The Incredible Honeymoon (Bantam Series No. 46) Read Free Page A

the Countess said quickly. “We may be mistaken. He may have very different intentions.”
    “I am not a fool, Emily,” the Earl said. “If there is any blabbing to be done, it will not be done by me.”
    He went from the room, and as the door shut sharply behind him the three women left at the table looked at each other.
    “I can hardly believe it!” the Countess said.
    “But I do not want to marry the Duke, Mama!” Felicity said in a small voice.
    Her mother did not appear to hear her as she stared down at the Duke’s letter as if the words written on the thick vellum paper must be printed indelibly on her mind.
    Felicity would have spoken again, when she received a sharp kick on the ankle which made her wince.
    She looked across the table and saw her sister frowning at her warningly and the words she was about to say died on her lips.
    “We must go upstairs at once and decide what you will wear to-morrow afternoon when the Duke calls,” the Countess said after a moment. “I think it will have to be the pale blue: it is so becoming with your eyes. But then, so is the white with the turquoise ribbons threaded through it.”
    She gave a sound of exasperation.
    “There is no time to buy you anything new, so it will have to be one or the other! Oh, dear, I do hope you have not made them dirty!”
    Rising from the table the Countess bustled away and her daughters followed her.
    Only as they reached the door of Felicity’s bed-room did she turn and say sharply:
    “There is no reason for you to hang about, Antonia. I am sure you have plenty to do, and if you have not, I will find you something. You know that you have to help tidy the Sitting-Rooms. You cannot expect Janet to do everything!”
    “No, of course not, Mama,” Antonia replied.
    She moved away as she spoke, giving Felicity a warning glance and at the same time a touch on her arm which told her sister she would be back later.
    There were always innumerable jobs in the house for Antonia. They were understaffed and she was invariably expected to fill in for deficiencies in housemaids, lady’s-maids and even footmen.
    It was Antonia who made the Sitting-Rooms presentable, who cut the sandwiches for tea when they entertained, who pressed and mended her mother’s and Felicity’s gowns, and who was sent on messages from the top of the house to the bottom.
    But she was used to it and it did not unduly perturb her. This morning however she wished that she could be in the bed-room with Felicity while the Countess was choosing her gown for to-morrow, simply because she was afraid that Felicity would betray herself.
    To learn that she had not done so was a relief, when finally an hour later Antonia entered F elicity’s bed-room to find her alone.
    As soon as she saw her sister, Felicity ran across the room to put her arms round Antonia and burst into tears.
    “What am I to do? Oh, Antonia, what am I to do? I cannot marry this Duke ... you know I cannot!”
    Antonia held her sister close, then she said:
    “Come and sit down, Felicity, and let us talk about it. You can see what it meant to Mama and Papa.”
    “I know! I know!” Felicity sobbed. “They are not going to listen to me ... whatever I say ... but I love Harry. You know ... I love him, Antonia!”
    “Yes, dearest, but Harry is not a Duke.”
    “He loves me,” Felicity said, “and I promised I would marry him as soon as he can approach Papa.”
    Antonia gave a little sigh as she wondered how she could possibly explain to Felicity that, whatever Harry Stanford might say now, the Earl was not going to listen to him.
    The son of the Squire who owned an attractive Manor House on a very small estate, Felicity and Antonia had known Harry ever since they were small children.
    They had met him at parties and, as they had grown older, out hunting. It was difficult for Antonia to remember when first she realised he had fallen in love with Felicity and she with him.
    They had all known that it was