Chapter 19

"What shall we do today?" Phoebe asked as she fell onto her back on Felicity's bed, arms spread out.

"Oh. We're spending the day together, are we?" Felicity asked. She was sitting at her table, writing in her diary. It had been a few days since she'd had time to do so and, seeing all that had happened recently, she had a lot to add.

"We might as well," Phoebe sighed, still on her back, staring wistfully at the ceiling. "Seeing as our future husbands have decided to ditch us."

"Ditch us? That is a strange way to phrase it."

"Oh, you know what I mean." She pushed herself up and looked across the room at Felicity, scrunching her nose as if upset. "And I blame you for this, by the way."

"Is that right?" Felicity snorted. "And how is that?"

"You're the reason they are busy! It certainly wasn't Lord Moore's choice not to see me today. I can tell you that much."

"Are you sure about that?" Felicity cocked an eyebrow at her sister. "Maybe he is simply getting sick of you?"

"He would never!" she cried, almost as if she had to say it to make it true. "He wanted to see me. It was His Grace who forced him to --"

"Will you calm down," Felicity cut her off as she rose from her seat and walked across the room. There, she sat on the bed beside Phoebe and took her hand. "I was just joking."

"It wasn't very funny."

"Are you sure about that?"

"No!"

Felicity chuckled. "All His Grace did was ask Lord Moore if he would be so kind to join him today. He certainly didn't force him."

"Still..." She pushed her lips together into a pout. "He could have said no."

"Could he though? Lord Moore is too good of a friend for that. Or at least that is what His Grace says."

Phoebe's visage became taken with a dreamlike state. "He is, isn't he," she cooed. "Such a good friend. A true gentleman in every way. I have no doubt he would have rather had seen me but well, it's as you said, he is a true friend."

Felicity rolled her eyes. "I will make sure to tell His Grace the next time I see him that he is to check with you first, before asking his best friend to help him."

"Good." Phoebe nodded once. "If you do not, I will."

"Really?" Felicity said dryly. "I would like to see that."

"I miss him so!" Phoebe fell back on the bed, hands clutched to her chest. "A whole day! What will I do? How will I survive? A day? It might as well be a year!"

Her sister was being highly ridiculous and overly dramatic. It was a sight that just one week ago would have had Felicity leaving the room without a word because she would not have been able to stand seeing it. Not understanding it. Not able to fathom the cause. She would have spent the day avoiding her sister lest she be forced to reckon with the way she was acting and how sick it made her.

As to now? Well, Felicity still thought that Phoebe was being a tad hyperbolic. She did, however, understand it better than she once did. She even sympathized because, deep down, she felt the same way.

It had only been two days since she and His Grace had made their marriage announcement official and already so much had changed.

Her father, for one, had been forced to accept the proposal. He might not have been happy about it but even he could see the advantages of marriage to a Duke. And further to that point, as was the common consensus now, the fact that he was engaging in such a practice must have meant that the Duke was a changed man and thus worthy of her hand.

Felicity too. The changes she felt in herself were as surprising as they were welcome. She couldn't stop thinking about His Grace. She couldn't stop herself from closing her eyes just so she might better feel the touch of his lips on her own. She could not stop thinking about the future, wondering if things would get better from here, panicking for a moment if the Duke felt the same and then chastising herself because she was certain that he did.

Even today, a day spent apart, what would have once been a non-issue and she was lost because she had no idea what to do with herself. Very strange.

"You know there was a time where the two of us were able to fill in our days rather easily," Felicity reminded her sister. "Where we did not have to worry about what the men in our lives were doing. It wasn't that hard."

"Oh, but who wants such a life as that?"

Another rolling of the eyes. "Tomorrow you will be back in Lord Moore's arms, I promise. But today..." She considered for a moment, coming to a realization. "It seems to me that this is an opportunity."

"For what?" Phoebe sat up.

"We might never be alone like this again. Just the two of us. No men to worry about. No husbands, when that day comes. Two sisters, nothing but the day before us."

"To do what?" Phoebe curled her nose.

"Whatever we darn well please. Now, come on." She slapped her sister on the leg. "Get up."

"And go where?"

"Outside for a start. I think a walk is in order."

"A walk..." She sighed. "I would rather sleep for it will bring tomorrow that much closer."

Felicity was falling for the Duke. She wasn't quite ready to say that she loved him, and she certainly would not say it until she knew he would say it in return. But she had feelings for him the likes of which she had never known or thought herself capable.

And if she had doubted His Grace's feelings for her even a little bit, his reaction the other day, when she had denied him in the stable, told her all she needed to know. He cared about more than simply seducing and having his way with her. That had never been his goal. She knew that now and couldn't believe she had ever doubted him.

"How about this..." Felicity stood up and turned to face her sister. "Come for a walk with me and I will let you list all the things you love about Lord Moore."

"Really?" her sister perked up.

"Until my ears bleed," she said dryly.

"All right!" Phoebe leaped to her feet. "Oh! And we can begin to speak of our wedding. You did not agree to it yet but..." She pumped her eyebrows. "Perhaps a joint wedding?"

"There's only one way to convince me..." She nodded her head toward the door and her sister, like an unchained puppy, bounded from the room.

A joint wedding? Felicity almost had to laugh. Just a few weeks ago, she had been imagining a small, quiet affair. One that was more business than romantic as that had been the entire point of this arrangement. But now... well, as she followed her sister outside, she could not help but smile at the idea. It was rather romantic, after all.

As to her reason for being alone today? It was nowhere near as dramatic as Phoebe was making it out to be. In fact, Felicity was actually excited for His Grace and what today might bring, even if she was forced to wait at home before hearing of its success.

Their marriage engagement was already having the desired effect that His Grace had intended. Not only had Lord Gallagen shown keen interest in partnering with His Grace, but now Lord Fording – a man who had previously turned down His Grace's offer -- was the same. So interested was he, in fact, that he had invited His Grace to his home today so they may talk business.

Felicity hadn't expected to be invited. It was enough that His Grace had come to see her yesterday to tell her of his plans, forced to cancel their date today but promising to make up for it tomorrow. And knowing him, he would more than come through on that promise.

"Felicity!" Felicity heard her sister cry from the foyer. "There is a letter here for you!"

Felicity hurried down the hallway, coming out at the top of the stairs to find her sister standing at their base. And indeed, she held a folded letter in her hand.

"Where did that come from?"

"A rider just now," Phoebe said. "One of the staff met him outside and gave it to me."

"Oh..." Felicity frowned as she eyed the letter, a sinking feeling in her stomach that she could not explain. "Did they say who it was from."

Phoebe's eyes flashed with excitement. "Who do you think!" She hurried up the staircase, holding the letter out as if it were a bouquet of flowers.

Based on her sister's reaction, she was not surprised to find that the letter was from His Grace. But unlike her sister, Felicity didn't feel nearly the same level of excitement. Her sister seemed to think it would be some sort of romantic gesture, a poem or a confession of love, or something along those lines. But Felicity knew His Grace well enough not to expect such things, and she knew him well enough to know that a letter such as this could only be bad.

"Well!" Phoebe clasped her hands to her chest. "What does it say?"

Felicity swallowed the lump in her throat as she opened it. Then she scanned it quickly... or she tried to. She made it about halfway through the letter before it fell from her hands, at which point she grabbed hold of the railing to keep herself from collapsing.

"Felicity!" Phoebe gasped. She half went to support her sister, only to spy the letter on the floor and snatch it up. "What did he..." Her eyes flicked over the letter and she gasped. "No! This... this is a mistake!" She waved the letter angrily in her sister's face. "Tell me, this is a mistake! A sick joke!"

The room spun around Felicity. The world turned. That feeling of her stomach coming through her mouth, which left it about where it should be as she felt as if she had been turned upside down. Her mind reeled. Her soul left her body, seeming to float through the air so it could observe the scene with a sense of detachment that she so desperately desired.

It wasn't real. It could not be real. There was no way...

Lady Felicity Hayward,

It brings me no pleasure to write this letter but I am afraid it must be done. In light of the recent interest shown toward my stud farm, it has occurred to me that our engagement is no longer relevant, nor is it required. The goal has been achieved and in that, I see no choice but to cancel our engagement post-haste. I hope this letter finds you well, and I wish you all the best in the future.

His Grace, Lord Duke of Walford

Her sister was still shouting something. Waving that piece of paper in the air, mouth opening and closing, a look on her face that transitioned from confusion to outright horror to venomous rage. But Felicity had no idea what she was saying.

Her mind went blank. The world stopped turning. Nothing made sense because how could it possibly? Although...

No. Deep down, in that part of herself that she did not want to admit to, Felicity was forced to accept that this letter, as shocking as it was, made perfect sense. She had wondered if she could trust the Duke. She had allowed herself to believe that she might be able to. But this right here was proof of what she had known from day one. His Grace, the Duke, was a no-good scoundrel of a rake who only ever meant to use her for his own gains. And she, the fool that she was, had fallen for it.

She might have cried right then and there, but she forced herself not to. She would not waste tears on him, for there was no chance he would do the same for her.