by Heather Boyd
Lady Wilmot’s footman finally stopped before them, holding a little tray of cakes. He offered them the selection to look over, and she was glad for somewhere to turn her attention instead of the distant duke.
“Those are all utterly delicious,” Sinclair promised, as he was suddenly at her side. “I would have one of everything if I would not be scolded for it.”
Felicity choked on a laugh but quickly schooled her features as she chose just one.
Her niece had not been introduced to Sinclair yet, and had been told she must not respond to anyone until she had been.
“Cat got your tongue?” he asked with a wink before turning his attention on Kitty. “Lady Forbes, what a delightful pleasure to see you here today.”
“Your grace.” Kitty dipped a respectful curtsy, and Felicity quickly did the same.
After Kitty had something on her plate, Sinclair studied the footman’s tray and choose one for himself, too.
“That is my fifth today,” he confided with another wink before gobbling it up. “I really should have stopped at three, or I will spoil my supper tonight.” His eyes returned to Felicity once more. “Now. Who is this pretty girl with you, Lady Forbes? She seems uncommonly familiar.”
Kitty nodded. “Your grace, may I introduce my niece, Miss Felicity Hunter to you?”
“You may indeed, but it is not at all necessary,” he whispered softly. He bowed, and Felicity managed a second deep curtsy. They’d been practicing all morning before coming here, and Kitty was delighted she did not wobble.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, your grace,” Felicity promised, her cheeks coloring.
Sinclair studied her a moment and then nodded. “You know, we have met before, Miss Hunter.” He looked down on her, one finger poised on his lips. “Yes, though you were quite a bit smaller then. I remember that day well now, come to think of it. You cried.”
“I am sorry,” Felicity whispered, her expression becoming utterly panicked as a nervous titter sounded from the women standing closest. Over them all, Kitty heard Lady Finch’s harsh braying laugh.
“Do not be sorry. Your father was holding you at the time. Funniest day ever. The minute anyone else picked you up, you stopped crying. The happiest child I have ever seen unless your father was the one charged with ensuring your safety beyond your crib. I teased your father about his failure during dinner that night, and for many months more after. Is Mr. Hunter here today?”
Felicity blushed a little but managed a shy smile. “Unfortunately not, your grace.”
“Ah, a pity. I should have loved to have continued my conversation with my old friend.” His grace offered his arm to Felicity, and Kitty noticed a hush fell over the gathering. She did her best not to look around and feel envious as Sinclair smiled down at her niece’s upturned face. “Did he ever tell you about the time he destroyed a building on my estate?”
“No,” Felicity whispered as she slipped her hand onto his sleeve.
Sinclair offered his other arm to Kitty suddenly.
Although pleased by the gesture, she wondered if it was prudent to encourage him after his recent amorous declarations. But she slipped her arm through his. His good opinion would do more for Felicity’s reputation than any connections Kitty might exploit.
She tightened her grip a moment to thank him, and he smiled so warmly in response, she felt it everywhere. Having Sinclair’s help today was an unexpected boon she could not easily dismiss. He must know what his behavior signified. He’d made Felicity an important young lady today, even without much of a dowry.
They moved slowly through the gardens together, and Kitty could not help but recognize the envy in the eyes of women they strolled past, especially those with unmarried daughters. And the envy was not just for Felicity’s stroke of good fortune, but for hers, too. Kitty had known women to swoon simply because Sinclair’s smile had included them, and cry when he never noticed them.
Sinclair took them away from most of the guests. “Your father was curious about distillation at the time. Promised me that his experiments would yield a better whiskey than I had ever tasted. Of course, I went along with that, being a young and somewhat enthusiastic supporter of any enterprise that increased my pleasure. The explosion could be heard for miles and broke a number of windows.”
Sinclair glanced at Kitty and laughed. “He really has taken a set against my windows all his life, hasn’t he?”
“He won’t do so again,” she promised.
“It was a miracle no one was hurt the first time.”
Kitty knew the stories of her brother’s explosive habits well, having seen the wreckage firsthand on Sinclair’s estate. What Sinclair left out of the tale today was that he’d been hurt. The force of the explosion had thrown Sinclair off his feet and for several yards onto the earth. His hearing had suffered for days.
Percy had been almost as badly knocked about, but the duke had been standing closer to the newly demolished building than him. It was the only time Kitty had been able to touch Sinclair without anyone thinking it unacceptable or ruinous or forward. She’d had the desperate task of checking Sinclair for injuries and declaring him fit to be moved indoors.
“I am so sorry, your grace,” Felicity whispered, looking vastly worried. Several people seemed to have followed after them, listening in although they pretended indifference. They began to look at Felicity in disapproval.
Sinclair leaned a little closer to Felicity, but his voice carried. “Never apologize for your father, child. He and I are very good friends. I never liked that building anyway. The place was razed and a new garden planted in that very spot. It’s lovely now. Of course, if your father is willing to accept his invitation, you will both see it at Christmas.”
Kitty smiled, eager to play along for Felicity’s sake. “You are hosting a large party this Christmas, I understand.”
“Of course. I decided I should like to have my closest friends and family about for my birthday celebrations in the New Year, too. Why not start at Christmas, I thought? It will all be quite extravagant.”
“I see,” she said, but her excitement knew no bounds. By publicly announcing that Sinclair had invited Percy and Felicity Hunter to stay at his estate for what had to be the most important event of the year, he was giving the girl his absolute seal of approval. She looked up at Sinclair, full of gratitude. “Thank you.”
“Do not thank me. Come with them and chaperone your niece.”
Kitty smiled. There might be very little left to do for Felicity, now that the Duke of Exeter had approved her today. “I expect I will have returned home long before then.”
“Ah,” he said, and seemed very disappointed to hear it. He looked down on Felicity. “Perhaps you can convince your aunt to come to my party.”
Felicity released the duke’s arm immediately to clutch at Kitty’s other one. She was suddenly the center of their attention, held between them firmly. “Oh, please, Auntie dear! Can you not stay with us just a bit longer? It would make his grace—and I, too—so very happy.”
“There will be fireworks,” Sinclair promised, his expression imploring. “And cake, if that can still tempt you.”
She could not help but laugh at his pleading expression. He was quite determined to hear her agree then and there, it seemed. However, she hesitated. She was not sure she wanted to return to his country estate herself. Her memories were not all pleasant ones. “Well, if there will be a cake, I will certainly have to consider attending.”
Sinclair beamed, and her heart skipped a beat as it always had when he’d smiled at her that way. Thankfully, he turned his attention back to her niece very quickly afterward. “Now Miss Felicity, I hope I can leave the task of convincing Lady Forbes to come to my party in your hands.”
“I am sure I can convince her,” Felicity promised.
“Good. Now, unfortunately, I fear I have monopolized your company for much too long. There are other sensible and no doubt younger gentlemen just waiting to be charmed by y
our ready smile. It was a sincere pleasure to meet you both again. I do hope you enjoy the rest of the afternoon.”
“Farewell, your grace,” Felicity cried, giving him another deft curtsy.
“Lady Forbes.” Sinclair reached for her hand, and when he had it, raised it to his lips. The soft kiss he bestowed on the back of her glove sent warmth tumbling through Kitty’s whole body. She could feel a blush on her cheeks…and a quiver somewhere less appropriate. He winked as his head lifted, and then released her fingers. “I look forward to further opportunities to convince you to come as well, Lady Forbes. Tonight, perhaps?” he whispered. “I look forward to hearing from you soon.”
Kitty almost choked when his expression turned devilish. The moment did not last long, but she felt his interest—as she had last night—everywhere she had skin to blush and become excited. Thankfully, Felicity seemed not to have noticed anything amiss.
He sauntered off with a cheery wave, and Felicity sighed. “He was much nicer than my father claimed he would be.”
“He can be very charming,” Kitty managed to say as a couple approached. The lady she knew, the gentleman she did not. She was pleased when they stopped to talk. When the introductions had been performed, it was clear the pair had approached to meet Felicity more than herself because the duke had been so clearly a friend.
Kitty eased back from the conversation and watched her niece meet her first distinguished bachelor. The man was a naval lieutenant, Philip Peel, and the lady was his cousin, who was married to the Earl of Waverton. The family was quite important in society. Connections to banking and finance, as well as the military, meant they were well funded. Not a hint of scandal anywhere in their past that Kitty could recall hearing about.
The lieutenant was a pleasant-looking young man in his twenties with an easy smile. He might be a good match for Felicity. Only time would tell. Kitty would not push, but she was hopeful indeed when the pair bid them goodbye with every indication they’d meet again.
Felicity seemed a little breathless from the encounter, though, and Kitty suggested tea to calm her nerves.
As they moved toward the tea service, she caught sight of Sinclair again. He stopped to speak with Lady Finch, and as Kitty watched, he shook his head and laughed heartily. Seeing him engaged in conversation with someone she disliked was disappointing. But Sinclair had earned his admirers with his open friendliness, especially women. Those other female friends had made Kitty uncertain about the nature of his interest—both then and now.
“I urge you not to read too much into a gentleman’s attentions at first meeting, especially the duke’s.”
Felicity grinned. “Oh, I never would. He is much too old for someone like me, but very nice about Father, and funny, too. I thought he’d be more standoffish.”
“He can be with a rare few people,” she admitted. She glanced at him again, saw him speak with Miss Hargrave, and sighed.
Everyone still threw their female relations at him, but why he had not married yet remained a mystery to her. Surely Sinclair had enough time to reconcile himself to the restriction a wife would make to his life.
Sinclair moved on to speak with another lady, and Kitty forced herself to look away. She had once believed every word out of his mouth signaled her importance to him, but her hopes had died a slow death when nothing permanent came after two years of their secret romance.
She’d prefer to spare her niece such disappointment if she could help it by guiding her toward a man set on making a good match. That had never been Sinclair’s intentions. With any luck, Felicity might meet a better man one day. Someone who did not care first and foremost about the size of her dowry or who her connections might be.
A man determined to love a woman no matter what obstacle was placed in his path was a rare man indeed. So unique that Kitty had never met such a creature.
Chapter 11
Sinclair stepped from his carriage and settled his hat upon his head, feeling a little glum. Teddy handed him his cane, the one with the gold lion handle that he’d forgotten to pick up himself, and they set off with a few grooms trailing behind.
It was a lovely sunny day for a stroll about Bond Street. Sinclair usually did not feel the need to purchase anything much these days, but given Kitty had not been at home to him last night, he needed a good distraction.
He’d woken with a sense of acute restlessness and loneliness renewed. He’d decided a shopping excursion might lift his spirits and stop him from doing something foolish.
Would it have been too much of a chore to write and thank him for paving the way for her niece in society? She should have been overrun with invitations almost immediately. A tiny crumb of her attention and proof he’d not lost her affection was all he’d wished for last night.
He shook off the disappointment consuming him and set off down the busy street, hoping to outrun his own unfulfilled expectations.
There was another purpose for today’s outing. He still had no idea what sort of woman appealed to Teddy. So he’d come here also hoping to determine the kind of woman Teddy noticed on the street. There were bound to be all sorts about. As far as Sinclair could tell, he had no interest in Miss Hargrave, a petite brunette, and absolutely none for any other lady they’d spoken to since he’d arrived in London.
Teddy appeared at his side when beckoned, looking uncomfortable already by the outing. When he’d first joined Sinclair in London, he’d been unaccustomed to this sort of idle wandering. He had the mind to be the Duke of Exeter, but Sinclair was starting to fear Teddy might never learn to enjoy the advantages incumbent in holding the title.
He was still shy in many situations. The man simply hated this sort of thing. He was always worried some of his father’s old cronies would recognize him, even when none had so far.
“We’ll go this way,” Sinclair murmured.
Somewhere down this street, Sinclair recalled there was a charming little shop not far from his tailor. It had once stocked delicate figurines that his sister and her friends had favored, although he was keeping that destination to himself for the time being. Kitty had openly admired them but he could never have given her so noticeable a gift before. He was curious if the place was still in business. He was of a mind to purchase a trinket to mark Kitty’s return to the city, and hopefully to his life. He would find a way to give it to her before she left for Kinsale.
“What will it be today?” Teddy asked quietly. “Hats, boots, or another pocket watch you do not need.”
“Quite right. Quite observant of you. I have far too many timepieces. What about a monocle?” Sinclair said with a straight face. “I saw Lord Winscombe wear one last week and I am intrigued.”
Teddy gaped at him. “Surely, you jest?”
“Of course I jest,” he said, finally laughing at Teddy’s horrified expression. “I hardly think I need one, but I would want to try one out for the fun of it. Discover how one is held in place. Lord Winscombe’s face was so twisted while wearing it, I thought him ill on first glance.”
“One wears them with a great deal of trouble,” Teddy admitted sheepishly. “A traveling merchant came around once. We all had a good laugh. You will look utterly ridiculous, I assure you.”
“Well, I cannot have that,” he said with an exaggerated sigh while studying his heir. Teddy rarely mentioned his former home these days or any past acquaintances. He’d had a rough time of it with his father and very few happy memories to share.
Godfrey Berringer had been obsessed with Sinclair’s title, and his ambition to claim it for his own. Teddy had borne the brunt of his frustrations that Sinclair had not up and died to accommodate those lofty aspirations promptly. Sinclair felt no ill will toward his late cousin, only disappointment they’d forever been at odds. “I will leave wearing monocles to you after I am gone.”
“May that day never come,” Teddy whispered fervently.
Sinclair beamed and moved along. He always enjoyed talking with Teddy, and he was fun to tease, too. The
young man would make an excellent duke one day. Best of all, he was not always planning for Sinclair’s demise, which made him the best heir a duke could ever want.
Teddy cleared his throat. “I should warn you there was a lot of talk about you the day of Lady Wilmot’s party.”
“Oh?” He looked at Teddy in surprise. “I care little for the gossip of servants, you know that.”
“It was not just them,” Teddy said darkly.
Sinclair stopped and faced Teddy. Had someone noticed his interest in Kitty, or were they foolish enough to imagine he could be interested in her niece? “Clearly the talk has upset you, so spit it out, man.”
“Are you looking for a bride?” he asked quietly.
He was, just not for himself. “What if I am?”
“But Miss Hargrave?”
Sinclair sighed, feeling so disappointed that the gossip was horribly off the mark. “Does the idea offend you, or is it the woman herself?”
“Neither,” Teddy said quickly. “It’s just, I thought you were not interested in women that young.”
Sinclair smiled. “I am as interested in all women as much as the next man.”
“You do not keep a mistress,” Teddy said. “Nor have you slipped away with a lover in all the time I have known you.”
Sinclair shook his head. “A man should keep his intimate affairs private. A duke, even more so. Much of what people say about me is false.”
“Of course.” Teddy frowned. “Why did you not marry when you were younger?”
Sinclair sighed again and turned away. “My reasons are my own.”
“Sorry.” Teddy rushed to catch up, but then he grumbled when Sinclair paused indecisively before his tailor’s door, and then the bookmaker too, before he found the shop he was really looking for and smiled.