Darrington 01 - Marriage Minded Lord by Sandra Sookoo Read Free Book Online

possibility of throwing you and Olivia Drummond together more often.”
    Felix choked on the tea he just sipped. “I shall handle my own social calendar, thank you Mother , and may I remind you, if I find a woman who interests me, I shall court her as I see fit—even if she’s not acceptable to you or the title.” He ignored Charlotte’s snicker. “Regardless, I’m calling on Lady Drummond later this afternoon.”
    A smile broke out over his mother’s face. “Splendid. A fast courtship would be ideal in your case, Felix. Too long as an eligible parti and people will start wondering why you haven’t married.”
    “They won’t wonder. Men oftentimes wait until later in life to marry. I’m thirty-five, not ancient.”
    “Perhaps it’s not women you fancy, Felix,” his mother went on as if he’d never spoken. “If that’s the way the wind blows, I will love you, of course. It’s what a mother does; though expect your contemporaries to take a rather dim view of that preference.”
    Beside him, Charlotte snorted with unladylike laughter so great she dropped a piece of marmalade-laden toast onto the table cloth.
    “Mother!” Felix shot to his feet. His chair tipped over from his haste. Good Lord, what if the servants overheard the conversation and misconstrued it? “I do not fancy,” he dropped his voice to a whisper, “men. I’m completely capable of finding a match—to a woman—on my own, with no help from you, so please, respect my privacy and sensibilities. Honestly, I rather think I have found a woman worthy or my pursuit.” And it wasn’t Olivia. Without another word, he fled the dining room before his mother could think of something equally scandalous to say.
    Devil take his female relatives. But he’d made a decision. He’d endeavor to accidentally run into Miss Delacroix as many times as he could, and in doing so, he’d discover what would make her happy, which would make him happy, and Lord knew he hadn’t been remotely close to that since his mother had summoned him to London. Perhaps it was time to buck tradition and duty after all.
     

     
    Two hours later, Felix stood at the front door to Wynesford’s townhouse on St. James Street, waiting for someone to acknowledge him. Finally, the green-painted door swung inward and the impeccable butler, Pomeroy, gave him a cold stare.
    “How may I be of service, Lord Swandon?” The tall, thin man had a way of looking down his hawk-like nose that made Felix seem insignificant.
    “I’d like to visit with Lady Drummond if she’s at home.” Though he could find no fault in the other man’s flawless dark suit or gloved hands, he couldn’t ignore the thought that the butler would rather be somewhere else.
    “I shall inquire. Please come in, sir.”
    “Thank you. Is Wynesford at home today?” Something troubled him about the family but he couldn’t fathom what. Perhaps he should pay more attention to on dits when his mother and sister bandied them about over breakfast. The only contact he had with Lord Wynesford was in Parliament where he did more talking and shaking the hands of others he wished to impress than actually debating law. Even if Felix had been interested in winning Olivia’s affections, he wouldn’t have been able to proceed until he investigated the family further. Good thing he was secretly here to see Miss Delacroix. He stifled the grin that tried to surface.
    “The earl rose early and departed for London Docks, my lord. After that, his schedule is unknown to me. However, you may wait in the front parlor while I obtain news of Lady Drummond.”
    Thus chastised for his not-so-subtle curiosity, Felix followed Pomeroy into the house. After walking through two hallways lined with portraits of Drummonds gone by, he was shown into the front parlor then the butler left. It was amazing how much of the house he didn’t remember from the night before, but then, once he’d seen Clarice, everything else had faded.
    The residence