Chapter Twenty-Five

"O h, good! I'm glad you came!"

Elizabeth and Felix turned their gazes to Lydia as she hurried over to them at the ball. Elizabeth had hoped that by arriving when the majority of other people were entering the ballroom she would blend into the crowd. Apparently, that was not possible.

She released her breath. If she could handle the stares and whispers in the market and art gallery, she could handle it here, too. Besides, the more time she spent in public, the less these things affected her.

"Do you mind if I steal Elizabeth from you for a little while?" Lydia asked Felix. "I want her to get better acquainted with Rachel and Carol."

"Why are you asking me?" Felix gestured to Elizabeth. "She can decide what she wants to do."

Elizabeth hid her surprise. Maybe she shouldn't be surprised by the liberties Felix was affording her anymore. He had already proven that he wasn't like her brother and her parents.

"What do you say, Elizabeth?" Lydia asked, her excited smile letting Elizabeth know she had her heart set on taking Elizabeth over to her friends.

Well, Elizabeth supposed she ought to say yes to the person who let her eat some of her secret chocolate. Returning her smile, Elizabeth said, "I'll be happy to join you and your friends." She glanced at Felix. "We'll have two dances while we're here, won't we?"

"I'd be honored to dance with you this evening," he said.

"Good." She squeezed his arm affectionately before she released his arm and gave him a smile to let him know she was looking forward to those dances.

Just as Felix was telling her he was going to miss her, Lydia slipped her arm around Elizabeth's and whisked her off to the far side of the room near the windows.

Elizabeth laughed. "You don't waste any time when you want something, do you?"

"Rachel, Carol, and I were just talking about having a luncheon at a new restaurant. I didn't want to tell them you'll join us until you were here."

Some of Elizabeth's enthusiasm dimmed. "Are you aware that the rumors about me haven't stopped?"

"I don't care what people say. You're my friend, and I'm happy to be seen with you no matter where we go."

Elizabeth knew Felix hadn't let the stares and whispers bother him because he was in love with her. For all she knew, he might not even notice what was happening around them because his gaze was often on her. Even now, she caught him watching her. With his gaze on her, how could he notice the others?

Lydia, however, did notice, and she chose to be seen with her anyway. Now Elizabeth understood why Guy adored Lydia. For all of his peculiarities, she loved him anyway, and what was more, she defended him to others. Since Lydia would do that for him, she would do that for Elizabeth, too. Lydia was a rare person. Most people wouldn't want to be around someone who was unpopular with the Ton. Elizabeth was grateful that Lydia ended up being her sister-in-law. Lydia was, in every way, a good friend. She gave Felix a wave, which he returned, then turned her attention to Lydia and Lydia's friends.

"What did Edwin say when he learned you were expecting?" Carol asked Rachel as Lydia and Elizabeth reached them.

"He was happy, but I think he was also overwhelmed because Horatio had to assure him that even butlers can successfully raise children," Rachel replied.

"Horatio is Rachel's brother," Lydia whispered to Elizabeth.

"Oh, it's sweet that Edwin's nervous," Carol told Rachel. "That means he cares about his child. He'll be a wonderful father."

Rachel nodded. "I know he will."

"How did you tell him?" Lydia asked Rachel.

"I decided to sing a couple of lullabies around him."

Lydia shot her a pointed look. "Isn't that what I recommended you do, but you thought it was too direct?"

Rachel sighed but laughed. "Yes, I admit I wasn't that excited about choosing that option, but it turned out to be a good one. You don't need to gloat."

"Who's gloating? I'm pleased you realized my way of telling Edwin about the baby was suitable after all." Lydia's gaze went to Elizabeth. "Every now and then, I come up with good ideas."

"You come up with plenty of good ideas," Carol inserted with a grin. "You don't have to brag." Her attention went to Elizabeth. "How are things going with you and Felix?"

Recalling the fact that Carol and Rachel had attended the wedding, Elizabeth felt a bit of embarrassment rise up within her over how she had refused to talk to them. "Good. Much better." She cleared her throat. "I hope you two will forgive me for not being more gracious when we first met."

"You were upset," Rachel said with an understanding look. "You don't owe us an apology."

Carol indicated her agreement. "Felix did a lot of damage to your reputation. I doubt any of us would have felt like conversing with anyone who attended the wedding, either. We weren't even sure we should be there. We worried that we made things worse."

"No, you didn't make things worse," Elizabeth said. "I would have been in a bad mood regardless of how many people were there."

"The important thing is that everything is fine now," Lydia spoke up. "Thankfully, all of that is in the past. Elizabeth and Felix came to my townhouse a couple of days ago for a dinner party."

Rachel's eyes widened. "So Guy isn't upset with Felix anymore?"

"No, but I knew it was only a matter of time before the two started talking to each other again," Lydia replied.

Elizabeth studied Lydia's face. She wasn't sure if Lydia really knew that. Elizabeth had seen how angry Guy had been. Then Felix had been equally upset when his attempts to make amends hadn't worked. Elizabeth hadn't been optimistic about the outcome.

Out of the corner of her eye, Elizabeth noticed three gentlemen approaching her. One had graying hair, but the other two looked to be about her age. Her eyebrows furrowed. She didn't recognize any of them. Were they hoping to dance with her and her friends? She gave a cautious glance at Lydia, Rachel, and Carol. There were only three gentlemen and four ladies. The gentlemen were all looking at her, however. And that was disconcerting.

She doubted they wanted to dance with her and her friends. Maybe she had snapped at one of their wives or daughters or sisters while at the art gallery or the market. Perhaps they intended to lecture her on how to behave in public. She straightened up and prepared herself for a confrontation.

"Are you Lady Roland?" the oldest of the three asked once they were in front of her.

Lydia stopped talking to Rachel and Carol and watched as Elizabeth answered, "Yes, I am. Did I do something to upset someone you know?"

"You did nothing to upset anyone we know," the oldest said. "On the contrary, it is us who owe you an apology."

Elizabeth had been so prepared for an argument that it took her several seconds to realize they hadn't come to criticize her. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't recall meeting any of you. Did one of you know my brother?"

"No, we never had the pleasure of his acquaintance, but I did meet your husband the other day. We live a few townhouses down from you. I'm Lord Humphrey, and this is my son, Mr. Gavin Arthur, and this is my sister's son, Lord Winfield."

Mr. Arthur greeted her, but it took some prompting for Lord Winfield to do the same.

"I didn't do it," Lord Winfield told Lord Humphrey. "I don't know who did it, but it wasn't me."

Lord Humphrey gave him a stern look. "This isn't funny. You destroyed a good door. You will apologize for that, and you will apologize for the horrible thing you wrote about her."

"It wasn't me," Lord Winfield insisted.

"A maid saw you with the can of paint. There's no point in denying it."

"Maybe the maid saw someone else and thought it was me."

Lord Humphrey took a deep breath, probably in an effort to rein in his frustration with his nephew.

"I'm not sure what this is all about," Elizabeth slowly began, "but nothing happened to any of the doors at my townhouse. Whatever happened must have been somewhere else."

Lord Humphrey turned back to her. "It was your townhouse. My nephew painted the words ‘A witch lives here' on your front door."

Rachel and Carol gasped, and Lydia said, "That's terrible."

Lord Humphrey gestured to the three ladies and asked his nephew, "You see what you're doing to ladies with delicate sensibilities?"

"But I didn't do it," Lord Winfield argued.

"Maybe he's telling the truth," Elizabeth interjected on his behalf. Someone who protested this much was likely innocent. "A lot of people have been calling me a witch, Lord Humphrey. It could have been anyone."

Lord Humphrey shook his head. "This isn't the first time my nephew's done something like this and denied it." His gaze went to Lord Winfield. "If your parents were alive, they would be devastated to know what you're doing. You've pulled other pranks, and while those were in poor taste, this one is inexcusable. I will not put up with this insolence anymore. I don't care how much this embarrasses you. You will apologize to Lady Roland."

"If you don't do it, you'll be sent to your father's cousin, and you don't want that," Mr. Arthur said, his voice so low that Elizabeth almost didn't hear him.

Lord Winfield glanced from Mr. Arthur to Lord Humphrey. After a tense moment, he turned to Elizabeth. "I'm sorry."

"For..." Lord Humphrey pressed.

"For painting ‘A witch lives here' on the front door of your townhouse," Lord Winfield finished through gritted teeth.

Lord Humphrey glared at him. "You could use a nicer tone."

"It's all right," Elizabeth interjected. This encounter had gotten much too awkward for her. She had the nagging suspicion that Lord Winfield really was innocent, but, of course, she had no way of proving it, and, apparently, neither did he. The sooner this conversation was over, the better for all of them.

Lord Humphrey let out a sigh that drew her attention back to him. "You have been most gracious, my lady. On behalf of my nephew, I thank you, and I assure you no one from my household will tamper with your townhouse anymore."

Since there was nothing she could add to the conversation, Elizabeth thanked him for his concern and watched as the three gentlemen left. Elizabeth's gaze went to Felix. He had moved to another spot in the crowded room. At the moment, he was speaking with Oscar. She knew why he hadn't told her about the incident. He didn't wish to burden her with the gossip. Though he couldn't do that all the time, it was nice he was doing everything he could to protect her.

"I'm sorry Lord Winfield painted such an awful thing on the door of your townhouse," Lydia said.

"I don't think he did it," Elizabeth replied.

"If not him, then who did it?" Rachel asked.

Elizabeth shrugged. "I don't know."

"What if it happens again?" Carol pressed.

"If it happens again, my husband will take care of it," Elizabeth said.

"He will," Lydia agreed. "Felix is like a fierce lion to those he cares about. You can depend on him."

"I know." Elizabeth gave another glance at Felix and saw he was still talking to Oscar. "He's a wonderful husband." With a smile, she turned her attention back to the three ladies so she could join them in their conversation.

***

"W HY DON'T YOU COME back home?" Felix asked his brother. "You don't need to stay with Adam. I assure you that we can work out a suitable arrangement with your lab."

"I appreciate the offer," Oscar began, "but we both know it's only a matter of time before you'll worry that I'm going to burn your townhouse down."

"Oh, that can't be true."

"It is. You'll see some liquid in a beaker and wonder if it's going to explode."

Felix paused. After finding out some of those chemicals could do that when mixed together, he did worry about it. But still, Oscar was his brother, and he needed to trust him. If Oscar said he knew how to stop the townhouse from burning down, he owed it to him to prove it. "You were right when you said that I don't give you enough credit for being intelligent. I will do that from now on. I'm sorry I was quick to think you're incapable of mixing chemicals appropriately. Bring your lab back, and I'll prove I trust you."

"I appreciate the apology, but we both know I'm better off staying with Adam. He has allowed me to set up my lab and my bedroom on the entire second floor of his townhome. He doesn't have anyone but the servants living with him, so he doesn't have any use for those rooms. You and Elizabeth will be having children soon. The space I used up can go to them."

Felix considered arguing with him, but he caught the determined spark in his brother's eyes and decided to accept Oscar's decision. "All right. I won't keep pressing you to come back to my townhouse. You're old enough to make your own decisions. It's time I respected that."

"It's not really that much of a sacrifice when you have someone as beautiful as Elizabeth sharing the townhouse with you, is it?"

Heat crept up Felix's face.

Oscar grinned. "I knew you two were finally getting along when I saw you enter the ballroom. The only time I've seen you smiling that widely was when you received that collector's book two years ago on Christmas day."

Felix was sure his face grew even more pink, but he pushed through his embarrassment to say, "Well, that was the first printing of my favorite book."

"Yes, I know. You wouldn't stop thanking Lydia for it. If I remember right, you were thanking her for that gift for an entire month." Oscar paused then added, "For what it's worth, it's obvious that Elizabeth is just as happy to be with you. I notice she keeps looking our way, and it's not me she's interested in."

Was she looking at him? Felix's gaze went in her direction, and his eyes met hers. His pulse raced in excitement. This was so unlike the first time he saw her at a ball. This time, she was smiling at him in a way that let him know she welcomed his attention.

Oscar groaned. "Will you please dance with her already? You can talk to me when we meet up at Marco's tomorrow. I'll be more than happy to bore you with the progress I'm making with the love potion then."

Felix laughed. "All right, I'll go, but I am interested in learning more about the potion you're working on."

"I know you aren't that interested, but as long as you feign interest, I'll be content."

"I'll do that so well you'll think my interest is real."

"That's all I ask."

Heart light, Felix wished his brother a pleasant evening then went over to Elizabeth. And from there, they had a wonderful time dancing.