Chapter Eight

A n hour later, Felix was knocking on the door of Lydia's townhouse. Even if she was still asleep, he would wait for her. There was no way he could go back to his own townhouse. Not with Elizabeth glaring at him the way she did. Even thinking about it made him queasy.

He didn't know why she had waited so long to eat. Had the thought not occurred to her that she could have eaten in her bedchamber, or had she intended to let herself starve to death? Actually, he didn't want to know. All he wanted to know was how he could get along with her. He knocked on the door again.

The footman answered the door this time. "Lord Roland, please come in."

Thanking him, Felix entered the townhouse. He straightened his frock coat. While he had checked his reflection before coming here, he wasn't sure he had chosen the right coat to go with his breeches. It was difficult to concentrate on making sure articles of clothing went well together when one was burdened with guilt.

"I will make sure Lady Quinton knows you are here," the footman told him after taking him to the drawing room. "May I bring you something to eat or drink?"

Felix shook his head. "I already ate."

The footman nodded then left the room.

Felix went to the settee but didn't sit. He couldn't sit. Not when his stomach was tied up in knots. He eyed the decanter in the corner of the room and wished, for the millionth time, that he could have brandy. Other gentlemen were lucky. They had an easy way to relieve the stress brought on by their transgressions.

He put his face in his hands. He hadn't thought it possible, but Elizabeth hated him more now than she had on their wedding day. If only he could go back in time and not run off to Marco's the evening she'd rejected him. If only he could have avoided her at the ball altogether.

A sound came from the doorway. He put his hands at his sides and straightened his frock coat again.

The butler came into the room and set a tray with tea and cups on the table in front of the settee. "Lady Quinton has been notified that you are here. She will be down shortly. The tea is for her. You are welcome to have some too, if you desire."

Felix acknowledged his words then watched as he left the room. Felix glanced at his pocket watch. He hadn't realized he'd been standing here for a whole ten minutes. Time sure did go fast when a gentleman was at his wit's end.

After another minute, he sat down. He spent another ten minutes lounging on the settee before he started to get impatient. What was taking Lydia so long? She didn't usually sleep in this late, nor did she usually make her guests wait for twenty minutes.

Just as he was about to summon the butler to remind her that he wanted to speak with her, she came into the room with her hands behind her back. "I apologize for leaving you here for so long. I didn't expect you to stop by." She sat next to him, her hands still behind her back.

He couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw her slip something behind the cushion she was sitting on. "What was that?" he asked.

She brought her hands to her lap. "What was what?"

Surprised she should act as if she hadn't just hidden something right in front of him, he pressed, "What was that thing you brought into this room and then hid in this settee?"

She let out a nervous chuckle. "Don't be silly. My hands were empty." She gestured to the teapot. "Do you want something to drink?"

"No, I'm not thirsty. I had more than enough water at breakfast."

She poured tea into her cup. "Ever since I moved into Guy's townhouse, I don't get up as early as I used to." Her gaze went to the clock. "If you hadn't been here, I would have slept in for another hour."

"That late? I'm shocked Guy doesn't consider sleeping in late to be bad luck. I would think rising early to get things done while it's daylight would appeal to him."

"Yes, well, he says you can get plenty done in a short time if you organize your day correctly." She settled into the settee and turned to him expectantly. "What brings you here?"

His gaze went, once more, to the small area between the cushion and the back of the settee where she hid something. He could press her about it, he supposed, but that wouldn't solve his problem with Elizabeth. He released his breath. Elizabeth was more important than some object. "You've always been wise when it comes to knowing how to handle difficult situations. If you were me, what would you do to ease things with Elizabeth?"

She paused right before she took a sip of tea. Her cheery expression faltered. "I don't know what you can do about Elizabeth."

"How can you not know? You know how to deal with Guy."

"Yes, but Guy is pleasant."

"Not all the time."

"Maybe he's not pleasant to you all the time," she amended, "but he is always pleasant to me. In fact, he is pleasant to anyone who will take the time to get to know him. Elizabeth, on the other hand..."

Her voice drifted off, and she took a sip.

"I know she's upset with me," Felix said. "I also know I deserve her anger. What I don't know is how to make things up to her so she'll forgive me."

After a moment, she replied, "I don't know if you can make it up to her, Felix. I tried talking to her at the wedding breakfast once everyone left the dining room, but she wasn't interested in having a friendship with me."

"I didn't know you tried talking to her."

"Well, I did, and she wasn't interested. I've never come across anyone so callous before."

Worried, his eyebrows furrowed. "You thought she was callous?"

"I did." She set her cup down and focused on him. "I have met difficult people in the past, but once they realized I wanted to get to know them, they turned out to be friendly. Elizabeth wasn't like that. She said she didn't need me or anyone else. Then she stormed out of the room to get away from me. I don't think there's anything you can do about her."

That wasn't what he wanted to hear. If Lydia thought the situation was hopeless, then he would never succeed in making things up to Elizabeth. Thirty, perhaps forty, years from now, she'd still be glaring at him from the other side of the dining room table. If he had enough money, he would rent a townhouse so she could live somewhere else. Then they would both be spared this misery.

Guy entered the room. "Good morning, Felix."

Felix hurried to stand up so he could greet his brother-in-law. "I hope it's all right that I came by this early in the day."

Lydia rose to her feet and added, "He wanted to ask me about Elizabeth."

"Yes, I did," Felix said. "Unfortunately, Lydia doesn't have any ideas on how I can make things better with her. Not that I blame her. This is a difficult situation."

"I bought you a good luck charm for that." Guy turned his expectant gaze to Lydia. "Didn't you give it to him?"

Lydia's cheeks turned pink. "I was about to." She glanced down at her hands and gasped. "I must have dropped it somewhere." She gave a careful look around the floor of the settee before she retrieved the item she had placed under the cushion. She let out a laugh. "I can't believe it got lost in there." She held a ring out to Felix. "Guy wanted me to give this to you."

Felix was tempted to point out he had seen her purposely hide the ring but thought better of it. She was finally coming to her senses about how ridiculous Guy's superstitions were.

Felix accepted the ring but directed his question to Guy. "Why is this a good luck charm?"

"It has a tiny key buried into the garnet stone." Guy approached him and pointed to the small silver key. "That key represents opportunity. Lydia told me what happened between her and Elizabeth on your wedding day, and I realized this is going to be a difficult marriage for you. After talking to a friend, we decided the best charm I could give you is something that will bring opportunity your way."

Felix arched an eyebrow. "What opportunity am I supposed to get from this?"

"The chance to start over with Elizabeth. It's in a garnet gemstone. This garnet is a nice yellow color. That's rare for a garnet, which is a lucky find. Also, yellow is the color of hope and happiness. I even bought a ring for Elizabeth. When keys are given to a husband and wife, they're symbolic of unlocking the door to their hearts." Guy's gaze went to Lydia.

Lydia let out another gasp. "I bet her ring fell into the same place Felix's did."

Felix wondered if Guy believed she had sincerely lost the rings. Judging by the pleased expression on Guy's face, he did. Felix resisted the urge to shake his head. Love, he supposed, was blind. Lydia could probably have been holding the rings in her hands and Guy would have believed she didn't realize she had them in her possession.

Lydia handed Felix the other ring. Except for the fact that it was smaller, it was an exact duplicate of the one he was meant to wear.

"I hate to say this since you went through a lot of trouble to help me," Felix began, though he didn't believe these rings were anything more than jewelry, "but I don't see how Elizabeth will ever wear her ring."

"She won't wear it right away," Guy affirmed. "That's why I think you should also have this." He dug into his pocket and produced a four-leafed clover tie pin. "It's not Scheele's Green, so you're safe. Wear this and your ring, and she'll start to see the good in you."

Felix hesitated but accepted the tie pin. He thought he'd heard everything about good luck that would make him question Guy's sanity, but apparently, he hadn't. This nonsense about wearing a clover tie pin and a garnet ring with a key in it was the most absurd thing Guy had ever told him.

"Lydia forgot to take that when she came down here with the rings," Guy explained. "I'm glad you were still here so I could give it to you."

Up to now, Felix had refrained from looking at Lydia so she'd realize he knew full well she wasn't losing things, or even forgetting them. But this time, he couldn't resist the temptation. He smirked in her direction when Guy stopped looking at him.

Lydia quickly glanced away from him, her cheeks even pinker than they'd been before.

"Is there anything else I need?" Felix asked Guy.

Guy thought for a long moment then shook his head. "I don't believe so, but if my friend and I come up with anything, I'll let you know."

"All right." Felix tucked the items into his pocket. "Thank you for your help." While he wouldn't get any help from these objects, he had to admit Guy's intention was honorable. "I hope you two understand that I won't be having a dinner party, nor do I want to be invited to a dinner party. Elizabeth doesn't want to be seen with me. She can barely tolerate having a meal when I'm in the same room with her."

Lydia winced, but Guy was the one who spoke up. "Wear those things we gave you, and that will change. In the meantime, we won't put you in a situation where you and Elizabeth will be forced to be in the same room."

"Thank you." Felix might not have gotten any real help today, but at least he had spared him and Elizabeth a dinner party invite. "I hope you two have a better day than I will." Without waiting for them to respond, he left the townhouse.