Page 29 of A Secret Infatuation
“As you have seen, I have kept them attached in these two places, but there’s no reason you have to keep it that way. I am not forcing a match,” Mrs. Sandhurst announced with a titter.
Robert stood. “We shall take them like this”—he looked at Lady Sophia—“for now. Perhaps we will separate them and perhaps not.”
Lady Sophia looked as though she wished the ground would swallow her. Felix wanted to rescue her but stopped short, reluctant to perform an act in obvious opposition to Robert.
Miss Mowbray leaned in to say, “If you will excuse me, Mr. Harwood, I will join my friend.”
“Yes, of course.” At least she was in a position to rescue Lady Sophia from Robert’s ungallant advances.
After folding the profile on the connected border and tucking it into his waistcoat, Robert sauntered over to where the servants were serving drinks. Felix remained in place, watching Lady Sophia as Miss Mowbray stopped at her side. He saw her put her hand on Lady Sophia’s arm and lean in to say a few words to her. He watched them longer than was wise, but it was how he caught Lady Sophia’s expression of alarm.
His gaze shot in the direction of hers to the edge of the hill. The little boy who belonged to another party was wandering near the edge of it unattended. It was a sloping hill rather than a cliff, but he was too young to be steady on his feet. If he fell and began to roll down it, he might truly be hurt.
Lady Sophia broke away with a cry and started to run. Without a thought, Felix took off at a sprint in the same direction. The toddler stood looking down the hill and pointing, and his father finally noticed and shouted at him from a distance. Just as the child was about to take a step on the sloping grass, Felix threw out his arm and scooped him around his waist, spinning him in the other direction as Lady Sophia reached his side. She had run much faster than he had thought possible.
“You have saved him,” she gasped, out of breath. She held out her arms, and the child went into them without hesitation. “You gave us a scare, young man.” She smiled at him as the father arrived at their sides.
“Thank you,” he said to Felix, his breath also coming fast. “We had thought him playing with his bigger cousin and were not paying attention as we ought. We are much obliged to you.”
“You have Lady Sophia to thank,” he said, smiling at her. “She was the one who saw the danger and began running.”
“Much obliged to you, my lady,” the father said, as she handed the boy over to him.
Felix glanced at Lady Sophia as they both turned to face the other guests, some of whom had seen what had happened. Camilla and Marie were walking toward them, and Lady Sophia gave Felix a grateful smile that blinded him for a moment.
“I am amazed that you saw the danger, too, Mr. Harwood. I thought I was the only one who did and that I would not reach him in time.”
“I was watching you,” he said before he could check his words. “It was your expression of alarm that alerted me.”
“You—”
Then Lady Camilla and Marie were upon them, and she was not able to finish her sentence. Her tone held a question. Felix’s chest pounded, for he had revealed his interest in that one sentence. In a way, he was glad she was not forced to return a response right away. He did not want her to be pressured into returning his feelings, although he hoped that someday she would.
The picnic soon drew to a close, and they were given no further chance for a private exchange. But as they mingled with the other guests, he saw her looking his way more than once. It almost didn’t matter that Robert insisted on leading her down the hill again; the picnic had given him something to hold on to. It led him to hope that perhaps she was not indifferent to him.
Felix was at home the next day when a servant knocked and handed him three letters. With no plans to attend Parliament that afternoon, he sat to look through them. The first was a letter from his father.
Dear Felix,
I am required, as the executor of Mr. Thurlow’s estate, to come to London and prove the will to the PCC at Doctor’s Commons. I have taken a house on Searle Street and Margaret will accompany me on the journey. It will be a pleasure to have her company, and I think she might amuse herself with you in London. Mrs. Macklesby has assured me she is perfectly capable of caring for Elizabeth, Susan, and Anabelle while we are gone. It will do our Margaret good to have her first grand adventure and perhaps give her some of the confidence that disappeared when we lost your mother. I hope you will be able to spare some time from your parliamentary duties to entertain your sister—and perhaps, for the sake of your old father, you might even consent to dine. You may expect us on Tuesday next.
Your father,
T. Harwood
Felix was touched by his father’s letter and did not miss the affection that read through his words. Then he cocked his head, grinning, as he imagined Margaret in London. She would be petrified by the crowds, unable to utter a single word. He would have fun drawing them out of her.
A new thought entered the realm of possibilities. Perhaps he might introduce her to Lady Sophia. They were alike in some ways, and his sister would certainly benefit from meeting someone who was higher in Society but also struggled with shyness.
He sat down with the letter in his hand, then folded it back up, absently stirring the air with it. One such opportunity might be the picnic he had invited Lady Matilda to go on. What if he were able to arrange it so that it occurred while his sister was here? It would give him more reason to ensure Lady Sophia was a member of the party. He spent a moment imagining this pleasant outcome before looking at the rest of his mail.
A second letter came from his solicitor proposing three possible houses on the market that might be of interest to him should he decide against the one in Bloomsbury. As for the one he had visited, so far no offers had come, but one gentleman was extremely interested and was applying to his father to assist him in making the purchase. Felix was also still weighing his decision, for although he was very tempted, his father’s caution weighed with him and he was loath to rush in with an offer to purchase. He decided to think the matter over a little longer.
The other letter waiting for him brought no pleasure. It was from Lord Chawleigh, requesting he come to Grosvenor Square, and Felix had an inkling of what the interview would be about. The baron was likely going to ask him if he had made any headway with the admiral about getting his son the position he desired. It occurred to him then that Robert had never approached him directly about the favor. Did he know about it and not care? Or did he assume Felix would carry out his father’s request without raising a fuss? Well, there was nothing for it but to face the meeting and get it over with.
At 20 Grosvenor Square, the footman opened the door and admitted him into the drawing room, where Robert was waiting for him.
“You came. I was thinking to go and visit you myself and would have done this afternoon if James had not informed me of your arrival.”
