Page 41 of The Duke of Distraction
“How was your Season?”Aunt Bridget asked.“Full of splendid activities, I’m sure.”
“Felix organized a tournament of races,” Sarah said.
“What sort of races?”Uncle Martin asked before Aunt Bridget could do so.She’d opened her mouth, but Martin had rushed to speak first.It had always been thus.Felix groaned inwardly and took a long drink of wine.
“Phaetons, mostly,” Sarah answered.“It was very exciting.”
“I always wanted a phaeton,” Aunt Bridget said with an overly sweet smile.“But my husband says they’re frivolous, despite the fact that we could well afford one.”
“You’ve no idea what we can afford,” Uncle Martin scoffed.“Besides, you spend more than your allowance as it is.”
Were they not even going to try to be pleasant in front of guests?
Felix sought to rein in the conversation.“Uncle Martin, what is new on the estate?”
He blinked at Felix.“Haven’t you been reading your monthly reports?”
Oh, for God’s sake, of course he had.Just because he allowed his uncle to oversee an estate that Michael would one day inherit didn’t mean Felix was oblivious.But since he wasn’t Martin, he didn’t say that out loud.Instead, he stretched a smile across his lips.“Promptly.I was merely trying to makepleasantconversation.”
Aunt Bridget made that disapproving click with her tongue again.“Really, Martin.You’re so quick to think the most negative thing you possibly can.”
Uncle Martin sent her a fuming glower as he sipped his wine.
Felix chanced a look at Sarah and Anthony, who were both almost comically interested in their soup.If nothing else, this disaster of a meal would maybe at least push their own troubles to the recesses of their mind.For that reason alone, Felix would suffer through the evening.Lord knew he preferred to toss his aunt and uncle out.Not that he ever had.No, he always suffered through their sniping and mutual disgust.He looked toward Michael, who seemed as if he wasn’t even aware of their behavior.He was, probably, immune.
“I would have liked to see the races,” Michael said a bit wistfully.
“He may organize them again next year,” Sarah said.“They were quite popular.He even had a tournament for women.”
“How wonderful!”Aunt Bridget exclaimed at the precise moment Uncle Martin said, “How horrid!”
Aunt Bridget threw him an acidic stare.“Women racing is perfectly acceptable.”
“If they’re loose,” Uncle Martin grumbled.
Felix resisted the urge to tell him that some of their women friends had raced.Sarah, however, did not.“My dear friend the Marchioness of Northam raced her new vehicle.And my friend the Countess of Dartford won.It was exhilarating.”
“Do you race?”Aunt Bridget asked, her eyes sparkling before she briefly narrowed them toward her husband.
Felix downed the rest of his wine, and the footman quickly refilled his glass before moving to do the same for Anthony.
“I don’t,” Sarah said.“I like to ride, but driving fast is not something I aspire to do.I did wager on the races, though, and that was quite diverting.”
“Oh, splendid!”Aunt Bridget said as she dipped her spoon into her soup.“I may want to attend these races too.”She turned to Felix and suggested he organize a tournament in Bath.
Uncle Martin rolled his eyes at her.“You don’t have enough money to wager.”
“You’ve no idea what I have, dear.”Again, her voice was sickly sweet.
“No, I suppose I don’t, and I’m quite happy with it that way.”He lifted his glass to her and offered a taunting smile that made his aunt glare at him as if she were tossing daggers in his direction.
She turned her attention to Sarah and Anthony, who were still doing their best to ignore the hostility between Martin and Bridget.“You’re both fortunate to be unwed.I recommend staying that way, if you can.”
“I would second that,” Uncle Martin said in a rare show of agreement with his wife.“Although, with your title, you have a duty.Unless you’ve got a relative to inherit like Felix has.”
“Uncle Martin, Aunt Bridget, let us not burden the Coltons with our family…concerns.They have their own troubles at present.”
“Oh yes, of course,” Aunt Bridget said.“I must apologize for my comment earlier.I didn’t realize your parents had been murdered.”
