Lord Grenville's Choice Read Free Page B

Elizabeth. Let it go, Felicity. There is another matter about which I am greatly concerned, as it happens.”
    She looked up into his face, now marked with a worried frown.
    “Whatever is wrong?”
    “My brother has been wounded in a great battle that is taking place in Spain.”
    Felicity clutched her waist, gathering the fabric of her dress under one hand. “How badly?”
    “He makes light of it. It is only his arm, he says. But they are in the midst of battle, and I fear it will not be attended properly. If it becomes inflamed and gangrenous, they will amputate.”
    “Oh, Alex. That is worrisome news indeed. Should we send some supplies? Perhaps in such a big battle, they are running short.”
    “I knew you would know what to do,” her husband said. “Talk to your father’s physician. Find out what John needs. We will send it ourselves by courier.”
    “Yes, it will make you feel better to do something,” Felicity said, putting a hand on his arm. For a moment, he looked down into her face, eyes soft with gratitude. Then he looked away.
    “Go back to your papa.”
    *~*~*
    In the morning, she found Alex sleeping in an armchair he had moved next to the bed.
    She moved quickly to her father’s side and found that his eyes had opened.
    “Oh, Papa,” she whispered. “You’re awake!”
    He looked bewildered and did not say anything.
    “It is I, Felicity! Oh, I knew you would wake up!”
    Alex stirred. Felicity continued speaking to her father, keeping her voice gentle in spite of her excitement. “You have had a brain seizure and have been unconscious. Will you blink your eyes twice if you understand me?”
    Her father responded. She took his hand in hers, but though warm, it was still limp and lifeless.
    “You need to rest and get well. I cannot get on without you, Papa, so you must listen to me.”
    Alex moved in his chair. “He is awake,” he said with surprise, leaning over his father-in-law’s bed. “Well done, my lord!” To Felicity, he said, “I am sorry I fell asleep. I was to call you if he opened his eyes, was I not?”
    “Yes,” she said, avoiding his eyes. “But all is well. And I needed the sleep. Jack is awake if you would like to see him before you go.”
    “Throwing me out, are you?” Her husband’s tone was teasing.
    “You need a shave quite badly,” she said. “All you need is an eye patch and you could be mistaken for a pirate.”
    “I shall have Richards spruce me up. Then I shall go buy linen for bandages. And go on a hunt for honey.”
    She felt a dangerous camaraderie between them this morning. How many times had she fallen into this trap of thinking he might actually care for her?
    “When is Lord Beaton’s funeral to be?” she asked.
    His familiar air vanished as he said, “I shall have to check the Post .”
    She went back to tending her father, who was looking confused. “Never mind, Papa. Alex and I were talking about his brother, who has been wounded on the Peninsula. I shall be making bandages for him while I sit with you. Now I must order some jellied broth.”
    Felicity was almost relieved when Alex left the room.

{ 3 }
     
    E ven after seeing his son, Alex was in a foul mood. It seemed to him that Felicity was bent on making an issue of Elizabeth. All the gratitude he felt toward her for the idea of sending supplies to John had vanished. Why was his wife so confounded difficult? Why could she not be content? Why did she always want more from him?
    After Richards had attended him in his own dressing room, he found his way to a linen drapers and bought a bolt of bleached white linen. After asking that it be delivered to Felicity at his father-in-law’s house, he made his way to Brooks’ for breakfast. While there, he ascertained from the Morning Post that Lord Beaton’s funeral would be held the next day. Alex’s thoughts turned to Elizabeth. How was she holding up? She had seemed so fragile the day before. Her trembling had quite alarmed him.
    Maybe she