“There is a tiger in there,” Lord Rustmont said, following her gaze. “He stays well in the back, as he does not appear to enjoy the festivities.”
“As well he would not,” the duke said. “I don’t suppose a beast dragged all the way here from the Far East would be enjoying himself in a London garden.”
Felicity thought her father was right. It would be one thing to welcome into the house some local stoats who would be fully capable of departing it if they did not like it. But a zebra and a tiger? She supposed both must find themselves lonely and wondering where they were. Particularly the zebra, as she wassure they traveled in herds just as horses liked to do. Where is the lead mare? Where is the stallion and colts and fillies? It must be very confusing to feel as if there should be a crowd around one and yet be alone.
She could not actually say how social an average tiger was.
Now that she was really considering the matter, she concluded that if Lady Albright loved animals as she claimed, she would have left them where they belonged.
She shook off the idea, as it was something that would deserve consideration on another day. Then she shook off Mr. Stratton and Mr. Wiles from either arm. She took a few steps forward toward the tiger’s enclosure to show Lord Rustmont that she was stalwart in the face of such a terrific beast. Felicity imagined such a thing must be seen as an alluring quality and assist him in imagining her as the mistress of his house. Anybody running a household must have iron nerves. She’d seen that well enough from Mrs. Right.
As she peered into the darkness of the enclosure, a voice behind her said, “Do smell this, Lady Felicity—Lady Albright’s roses.”
A handful of roses was waved in front of her face. Predictably, the scent ran up her nose and itched and tickled it relentlessly. What was this person doing? Who were they? She did not recognize the voice.
She did not dare turn round to find out, as she would not like Lord Rustmont to see her scrunching her nose again.
Behind her, her father laughed uproariously. “Trying to make her sneeze, are you? You’ll be lucky if she doesn’t clobber you for it, and I won’t stop her either!” he said.
Whoever had attempted to make her sneeze was all too successful. The fit that was coming upon her was even more violent than what she’d experienced at Almack’s.
She tapped on her nose, and then she pinched it, staying turned away from Lord Rustmont. He could not be a witness to another sneezing attack. He would begin to think it was an everyday occurrence!
It was hopeless, she could not fight it off. Her body wracked with sneezes to expel the offending odor, and she fell against the door to the enclosure.
The latch made a rasping sound and disengaged. The door slowly swung open. Felicity stared at it, almost uncomprehending what she was looking at.
There was a sudden shout. “Close it! Close the gate!”
Felicity fumbled with it as men began to join in on the shouting. Ladies screamed. There was a stampede to the doors of Lady Albright’s house.
Her hands shook and she could not get the latch to engage.
Then, two large, amber-colored eyes ringed in midnight black emerged from the shadows of the dim enclosure and stared at her, unblinking. The eyes were housed in a head that was larger than she could have ever imagined—four times the size of a man’s own.
Chapter Eight
Felicity stared asthe terrible beast showed its teeth, its canines yellow and at least four inches long. She dropped the latch and backed away. Turning her head, she saw the garden had emptied, but for Mr. Stratton and her father. Both stood motionless behind her.
“Do not look at us,” Mr. Stratton said, “never turn your back on a large cat. Just slowly back up.”
Felicity did as she was bid and took two very slow steps back, as she had no experience at all regarding what one ought to do in such a situation.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the two stoats up on their back legs, motionless and still, as if hoping not to be noticed.
The zebra was still for a moment, then it bolted to the back of its fencing. Felicity could hear its heavy breathing. The heavy breathing of absolute panic.
The tiger’s head whipped round toward the sound. Felicity gasped, certain Lady Albright’s zebra was moments away from a terrible demise. Her gasp brought the tiger’s attention back to her.
The beast pushed on the door, seeming curious to find it open. It pushed further and the gate swung fully open with a whine from the hinges.
“Stay very still,” Mr. Stratton said softly.
That would not be very hard to accomplish. Felicity wished to run, but she felt frozen where she was. She was paralyzed in terror, just like the stoats.
The tiger’s two front paws were out of the enclosure. They were impossibly massive, like a terrible dream of a monster. The claws could not be seen, but Felicity knew they were there, ready to come out when they were wanted.
The beast looked round as if he was not sure what he ought to do next. Felicity thought he found himself surprised to be free. She did not think his hesitation would last long.
