Felicity and the Damaged Reputation_A witty, sweet Regency Romance by Alicia Cameron

Author:Alicia Cameron [Cameron, Alicia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Almacks Once More

After the drive, Felicity had been allowed to sleep for an hour before she had been expected to go shopping with Lady Aurora. Miss Fleet met them at the circulating library, not their usual day. Felicity understood that this was in response to a note from Lady Aurora, but she met her friend with a hug.

‘Now, now, ladies — this is a usual meeting to gossip and discuss books, no tears or sentimentality, please.’

The ladies sat, Felicity smiling as gamely as she could at the little lady and clasping her hand briefly in response to her evident concern. Miss Fleet followed suit and the company were served some refreshments while her ladyship asked the attendant for the latest novels. Lady Aurora nodded vaguely at an acquaintance and turned back to her companions before that lady could show her disdain or not. Miss Fleet stood up after her allotted fifteen minutes and said, in a much louder tone than her usual mousy squeak, ‘Lady Ellingham may not see you tonight at Almacks, my dear Miss Oldfield, but looks to see you soon.’ She blushed at this near falsehood. Lady Ellingham had indeed wanted to see Felicity, but only to tell her what she thought of her.

When Miss Fleet left, Lady Aurora was heartened to see a few tables with some ladies discussing this start with frowns on their faces. One lady even went so far as to bow to Lady Aurora and her companion as they left.

‘That was well done. Miss Fleet was quite a champion today.’

Felicity smiled. She knew though that one change of heart was hardly enough.

She thought of the ordeals to come and could only bear them for Lady Aurora. That lady was tarnished by her stand for Felicity, and the least Felicity could do was to help by keeping her chin up. But she did not for a moment think it would work. They went from shop to shop buying ribbons and gloves and a new gauze shawl for Felicity to wear tonight, and everywhere they went Felicity was conscious of eyes on her, as she tried to join in with Lady Aurora’s constant chatter. ‘This pink gauze will suit, my dear girl. Lady Jersey said to me only this morning how well you look in pink.’

Felicity smiled and chattered on, too. And other ladies looked on, some bowing and some turning a shoulder at her in a most deliberate way. The shop keepers, aware of Lady Aurora’s deep purse, were very attentive at least, and the shopping trip was declared a triumph. Felicity, back in her room, thought that if it wasn’t so very ungrateful to her wonderful hosts, she would pack her carpet bag and go, even though she had no position as yet. But courage is what they required of her now and though she had no hope of success as they did, and every turned shoulder or cold look was a torture to her, Felicity would carry out their plan. The words of last night had never happened, she had only felt ill and been taken home.

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