworth simply because of me. I will speak to you later.”
Then Lady Stanton was off into the crowd, leaving Felicity staring after her, her mouth partly agape. Gabriel shifted uncomfortably. This was not going according to plan at all. His intentions had been very proper. To speak to Lord Stoneworth first, then find the right time to approach Felicity.
She spun on him, her full lips pulled into a tight, thin line. “I did not realize you had been invited here today, Your Grace.”
He started at her forward statement. “I will admit to you that I was not.”
Her eyes narrowed even further. “Aha! I knew it. I knew my father would not invite you of all people into our home. What do you want? Why did you come here?”
Gabriel fought the urge to step away from her quiet accusations. He had never stepped down in a fight before, he certainly wasn’t about to start with this woman who carried half his weight, if that.
“I only wished to speak to you, Felicity.”
She stepped closer. “I gave you no leave to refer to me by my first name. I gave you no leave to refer to me at all.”
“Your anger toward me is not justified,” he said, watching her blue eyes darken with every word. He found himself wondering what color they would become if he dared to kiss her. The thought brought him up short. Those kinds of thoughts could only bring him dangerously close to being his father’s son in every way.
“Not justified?” she hissed. “You have come into my home uninvited.”
“I came here to speak to your father, nothing more,” Gabriel insisted. “And to make amends.”
She stopped speaking for a moment and caught her breath with a harsh sound. Her throat worked as she swallowed. “You have nothing to make amends to.”
“We both know that isn’t true.” Gabriel said softly.
She shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. And I want you to leave. Please-” She caught her breath again, but this time it was more like a sob. Gabriel’s heart lurched. He had never intended to make her cry.
And if she did,
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