Lord Grenville's Choice by G.G. Vandagriff Read Free Book Online Page B

Alex. She loved the splendor and formality of such occasions, and her husband was a superb dancer. Most of all, she enjoyed being in his company.
    When she went down to dinner, she was happy to greet Sir Winton. Aunt Henrietta and Anabella were both entertaining him, and the three were laughing as Alex stood smiling at their sides. As she walked into the drawing room, her husband came to her side, drew her arm through his and whispered, “You look enchanting, my dear.”
    Drawing her over to the others, he said, “Lady Grenville and I have an announcement to make.” Felicity watched his family’s faces as he continued. “We are expecting another child in the autumn.”
    Anabella’s eyes grew round as she stared at Felicity. Aunt Henrietta came to them immediately and kissed them both. “Congratulations, my dears! It is high time that Jack acquired some competition for your affections. Otherwise he will become completely spoiled!”
    Felicity laughed. “I am afraid he already is. I do not know how he will react when we tell him!”
    Alex said, “Aunt Henrietta, you know Jack to be a perfect child. He will be delighted with a sibling.”
    “Pray it is a boy,” said Anabella. “Then you will have your spare and the succession will be secure.”
    Alex looked down at Felicity and winked. “We have plenty of time left to worry about that. I, myself, would quite like a little girl.”
    Felicity felt warmed by his regard. She could not ever recall his having looked at her with such approval.
    At dinner, Sir Winton entertained them all with stories of the pranks he and Alex had got up to during their schooldays at Harrow. Anabella laughed merrily and countered with stories from her childhood that included Alex. Aunt Harriet topped them all with accounts of her acts of derring-do with Alex and Anabella’s father when they were children.
    “We had no playmate on that vast estate except one another. It is probably for that reason I was a tomboy. We dragged the bales of hay around in the barn to construct a pirate ship. Morris taught me to swordfight. We used stripped tree branches for swords and I became quite accomplished! Morris was compelled to walk the plank on many an occasion. But I was to be vastly disappointed that girls were not permitted to learn fencing in school.”
    It was one of those Lambeth discussions from which Felicity always felt excluded. However, she kept the warmth of Alex’s regard and held it to her like a secret.
    Later, when they entered the ballroom and were announced as the Earl and Countess of Grenville, Felicity held her head high. She was completely unprepared for the silence that followed the announcement and the looks of surprise upon the faces of the company. Then it struck her. They all think Elizabeth is Alex’s mistress. They are surprised to see us together at a ball after all the gossip.
    The glow in her heart dimmed a bit. I will show them that he has regard for me! Turning to her husband, she gave him a wide smile. He put an arm about her waist, his fingers squeezing her side.
    When they arrived near the dance floor, the orchestra was playing a waltz. Turning to face her, he bowed. “May I have the honor of this dance, my lady?”
    “To be sure,” she replied, extending her hand to him.
    Thus commenced a lovely, lively waltz. Never since she had known Alex had they danced so well together. Could he hold her this way, look into her eyes with this tenderness, and be intimately involved with Elizabeth? She admitted to herself that, though she loved him more than ever, she did not really understand him. For the time being, it was heaven just to be in his arms.
    She did not lack for partners. Almost every one of them complimented her on her brilliant looks that evening. She was beginning to feel she had truly been accepted by the ton as Alex’s wife for the first time since their marriage when Anabella joined her while the orchestra was taking an intermission. Alex, she knew, had