Chapter Thirteen

"I 'm sorry Felix, but Guy refuses to talk to you," Lydia said as she handed him a cup of tea. She sat next to him on the settee in her drawing room. "I can't understand why you let him see the owl. You had to have known he would panic after everything we've been through at the estate."

Felix took a sip of the tea. "I was hoping he and his friend wouldn't notice it. I planned out the seating arrangement so they had their backs to it."

"Something like that might work with Oscar, but Guy's much too intelligent for that. He makes it a point to know where everything is in a room."

Felix resisted the urge to argue that Guy couldn't be that intelligent since Algernon had been the one who noticed it. He hadn't come here to fight with his sister. He had come to smooth things over with Guy. "Lydia, I don't understand why your husband has to be so difficult. This owl has nothing to do with our estate. It belongs to Elizabeth, and it took a lot of trust in me to put it in the drawing room. My marriage is tenuous already. Can't he appreciate how important it is that the owl stays in that room? It's no different than if he wants you to wear something for luck. You would do that for him because you want to make him happy. You even begged me and Oscar to hold onto four-leafed clovers while we were in the country."

She let out a heavy sigh. "I realize how people see Guy. I will grant you that it seems like he's difficult."

"Seems like he's difficult?" Felix interrupted, giving her a pointed look.

"But he's not." When Felix rolled his eyes, she pressed, "Not really. Guy cares about people. That care just shows up in ways that others perceive as ‘difficult'."

"It's far more reasonable to ask someone to keep an owl in the room than it is to carry around a four-leafed clover. I did that for you. I didn't do it for him." He gestured in the direction where Guy had run off to when he entered the townhouse. "The least he can do is let Elizabeth have the owl in the room she prefers."

Maybe coming here had been a mistake. Felix had hoped to make things better, but all this was doing was annoying him. How could Guy have his sister so oblivious to his exasperating traits?

Upset, he placed the cup on the table and stood up. "I withdraw my apology. I am not sorry I subjected him to the owl today. Now, I'm glad I did it. The next time I see him, I might even carry it with me."

She jumped to her feet. "Oh, you mustn't! You know he would take that as an insult. He might never speak to you again."

"He's not speaking to me now." He shook his head in irritation. "After all we went through, I expected him to be better than this. I wish you had married someone reasonable."

"You can't wish that. I love him."

"The fact that you love him says something about your judgment in gentlemen." He could tell she was too shocked to respond. He couldn't take this anymore. Neither Lydia nor Guy were being logical about any of this. If he continued with this discussion, he would lose his mind. "I'm sorry I came here. This was a terrible mistake." He turned from her and marched out of the townhouse.

He had promised Elizabeth she could have two to three hours in the library. He owed it to her to stay out until then. So where else could he go? He wasn't the type who liked to walk through the park. Nor were there any new books to browse through at the bookstores. Nor did he require any new clothes. He could buy some, of course, but he would rather save the money. He supposed the only place he could go to was Marco's.

As soon as he entered the establishment, he saw Adam. Worse, Adam was talking to Oscar and Grant. He was tempted to leave because he didn't feel like hearing what Adam had to say about his marriage, but where would he go? Nowhere. There was nowhere else to go. He'd only been at Lydia's for twenty minutes, and half of that time was trying to get Guy to talk to him.

What a frustrating day. It started off with Guy and Algernon overreacting to the owl. Then he'd had that argument with his sister. And now, Adam was at Marco's. He glanced once more at the door. No. He had to stay here. He braced himself for what was to come and poured himself a glass of water.

To his surprise, Adam didn't make note of him. Instead, Lord Maxwell approached him, and his expression was serious. "Are you managing all right?"

Felix's eyebrows furrowed. Had word about the incident this morning with the owl? He didn't think it would be this fast, but who knew what to expect with how rumors spread. "I'm fine," he cautiously replied, not willing to disclose the details to someone he hardly knew.

Lord Maxwell looked him over. "You seem like no harm has befallen you."

"Why would harm befall me?"

"Well, you never know what to expect when you live with a witch," Lord Maxwell said.

Live with a... Felix studied him. Had he heard the gentleman correctly? Instead of talking about what happened with the owl, Algernon, and Guy, Lord Maxwell was referring to the rumors going on about Elizabeth? Felix didn't know how to respond.

Lord Maxwell poured a drink of brandy and held it out to him. "I think you need something stronger than water for what you have to endure."

Felix pushed the brandy away. "Water is fine, thanks." He took his glass of water to a chair and settled into it.

Lord Maxwell followed him. "I'm sure if I was in your situation, I wouldn't want to dwell on the fact that my wife is a witch, either. But don't you think it would behoove you to seek the help of a clergyman?"

Felix was about to drink his water when the gentleman's meaning came to him. "You think I should receive protection from a vicar because people think my wife is a witch?"

Lord Maxwell shrugged. "Or a priest. I don't think it matters which one you go to. They all work for the same Lord."

He set the glass on the arm of his chair. "Oh, this is preposterous. My wife is not a witch."

"That's not what people are saying."

"People are making up stories."

"Can you be sure of that?" Lord Maxwell asked, his gaze penetrating into Felix. "She recently purchased a cutting tool, an owl, and a crystal ball."

Not this nonsense with the owl again. Felix shook his head. "The owl is just a small statue. There's no harm in having it."

"I heard an owl can be a bad omen. Maybe not as bad as a raven, but if rumors are to be believed, someone said they saw her sneak a raven into her reticule when she thought no one was looking."

Felix brought his fingers to the bridge of his nose and squeezed it. He was going to get a headache if all of this madness persisted.

"Aren't you aware that witches use crystal balls to tell the future? And what else could a cutting tool be used for than cutting up small creatures like ravens to make sacrifices to the devil?"

Yes, here it came. He was getting a headache. "I can't believe the things people will believe." And how much they repeated the same rumor, while adding extra details to it.

"I know," Lord Maxwell assured him. "I agree. We take one look at a lady and think she's pure and innocent, especially when she's as pretty as the one you married. What a shame. Any attempts you make at taking the lead in your marriage will be thwarted with evil spells. A gentleman can overcome a lot in his marriage, but he can't overcome a witch's spell."

Felix let his hand fall to his side. "She is not a witch!"

"She has to be. There is no other way to explain her fascination with cutting tools, fortune-telling, and being in possession of magical creatures."

"Will you listen to yourself? You just told me that she was going to sacrifice a raven, but then you said the thing is a magical creature. If it's so magical, how would she sacrifice it?"

Lord Maxwell gave him a blank stare since it was obvious he hadn't considered that angle before. Felix didn't understand it. When it came to Elizabeth, why did so many people forget reason?

Oscar approached them and sat next to Felix. "Did things go well with Guy's friend?"

Felix had forgotten he'd told Oscar about the meeting he was supposed to have with Guy and Algernon. One look at his younger brother told him how excited Oscar was that their financial situation was going to continue to improve. As much as he hated to be the bearer of bad news, he didn't want to lie to him. "I'm afraid things didn't go as hoped."

Oscar frowned. "What happened?"

"Well, there was a statue of an..." Felix's voice drifted off as he noted the interest on Lord Maxwell's face. "Would you please give me and my brother some privacy?"

Lord Maxwell's expression grew even more intrigued. For a moment, Felix thought he was going to argue with him, but Lord Maxwell offered an understanding nod. "It's not easy to live with a witch. I imagine much trouble will be in your future."

Oscar's eyebrows furrowed as Lord Maxwell left them alone. "Is he serious?"

"I'm afraid so," Felix replied.

Oscar glanced at the gentleman one more time then asked, "What happened with Guy and his friend?"

"Elizabeth purchased a beautiful statue of an owl and put it in the drawing room."

Oscar groaned before Felix could continue. "You didn't take Guy and his friend to the drawing room, did you?"

"I would have taken them to the library if I wasn't rearranging the books in there. I have a stack of books of gothic fiction on my desk. You know that would upset Guy."

"An owl is worse."

"I intentionally had them sit with their backs to the owl. I didn't plan to let them see it."

"But Guy notices everything. He went through our country estate looking for things that might bring us bad luck. I had to burn quite a few things he considered unlucky while we were there."

Felix's face warmed. "Guy didn't even notice it. His friend did. But that's beside the point. The point is, Elizabeth has every right to have the owl in the drawing room. It's her home, too."

"I'm not saying she can't put an owl in the drawing room. I'm saying that you should have hidden it while they were there."

Considering the fact that Elizabeth had been behind the drapes at the time, it was a good thing Felix hadn't done that. She would have taken offense to it, as well she should. But he didn't want Oscar to find out she'd been hiding in the room.

"So, there isn't going to be an investment opportunity?"

"No, there isn't," Felix said, though it pained him to admit it. "I did everything I could to make amends, but there was no reasoning with them. Even as we speak, Guy refuses to speak to me."

"It's a good thing Grant is going to invest in the love potion Adam and I are working on. That will bring us some money." Oscar got up, retrieved some nuts and cheese, then sat back next to him. "It's a good thing you have me around. I know Lydia's marriage to Guy brought us money, but we need something that will make us as wealthy as Lord Edon."

"We don't need to be that wealthy."

"Maybe you don't, but I do. I have a lot of plans on what I want to do with the money."

Felix arched an eyebrow. "What plans?"

"I am going to get one of the nicest townhouses in London, and then I'm going to become a member of White's."

"What's wrong with where we live and this establishment?"

"Nothing, but I want more."

Felix couldn't believe what he was hearing. All this time, he thought Oscar was just happy to eat all day. "Why is this the first time I've heard about your desire to be wealthy?"

"Before Adam and I found an investor, there was no chance for me to become wealthy because we had no money to put into buying the supplies we needed to make the love potion."

Noting the nut that fell on Oscar's waistcoat, Felix said, "While you're becoming wealthy, I hope you learn to clean up after yourself and stop slipping food into your pockets. A wealthy gentleman should be a clean gentleman."

Oscar glanced down at his waistcoat and retrieved the nut. "When you're as rich as Lord Edon, no one cares if you're clean or not."

"That can't be true."

From the other table, Grant and Adam called out to Oscar.

"Do you want to hear our plans?" Oscar asked Felix as he stood up.

Felix shook his head. Why would he want to hear about an ill-fated venture? "I think I'll read the newspaper. It's been a while since I found out what's going on around the world."

"All right." Oscar shrugged then grabbed more nuts before going over to his friends.

Felix made sure no one was going to bother him then went to a table where a collection of newspapers were on display. After purchasing one, he sat by a window and read it.