He nearly winced, but it was a legitimate question, all things considered. “Yes, she told me so herself.”
With a decisive nod, Felicia now headed for the door herself. “Then, I am coming with you.”
Walter had no difficulty with that, opening the door for her, as they headed out of the manor with hurried steps. He called for the carriage immediately, and they waited in impatient silence for it to be readied for them.
Directing the coachman to get them to Irvington Manor as quickly as possible, he helped her into the carriage. By now, the lack of conversation was deafening, at least to Felicia.
“So, what exactly do you plan to say when you see her? I hope you do not intend to simply walk up to her and blurt out, ‘Rowley is the one who started the rumor about your being engaged to him. You should stop courting him,’ because that would be far too blunt.”
“I … uh, I haven’t…”
“You haven’t thought that far ahead? Well, that is fine, we have a while before we get there, so start thinking,” she told him unsympathetically.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I … well, I suppose I should start by asking to take her aside, because I have something important to tell her.”
“Hmm, that is a good start, but what if she says no? After all, she may think you simply want to confess your love to her and ask her to court you instead.”
“So, what do you suggest?” he asked.
“I think you should mention the reason why you want to talk to her has something to do with the rumor. When you take her aside, I will be there. Tell her I was the one who told you about the rumor, and I will take it from there,” she told him decidedly.
He breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Felicia. For everything. You have thought this through much more thoroughly than I, and I really appreciate your cool head.”
“It is not a problem, really, Walter,” she assured him, her expression almost instantly turning sympathetic. “Besides, I had plenty of time to think about it and plan it out on the way here.”
Walter was silent for a moment, debating if he should even ask the question on his mind. “Did you come all the way to London just for me?”
“Well …. yes, and no,” she replied hesitantly.
“I see. May I ask what is your other reason for coming to London?” he asked.
“I could have written a letter, but I wanted to see everything play out,” she replied. “Also, I must admit to being more than a little curious about Rowley and what his face will look like when he is confronted about his actions. More than that, I wanted to see if a certain suspicion of mine is correct, and the only way I could be assured of that was if I came in person.”
“Oh? And what suspicion has brought you all the way over from France?”
“That you have never really gotten over your feelings for Georgiana,” she replied smugly. “And I can already tell I was right.”
He felt his face color slightly, but he did not even attempt to deny it. “You are right. Do you … do you think I might have a chance?”
Her smugness turned into thoughtfulness. “I don’t know. Perhaps, when I see her, I will be able to have some idea … but I really don’t know.”
He nodded, and they lapsed into silence for a while. Felicia was the first to shake herself out of her own thoughts. “And what do you plan to do if he is with her when we get there?”
Walter clenched his fists as he replied, “Probably punch him in the face the moment I see him.”
She giggled and shook her head. “At which point she will be horrified and shout at you to go away and never speak to you again, all while tenderly taking care of Rowley to make sure he is alright. Do not punch him. At all.”
He almost pouted as he told her, “I don’t think you have any conception of the poisonous glares Rowley has been giving me over the past few weeks. I really don’t think I can stand it one more time, while knowing what I do…”
“You forget, the moment he catches sight of me, he is going to know his game is up. He will likely be too busy trying to find an escape to even think about glaring at you.”
“True, I hadn’t thought of that,” he admitted.
Felicia gave him a few more tips before they pulled up the drive to Irvington Manor. When they finally came to a stop, they took a deep breath almost in unison before stepping out of the carriage.
Walter felt out of place as he walked up to the front door and knocked. His pulse raced as he waited for the door to open, certain his face was pale and that he looked far from composed.
It felt like an eternity before the elderly butler answered the door, taking one glance at him before narrowing his eyes. “What can I do for you, Lord Bartlett?” the man asked in a severely professional tone.
Knowing how much the servants adored Georgiana, the lack of friendliness came as no surprise. “Where is Miss Montgomery?”
“She is not home at the moment,” the butler replied briefly, his gaze almost challenging Walter to ask for more details.
Fortunately, Felicia interjected her own question. “What about Lord or Lady Irvington?”
“They are also out.”
“Where are they?” he asked, finding the brief answers to be mildly irritating when he felt the need for haste. However, he was glad Felicia was present, for he would not have even thought about the need for Georgiana’s aunt and uncle to know about Rowley’s betrayal.
“Lord and Lady Irvington are attending a luncheon.”
“And where is Miss Montgomery?” he tried again.
“She is out with Mr. Rowley,” the butler replied.
It seemed Felicia could tell Walter was growing frustrated by the servant’s obvious loyalty, however commendable it was. She put a hand on his arm and took over the questioning. “And where have they gone?”
“I don’t believe I am at liberty to divulge their whereabouts,” was the cold reply.
“Please,” she pressed. “I know you are loyal to them, but this is a matter of the most urgency.”
The butler glanced at Walter, clearly wavering in his determination to tell them nothing. Walter added his own plea to Felicia’s. “We wouldn’t have come here without invitation unless we felt it to be imperative to speak to them. Please, just tell us where we can find Miss Montgomery.”
The older man sighed and relented. “She and Mr. Rowley went to the park together, I believe. If they are still there, or if they have changed their minds and decided to go somewhere else, I do not know.”