“Do keep it, Lady Felicity. I insist,” the earl said gravely. He held out his arm. “I will escort you back to His Grace and Lady Marchfield.”
And he did escort her back, entirely grim-faced. What an impression she must have made. She was certain that he thought she ought to have been able to control her sneezes, but she could not have done. It had been impossible.
“It was the scent of roses, you see,” she said by way of explanation. “Roses and vinegar, I am very sensitive to them.”
The earl nodded. “We all have our crosses to bear,” he said.
They reached the edge of the ballroom, and reached two people who had clearly seen what had happened and took entirely different views of it. Her father was laughing heartily while her aunt was wide-eyed and purse lipped.
“Well, my girl, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that dance done before,” the duke said, snorting at his own wit.
The earl bowed. “Your Grace, Lady Marchfield. Lady Felicity, I thank you for the honor of a dance and I take my leave.”
He turned and strode away. Very fast, Felicity noted.
“What on earth?” Lady Marchfield said.
“What was it?” the duke said. “Flowers or vinegar?”
“Roses,” Felicity said dejectedly. “A lady has drenched herself in rosewater.”
“Come now, girl, do not look so downhearted about it. I’m sure not so many people even noticed.”
Lady Marchfield sniffed at the idea. “I would not put my hopes on whatever your father is sure about on any subject. It was an exceedingly odd display.Hereof all places.”
“She sneezed,” the duke said. “Everybody in the wide world sneezes on occasion.”
“Perhaps so, but they do not do it at Almack’s outside of a retiring room,” Lady Marchfield said curtly.
“Oh they don’t, now?” the duke said. With a swipe of his hand, he pulled a long ostrich feather out of Lady Marchfield’s hair and waved it under her nose.
Lady Marchfield, being hardly ready for such an operation, waved her hands to get it away.
“Roland!” she said in her usual accusatory tone.
“Look, she wants to sneeze but she’s holding it in,” the duke said, laughing.
Of course, Felicity was rather adoring of her father’s efforts to soothe her, though she did notice that others had watched the duke assault her aunt’s headwear and seemed rather surprised by it.
Felicity’s second dance partner, Mr. Wiles, came to collect her. He looked rather frightened. He held out his arm and almost whispered, “Lady Felicity.”
“Keep her away from roses, that’s my advice,” the duke said to Mr. Wiles, as he threw Lady Marchfield’s ostrich feather over his shoulder.
Felicity handed the Earl of Rustmont’s crumpled and damp handkerchief to her aunt, as she did not know what else to dowith it. Lady Marchfield held it by her fingertips, staring at it as if it were alive. Felicity could not blame her for being put out—her aunt was down one ostrich feather and up one wet handkerchief.
Mr. Wiles led her away and Felicity could not help but notice the stares in her direction.
Gracious. Her aunt had told her time and again that the rules in Town were a deal more strict than in the Dales. Could it be possible that she’d caused talk about herself just for sneezing?
And what did the glorious earl think? The sight could not have been attractive, she was not a pretty crier or sneezer. But, it was only one small moment in time.
Perhaps he’d forget all about it. Or laugh about it. Perhaps she would herself forget all about it. Or laugh about it. Though both of those results felt rather far off. She’d made herself foolish in front of the one gentleman in the room she would have liked to impress.
As much as she would like to deny it, she felt in a bit of a temper.
Her temper was like a hot thing that came upon her, especially when she was embarrassed. It had always been so, though now that she was older, she was better at hiding it. She only wished she was better at stopping it coming over her.
Her temper was not much improved while dancing with Mr. Wiles. The fellow seemed to talk in riddles. What did he mean by asking her what she thought of being pursued by a gentleman she could never tolerate? What did he mean by inquiring into any derangement in her family line?
