To the last, she’d said, “Mr. Wiles, considering your conversation, I would wonder what sort of derangements lurk in your own family line.”
That, at least, had the effect of silencing that strange gentleman.
All the while, the Earl of Rustmont danced with a pretty young lady who did no sneezing whatsoever. It was very unfair.
*
Percy had beenon the fence regarding whether or not Lady Felicity was deranged. No more. Not after what he’d witnessed on the ballroom floor.
Though he was decided on that point, he could not for the life of him figure out what it was she had been doing. At least with Lord Bakerston, one was clear on what was on his mind. Bakerston was worried about ‘them.’ Lady Felicity was more of a mystery.
She’d been guided to the floor by Rustmont and had looked all elegance. And then, things took a very strange turn. The lady had begun by making contorted faces, then she appeared to hold her breath and went red in the face, then she had some sort of fit that had brought everyone in her set to a standstill. Then she’d taken the earl’s handkerchief and blown her nose and smiled as if there was not a thing wrong.
If that wasn’t enough, after being returned to her father, she seemed to find amusement in the duke ripping an ostrich feather from Lady Marchfield’s hair and smacking the lady in the face with it.
Really, anyone marrying into such a family ought to know that if they dared it, they would end with exceedingly strange children!
Fortunately for him, he had no plans to dip his toe into that morass of madness. He only wished to look as if he did.
He had watched Lady Felicity closely after that display, but she went on looking very usual. Though, he could not help but notice that Wiles ended his dance with the lady looking a bit frightened of her.
Percy began to be amused by the idea that she’d acted strangely only with Rustmont. That gentleman was a regular stick and would not take kindly to being part of an odd display. People would laugh about it, which would make him exceedingly uncomfortable.
Now, it was time for Percy to take his own turn with Lady Felicity. He dearly hoped she had no plans for a repeat performance. As it was, he could see very well that there were plenty of people keeping an eye on her, likely hoping she would do something else they could talk about on the morrow.
“Lady Felicity,” he said.
“It’s the mister,” the Duke of Pelham said, apropos of nothing.
Percy really did not know why the duke went on with it. It had already been thoroughly established that he was not yet in possession of a title.
The duke slipped a flask out of his coat pocket and took a swig. He casually put it back.
Percy was speechless. Any of the patronesses would go mad if they knew there was drinking inside the hallowed walls of Almack’s. It was one of the most tedious rules they had—weak tea and sour lemonade only. It was also the reason so many gentlemen came already drunk.
“What?” the duke said in retort to his stare. “Who drinks tea and lemonade at this time of night? Only a madman, that’s who!”
Percy nodded and said, “Quite right,” hoping to end the conversation.
“Papa,” Lady Felicity said, “do not cause any trouble while I leave you on your own.”
“Hah! We’ll see,” the duke said, making no promises.
Percy supposed they had conversations along those lines quite often. What a family. Nevertheless, it could be precisely thefamily he looked for. With any luck, there might even be a push and pull to the whole thing. Percy would claim he was set on Lady Felicity, despite her unusual qualities, and his father would attempt to talk him out of it.
That would be amusing, really. The viscount had set out to push his son into a church and would find himself trying to bar the doors lest he end with a deranged daughter-in-law, likely leading to deranged grandchildren. The family line, already fairly new, would be doomed.
He put his arm out and led Lady Felicity to the floor.
Now that she seemed to have recovered from whatever sort of fit she’d had while dancing with Rustmont, she was all elegance. How odd that someone could change their mien so entirely. Just now, she was rather wonderful to look at.
“Lady Felicity, are you enjoying your first visit to Town?” he asked.
She briefly glanced at the ceiling as if she found the question tedious. “It is too soon to tell,” she said. “Though I feel I should compose a pleasant answer to that question as I have been asked it all evening.”
Percy was more than taken aback. It was a well-known and accepted conversation starter. What else was he to ask her? Lady Felicity, are you enjoying your father being a lunatic? Lady Felicity, did you enjoy embarrassing the Earl of Rustmont?
He was still game to lure her intoOperation Sadly Hopeless, but he was beginning to think she might be difficult to manage.
