It had in fact taken Felicity much longer to pen her response to Benjamin than she had thought. The pile of crumpled papers in her rubbish bin were a testament to her many attempts at a letter that would remove the blame from his shoulders without giving too much away about their circumstances. She still was unsure about how much she should share with the man. The candor he had given her in his letter had made Felicity want to return the favor. She found herself wearing a small circle in her floor rug after handing Ruth her letter, worried that her own compliments of the man were somehow outside the boundaries of what polite society found proper.
By the time she had made it downstairs to the sitting room, her plate of food had been entirely forgotten. In its place was Delilah, looking particularly exasperated, while her mother couldn’t look any more pleased.
“There you are, my dear. I was beginning to think you were ill.”
“I told Mother how odd it was for you to sleep this late,” Delilah hastily said, giving Felicity an excuse for why she had been in her room, “and that you must have needed some extra sleep after the ball.”
Felicity shot her sister a grateful smile before taking a seat on the sky-blue chaise by the fireplace. It was her favorite spot in the house. The cushions had a floral pattern running down the length of them, drawing out the blue in the ornate rug that stretched across the floor. From here, she could make out the intricate details of the carvings that covered the face of the white fireplace mantle. It was easy for her to get lost in the painting that sat just above those little carvings. The picture was of the most beautiful field of mountains Felicity had ever seen. She hoped one day she would get the chance to visit a place of that splendor. Unfortunately, Felicity didn’t have the luxury of sitting and staring at the painting at this moment as her mother was still looking at her, waiting for a response.
“I was surprised by the morning’s events myself, but I am very well after resting. Are we expecting someone?” Felicity asked after Ruth came and went, placing a tray of sandwiches on one of the small mahogany tables in front of the pale-yellow striped settee.
“Indeed, we are. Lady Eunice and her daughter will be joining us for tea.”
That explains why Mother is so excited, and Delilah is so vexed.
Despite their mother’s years-long friendship with the Countess of Thorne, no one else in the family shared her affection for the woman. Tea with the Abbotts always included a string of compliments that felt like insults. She couldn’t understand how her mother was so impervious to the woman’s slights. Even with her reservations about the Countess, Felicity had to admit that Lady Eunice was the perfect person to ask about Benjamin. She found herself wanting to know more about the gentleman and his family.
When their butler, Lockhart, had announced the arrival of “Lady Abbott and Miss Hannah,” Felicity had not moved from her spot by the fire. Delilah had been engrossed in her book while their mother continued her progress on embroidering a new handkerchief. They were all still setting aside their engagements when the Countess glided into the room, her violet dress whispering against the black and white checkered floor.
“Lady Edith, Felicity, Delilah,” she said in greeting.
The close friendship between her mother and Lady Eunice meant their teas were a much less formal event than the night before. To most people, this would mean talking without titles and foregoing the curtsies. To the Abbotts, it meant their thinly veiled insults became even sharper and less concealed. Regardless, Felicity knew this was her opportunity to find out more about the man behind the letter.
“How did you enjoy last night’s ball, Hannah?” Felicity asked, doing her best to keep things cordial.
“I had a splendid time. The Baron of Wiltshire asked me to dance during your extended trip to the privy. I guess he found something wanting after his first dance with you.”
“I have no doubt that you are the better fit for a man like the Baron,” Delilah commented.
Hannah and her mother smiled haughtily at Delilah’s compliment, but Felicity knew her sister intended it as an insult after Felicity’s recounting of the man’s behavior.
“Hannah has already had several suitors come calling. I am very fortunate to have such an accomplished daughter. What about you Delilah? Have you had any suitors show interest?” Lady Eunice spun the question on the girl like a perfectly positioned arrow. At her silence, the Countess focused her attention on the elder sister. “And you, the Diamond of the Season, have you had any callers?”
Felicity opened her mouth to respond, but Lady Eunice continued on in her verbal onslaught.
“It would be a grave disappointment to not only your family but also the Queen if you are unsuccessful in finding a husband this season. Then everyone in the ton will know that she mislabeled you as her Diamond. However, many have already begun to question the Queen’s judgment. I guess only time will tell.”
The all too familiar steel weight of pressure settled back into Felicity’s bones at Lady Eunice’s words. As much as Felicity hated to admit it, the woman was right. She would be letting down her family in the worst possible way if she did not end the season with an engagement ring at the very least. It was about more than setting her sisters up well for their own future prospects; it was about where their winter meals would come from. The reputation and well-being of her family depended on her success.
Felicity looked the Countess in the eyes, refusing to buckle under the weight of her judgments, and said as calmly as she could muster, “I look forward to proving the Queen right.”
“And you will, my dear. I was approached by several gentlemen last night who were quite keen on calling on you with my approval. Of course, I couldn’t say ‘yes’ to everyone. Only the best for my daughters,” her mother cut in.
“And who are these lucky gentlemen?” Lady Eunice inquired.
Her mother began to list off a few of the eligible noblemen who had been in attendance last night. No one but Delilah, who had been by her mother’s side almost the entire evening, knew if these claims were true. Her mother had a horrible habit of doing, and saying, whatever she must to feel she is keeping pace with the rest of the ton. It was part of what had gotten the family in such a precarious situation in the first place.
“What of the Chapman family, Mother? Were they in attendance?”
“You cannot mean the Duke of Ferndown? Elijah Chapman?” Hannah all but shrieked.
“I heard the Chapman name mentioned last night and was unfamiliar with the family. Is there only the one son then?” Felicity tried to put on the air of indifference, raising her teacup after posing the question.
Delilah raised an eyebrow at Felicity, knowing full well what she was trying to do. But they had both been more than a little curious about the man she had met on the veranda the previous night, so Delilah said nothing.
“There are two brothers. The elder, Elijah, inherited his title a few years ago after his father’s passing. He is known to be the most unsociable, selfish man,” Lady Eunice said decidedly. “I have yet to see him in the city for a single season event. It should be a crime to have such a title and to remain hidden from society.”
“I don’t know why it isn’t required for a man of his status to participate in the season,” her mother chimed in.