Chapter 5

5

L ord Albright was ever so much fun to tease.

Felicity adored the way his eyes widened, the way his nostrils flared…

But the best part was the way that muscle in his jaw ticked when he was annoyed. “Felicity, I thought I told you to steer clear of this.”

She sighed. “Just because you don’t believe I can be useful?—”

“Of course you’re useful!”

They both went silent. He wasn’t sure which of them was more shocked by his loud tone.

As if of one mind, they took a moment to smile reassuringly at the other guests surrounding them on this veranda. Then he turned back to her with a hushed tone, “That was what I meant to apologize for. Well, one of the things I—” He cut himself off with an irritated grunt and did the unthinkable—he raked a hand through his hair, mussing his perfectly styled hair.

Oh, but it was delightful watching the always calm Lord Albright come undone.

She supposed that thought made her wicked. But really, it made her itch to watch anyone so well-mannered and controlled. It made her want to act even more impulsively and throw her head back to scream and?—

“Felicity, listen to me and listen good,” Albright said suddenly.

His low gruff tone had her brows arching up.

“I’ve never doubted that you could be useful. Anyone who doubts your clever mind or your determined nature is a blasted fool.”

She felt a smile tugging her lips even as her lungs faltered. Did he know he was being kind? Absurdly so? No one ever said such nice things to her.

And yet, his tone made it sound like he was scolding her.

“But…” She shifted, trying to appear confident even though her voice quivered a bit. “You made it clear you don’t think I can help you?—”

“I don’t want you to help. That’s not the same as thinking you are incapable of helping.”

Again, he was snapping at her in a way that was so unlike Lord Albright. And that was oddly…lovely.

She didn’t know if this bubbling sensation in her chest would lead to laughter or tears so she swallowed hard. “Then will you now accept my assistance in this matter?”

His eyes flashed with a heat that made her heart falter. “You are so very stubborn .”

“Yes,” she agreed. She couldn’t say more because her heart was still racing from that show of emotion.

After a moment of silence, she said, “So? Will you accept?”

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Do I have a choice?”

She bit her lip and shook her head. But before he could get irritated again, she threw out a peace offering, or the closest she had to one. “I’m not trying to interfere with your investigation, you know.”

He gave her an askance look.

She bit back a smile. “Oh all right, I will admit it’s entertaining to irritate you.”

His sigh was soft and not entirely convincing.

She grew serious, something inside her aching with this desire to be understood…just once. “Lord Albright, I’m not trying to make a mess of your plans or hinder your investigation, I swear it.”

“But you will not step aside and let me handle this on my own,” he finished for her.

“I…I cannot.” She shook her head. “I cannot know that something dangerous is occurring in my midst and not try to help. Something is happening. Something is actually happening, and I could do something that matters—” Even she could hear how desperate she sounded. How pathetic. She exhaled sharply. “I must sound silly to you.”

“You don’t sound silly, but you do sound naive. This is not a game, Felicity.”

“Exactly. So do not ask me to run and hide when I can help.”

“There’s nothing cowardly about staying safe.”

“And there’s nothing foolish about protecting those I love,” she shot back.

He frowned at that.

She tilted her head so she could meet his gaze better as she lowered her voice. “If Everson is so shameless as to run a smuggling ring right under all our noses, what’s to stop him from taking investment money from unsuspecting gentlemen like my uncle and disappearing with it?”

Albright’s eyes grew dangerously hard. “I won’t let that happen.”

But Felicity spoke over him. “If he has half an inkling you suspect him, he must be making a plan to run. The fact that he hasn’t yet tells me that perhaps he has loose ends or cannot access his funds?—”

“You’re leaping to conclusions.”

But she wasn’t wrong. She knew she wasn’t. And he had to know there was at least a chance she was right. She hurried on, her voice little more than a whisper as another couple drew close. “Either way he’s only going to grow more desperate and therefore more dangerous unless we stop him.”

He was silent for too long. And then finally, “You’re far too clever for your own good. Has anyone ever told you that?”

She sighed. “My mother says it all the time.”

“First I sound like your chaperone and now your mother.” He gave a little grunt. “I cannot say I enjoy these comparisons.”

She clasped her hands before her. She was close to getting her way, she could feel it. And some part of her still felt full to bursting after his little speech about her usefulness. “Albright, my uncle could be hurt if Everson is not stopped.”

“Felicity—”

“No, don’t use that tone with me. I know you think little of me, but you must admit I’m right in this, at least.” She planted her hands on her hips before remembering where they were and all the eyes on them. She dropped her arms to her sides but lifted her chin. “And as I mentioned before, he could very well set his sights on me for courtship. Or worse, some other young lady.”

His eyes darkened. “Why is that worse?”

“Because some other young lady might not be able to save herself.”

The side of his mouth hitched up ever so slightly before he squelched it. He tipped his head to the side. “Is that the only reason you want to help? To save your uncle and any other potential victim?”

She hesitated for only a moment before admitting, “No.”

He’d never come around unless she was completely honest.

She sighed. “I also despise boredom. And Albright, I am so very bored.”

At this, his face…contorted. His cheeks sucked in and his eye twitched, and it truly looked rather painful before he finally stopped trying and let out a laugh that had them the center of attention once more.

She smiled at the guests around them. “I don’t see that it’s so amusing,” she murmured. “It’s the truth.”

“And that is why it’s so amusing,” he said. “Your candor is…”

“Shocking?”

“Refreshing,” he finished. And then he added, “On occasion.”

She smiled. He returned it.

“So then, where do we start?” she asked.

He turned to pointedly look upon the crowd. “Not here. Not now.”

“Then where? When?”

His narrowed gaze met hers. “At a place of my choosing when the time is right.”

She hitched her lips to the side as she studied him. “Are you just trying to appease me?”

“I would never.” He said it in such a flat tone, she laughed in response.

“Very well.” She turned and he did as well so they were both facing the rest of the veranda which was rapidly filling with more guests, no doubt because the indoors had become stiflingly hot with all the guests. “So. Tell me more about how useful I am.”

She’d meant it to sound teasing, but to her horror his eyes held a hint of…knowing.

She had to look away from his searching gaze.

But it didn’t work. He shifted so he was facing her once more. And even though she continued to gaze out at the crowd, he gazed upon her.

Fixedly.

Intensely.

She fought the urge to squirm.

“Who has told you that you’re…” He hesitated. “Not useful.”

She peeked up at him and her lips twisted in a wry smile. “I appreciate your attempt to avoid the word ‘useless,’ my lord. Well done.”

“Tell me who.”

Oh dear. His voice was so low and so gruff, she found herself tipping her head back so she could see his expression.

Her eyes widened and her breath caught. Oh dear. His grim expression was rather startling and she shook her head. “No one.”

His stare said he didn’t believe her. A silence stretched and stretched.

Finally she threw her hands up. “Oh all right. One does not need to be told such things, does one? Not when it has been made clear one’s whole life.”

“Mmm. Your family?”

She rolled her eyes. But really, this was too humiliating. And prying. Lord Albright, the most polite man she’d ever met…and he was prying.

“That wasn’t very polite,” she murmured.

But the answer was yes, and she suspected he knew it. After all, he already knew she spent most of her time living with her great uncle. And no doubt he’d heard the rumors about her dowry and her parents’ eagerness to marry her off as quickly as possible.

In their defense, her arrival had been a shock. They’d already had an heir, and a spare, and then another spare for good measure. An unexpected girl later in life couldn’t even be called a surprise, just a burden.

Finally, when Felicity thought she couldn’t bear it a moment longer, Albright tore his gaze away and shifted at her side, facing the crowd. His arm brushed her shoulder. “Perhaps your family should spend more time with your friends.”

His musing tone had her glancing up, curiosity eating at her. “What do you mean?”

He looked down at her and the warmth in his dark eyes caught her by surprise and made her heart falter. “It means, if any member of your family were to spend time with Meg, Jane, or Ann, they’d hear all about how amazing you are. All they do is talk about how grateful they are for you. The way they rave about you, you’d think you’re a saint.”

She scoffed. “Hardly.”

His crooked smile made a crease form at the edge of his mouth. And for some reason, Felicity couldn’t look away from it.

“It’s true.” He glanced meaningfully toward the doors where Meg and Carver had just joined the crowd on the veranda. “And I’m sure they’d be all too happy to tell you themselves if they knew you needed to hear it.”

She huffed and looked away. “I don’t need to hear anything.”

No one was convinced by her argument. Not even her.

“But…” She fidgeted with her fan. “Thank you, all the same.”

He dipped his head in acknowledgment.

“Now then.” She turned to face him, her smile bright. “When exactly will the time be right? A lady cannot be expected to wait forever, you know.”