Page 1 of Charming the Accidental Suitor
1
Miss Felicity McGovern was far too old for childish games.
At least, that was what her chaperone Mrs. Bishop would say if she could see Felicity now.
Felicity took a bit of her apple and wrapped her arm around the tree trunk. Shifting her weight to find her balance on the solid limb, she settled in to wait.
Wait for what? She wasn’t entirely sure.
She took another bite and the crunch of the crisp apple seemed as loud as a gunshot in the otherwise quiet garden.
Her great uncle was to receive a visitor today, and this was a man she had a particular interest in. Of course, she might not be able to hear a thing, and it was more likely than not that what shedidhear would be tedious.
But the chance of hearing or seeinganythingof interest outside her great uncle’s home was better than the certain boredom that awaited her inside.
It was only by sheer good fortune she’d managed to slip away from Mrs. Bishop undetected earlier this morning and she had no intention of returning anytime soon. But as her great uncle’s estate was bordered on both sides with nearly identicaltownhomes and the garden was her only escape, her options during this brief window of freedom…
Well, they were limited.
But then she’d recalled the visitor meant to arrive today. And so she’d resorted to her favorite pastime—climbing trees. Or anything, really. Her mother used to say she was forever underfoot as a child. But she really meant was that Felicity was always…overhead. Hiding on the staircase to watch dinner party guests arrive or peering over the balustrade to watch the ball guests dance…
Or sitting in a tree watching visitors come and go, as the case may be.
This tree in particular had always been her preferred spot, particularly on warm spring days when her uncle would leave the windows open and sometimes—though rarely—she could overhear his conversations.
Of course, this was not always a good thing. More often than not, the visits were of a business nature and not exactly thrilling to listen to as a child. And then there was that time she’d overheard her own father practically begging Uncle Edward to take Felicity off his hands.
It had been a humbling moment, to be certain. Though not exactly shocking. As their only daughter—and an unexpected, unwanted one at that—Felicity’s role within her immediate family had always been clear.
She was to marry. Preferably someone with a title. Didn’t matter who, really, just so long as he helped her wealthy merchant father achieve another foothold amongst theton.
They had connections already. Great Uncle Edward, for example. He was a baronet, and well respected in good society. And it was for that reason Felicity had been rather unceremoniously dumped upon him over the years.
This year she’d been left with him for…well, she wasn’t certain how long. However long it took for her to do as she was told—for once, her mother would mutter—and make a decent match.
A breeze shook the branches around her, making the leaves dance as sunlight filtered through the canopy above. She tipped her head back and smiled. She hoped she’d heard correctly that the visitor was expected today. But even if he didn’t show, she was glad she’d decided to camp out up here. It had been too long since she’d been out here when the sun was up.
And then, at last, the visitor arrived. She recognized Mr. Everson straight away. Nice fellow, she supposed, but she did not like him. Unlike her friends, Felicity had never understood the notion that one must like someone simply because that person was nice.
Certainly, all of her friends could be considered nice. But nice meant nothing. Anyone could be nice. And a pleasant demeanor often hid the most vile of hearts.
No, those she truly admired—and then, by extension, befriended—they were nice, yes. But they were also kind. They were generous and caring and good.
While Mr. Everson…
Well, she did not know him well enough to say if he wasgood. But like that apple she’d once bitten into that had been rotting from the inside out, she was nearly certain she smelled something foul beneath his sweet exterior.
She only caught a glimpse of his handsome features and dapper clothes before he disappeared inside, and soon enough she heard her great uncle’s familiar, curt tones.
For the record, her great uncle was a pleasant enough man. If she were allowed to continue with her fruit metaphor, she’d describe her Uncle Edward as far from rotten. He might haveunpleasant dark marks on the outside, but scratch away that surface level and he was surprisingly sweet.
Mr. Everson’s voice was distinctly different from Uncle Edward’s. His was all smooth, ingratiating tones compared to her uncle’s sharp staccato retorts. It was an interesting melody they formed, but it would have been far more interesting if she could make out any actual words.
After a while she stopped trying, and instead let her gaze drift and her mind wander.
It didn’t wander terribly far. It remained firmly in the present, here in London. Because while she’d been doing her best to ignore the impending threat of marriage, it was getting ever more difficult. The topic was all any of her friends wished to discuss these days.
Not that she could blame them. Meg and Jane both had weddings to plan, and Ann wouldn’t be far behind. Her sweet redheaded friend was even now considering two offers. Felicity had a suspicion who would win, but she’d been doing her utmost to keep her mouth shut so Ann could see what was right in front of her face on her own.
