Felicity nodded. “He did. I asked him the very same questions and I very much approved of his answers. As well, I really believe Mr. Stratton understands our papa.”
“That is very encouraging,” Grace said. “I have begun to think that not many people do.”
“It’s so true,” Felicity said, “they cannot see past the… pence throwing. And the padlock throwing. And the insult throwing.”
“But our papa does not mean any of it,” Valor said. “When he says we cannot come home for Christmas, Patience always says we can and she’ll break down the door if she has to.”
“I’ll do it, too,” Patience said, nodding. “Papa knows the truth of it.”
“You are not to worry about it, Valor,” Felicity said. “It just amuses Papa to say such things. He would miss us terribly if we did not come for Christmastide.”
“The duke does enjoy the holidays. As far as I’m concerned, if someone cannot understand your father’s original way of thinking, then what can they understand?” Mrs. Right said, shaking her head.
“You did say, right from the start, Felicity,” Winsome said, “that Mr. Stratton was handsome. We’ve seen the proof with our own eyes and he really is.”
“He has very nice conversations about the weather,” Valor said. “At least, that was my personal experience.”
Of course, Felicity did remember how kind Mr. Stratton had been in taking Valor’s attempts at conversation seriously.
Are you falling in hopeless love with Mr. Stratton?” Serenity asked breathlessly. “I should just cry if you were.”
Felicity twisted her hands together. “I don’t know if I would sayhopeless,” she mumbled.
*
“Your mother seemsto think you are set on Lady Felicity,” Percy’s father said in a challenging tone.
“I am not surprised,” Percy said. “I have said I was.”
Percy did not elaborate on his earlier idea of preferring Lady Felicity thoughshepreferred Wiles. As far as he was concerned, Wiles was out of it.
“You know my opinion of that family. How can you not see it? Do you know what was told to me at the club? It is said that the duke hurled coins into Lady Albright’s front hall, for some deranged reason. Oh, and that was not enough—he then shattered one of her drawing room windows!”
“Indeed, Lady Felicity was there and saw it all,” Percy said, suppressing his laughter.
“She was there and does not mind advertising it. Very typical of that family, I think.”
“Lady Albright sent the duke a bill, on account of Lady Felicity dripping blood on her sofa.Myblood, if you will remember.”
“Why would she sit on somebody’s furniture if she’s got blood on her dress?” the viscount said, determinedly ignoring the cause of the blood.
“Why would Lady Albright put guests in the vicinity of a tiger that was not properly secured?”
“Well, as to that… why is that duke not dead on the moors like we all hoped? Or dead by way of Lady Albright’s tiger? Or just gone?”
“You would probably like him if you got to know him,” Percy said. “Or at least stop wishing he was dead.”
“Do not tell me who I wish dead! What about this report that the duke took his own sister to a cyprian’s party and lefther there? I could hardly countenance it, but Lord Wainwright swears it is true!”
“I believe that it is true, though I am not entirely sure how either of them ended up there. I imagine it’s a funny story.”
“A funny story?” the viscount said, looking incredulous. “Somehow, you cannot see what they are.” The viscount paused and a slow look of horror overcame his features. “My God, you are becoming like them, that’s why you cannot perceive their derangement.”
Percy shrugged. “The things that family get up to are all relatively harmless,” he said. “What does it matter if they’ve driven off their butler or Lady Felicity wishes to bake cakes and be called Tulip? It hurts nobody.”
Considering that his father staggered and collapsed into a chair, Percy thought he might have refrained from mentioning those oddities.
“I can just imagine the poor butler ran screaming from the premises,” the viscount whispered. “Why wouldn’t he? Lady Felicity imagines herself the cook and does not even remember her own name.”
