Felicity woke the next morning to the sound of raised voices drifting up from the courtyard below. She hurried to her window and peered down to see Victoria standing beside a magnificent white mare, dressed in a riding habit that probably cost more than most people's annual income. The lady was gesturing animatedly at one of the grooms, her voice carrying clearly in the crisp morning air."I don't care what his lordship's instructions were! I've been riding since I was five years old, and I certainly don't need some country stable boy telling me which mount is suitable for a lady!"Felicity quickly dressed in her own riding habit and made her way downstairs, arriving at the stables just as Adrian emerged from the manor, his expression thunderous."Victoria," he said, his voice carrying the kind of authority that made even the boldest souls think twice about arguing. "Is there some problem?"Victoria turned to him with a brilliant smile, as though the previous few minutes of dramatics hadn't occurred. "Oh, Adrian darling! I was just explaining to your man here that I'd prefer to ride Starlight. She's such a beautiful creature, and we got along so well during my last visit."Peters, the head groom, looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Begging your pardon, my lord, but Starlight's been fractious lately. Threw young William just last week. I thought perhaps Lady Victoria might prefer—""I am not some timid schoolgirl," Victoria interrupted, her perfect composure showing cracks. "I can handle any horse in your stables."Adrian's gaze moved between Victoria and the prancing white mare, clearly weighing the situation. Felicity could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly."Very well," he said finally. "But you'll ride with an escort. Peters, have James saddle Thunder and accompany Lady Victoria on her ride."Victoria's smile became strained. "How thoughtful, but entirely unnecessary. I was rather hoping we might ride together, Adrian. Just the two of us, like old times.""I'm afraid that's impossible. I have business to attend to this morning." Adrian's tone was polite but final. "Perhaps another time."Felicity watched this exchange with growing unease. There was something in Victoria's manner that suggested this wasn't simply about a morning ride. The beautiful woman seemed almost desperate to get Adrian alone, and Felicity couldn't shake the feeling that whatever Victoria had planned would not bode well for anyone involved."Actually," Felicity heard herself saying, "I was planning to ride this morning as well. Perhaps we could all go together?"Both Adrian and Victoria turned to look at her in surprise. Victoria's expression could have curdled milk, while Adrian's held a mixture of gratitude and concern."What a lovely idea," Victoria said through gritted teeth. "Though I'm sure you'd find our pace rather... challenging."The condescension in her voice sparked something defiant in Felicity's chest. "I believe I can keep up, Lady Victoria."Twenty minutes later, the three of them were mounted and heading across the moors. Victoria had been forced to accept a more manageable mount when Starlight had indeed proved too spirited, though she'd maintained her dignity throughout the change with typical aristocratic hauteur.Adrian rode between the two women, and Felicity couldn't help but notice how often Victoria maneuvered her horse closer to his, finding excuses to lean toward him or laugh at his responses to her constant stream of conversation about mutual acquaintances in London."And did you hear about the Pemberton ball?" Victoria was saying, her voice bright with gossip. "Lady Pemberton wore the most ghastly creation—all feathers and ribbons like some exotic bird. Though I suppose that's what one expects from new money trying to buy its way into society."The casual cruelty of the comment, clearly aimed at anyone of less-than-perfect breeding, made Felicity's cheeks burn. But before she could respond, Adrian spoke."I find it refreshing when people aren't constrained by the suffocating conventions of old society," he said coolly. "Innovation and fresh perspectives often prove far more interesting than endless repetition of the same tired patterns."Victoria blinked, clearly taken aback by his response. "Oh, but surely you don't mean to suggest that tradition and proper breeding aren't important? Standards exist for a reason, darling.""Standards, yes. Snobbery, no." Adrian guided his horse around a fallen log with easy grace. "I've found that character is far more important than pedigree."Felicity felt a warm glow at his indirect defense of her, but Victoria was not so easily deterred."Speaking of character," Victoria said with deceptive sweetness, "I couldn't help but notice how... protective you've become of your little bride. It's really quite touching."There was something in her tone that made Felicity's stomach clench with apprehension."Any husband would protect his wife," Adrian replied evenly."Oh yes, of course. Though one does wonder how far that protection extends." Victoria's smile was sharp as a blade. "For instance, what would happen if someone were to... challenge her position? Test whether your devotion is as strong as it appears?"Adrian brought his horse to a sudden stop, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "What exactly are you suggesting, Victoria?"But Victoria had already urged her horse forward, putting distance between them as her laughter floated back on the morning breeze. "Nothing at all, darling! Simply making conversation!"Felicity exchanged a worried glance with Adrian. Whatever game Victoria was playing, it was clear that she had something specific in mind—something that involved testing the bonds of their marriage.They rode in tense silence for several minutes before Victoria called out from ahead, "Oh! What's that beautiful building? It looks absolutely ancient!"She was pointing toward a stone structure partially hidden by a grove of oak trees. Felicity recognized it as one of the old follies that dotted the estate—romantic ruins built by previous generations of Blackwoods to enhance the landscape."It's a folly," Adrian explained, clearly reluctant to encourage Victoria's interest. "Built by my great-grandfather in the last century.""How perfectly romantic! We simply must explore it!" Victoria was already dismounting, not waiting for permission or assistance.Against his better judgment, Adrian helped both women down from their horses, and the three of them approached the crumbling stone structure. It had been designed to look like ancient ruins, complete with ivy-covered arches and a partially collapsed tower. Inside, the space opened up into a circular room with stone benches arranged around a central fountain that had long since run dry."Imagine the secret meetings that must have taken place here," Victoria said dreamily, running her gloved hand along the weathered stone. "Star-crossed lovers, clandestine affairs, whispered promises..."She moved closer to Adrian as she spoke, and Felicity noticed how the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees made Victoria's golden hair gleam like spun gold."I remember you telling me once," Victoria continued, her voice dropping to an intimate whisper, "that you thought this was the most romantic spot on the entire estate. Do you remember, darling?"Adrian's expression was carefully neutral, but Felicity caught the slight tightening around his eyes. "That was a long time ago, Victoria.""Was it?" Victoria stepped even closer, close enough that she could have reached out and touched him. "Some things don't change, Adrian. Some feelings don't fade, no matter how much time passes or how much we try to convince ourselves otherwise."The air in the folly seemed to thicken with tension. Felicity felt like an intruder in this moment between them, witnessing something intensely private despite being Adrian's wife."Victoria—" Adrian began, but she interrupted him."Do you ever think about what might have been? If things had been different, if you hadn't pushed me away?" Her blue eyes glistened with what might have been genuine tears. "We could have faced anything together, Adrian. Your injuries, your pain—none of it would have mattered to me."Felicity watched her husband's face, seeing the conflict there. Whatever his feelings for Victoria had been, they clearly hadn't been simple or easily dismissed."The past is the past," Adrian said quietly. "We can't change what happened.""Can't we?" Victoria moved closer still, reaching out to place her hand on his chest. "It's not too late, my love. You could obtain an annulment—marriages can be dissolved if they haven't been... properly consummated. You could come back to London with me, back to where you belong."The implication in her words hit Felicity like a physical blow. Victoria was suggesting that her marriage to Adrian was nothing more than a legal formality, that it could be swept aside like an inconvenient contract."Victoria, that's enough." Adrian's voice carried a warning, but he didn't immediately remove her hand from his chest."Is it?" Victoria's voice became more urgent, more desperate. "Adrian, look at me. Really look at me. Remember what we had, what we could have again. I know you feel something—I can see it in your eyes."For a heart-stopping moment, Felicity thought Adrian might actually be wavering. His gray eyes were fixed on Victoria's face with an intensity that made Felicity's chest tight with an emotion she didn't want to name.Then, slowly, deliberately, Adrian reached up and removed Victoria's hand from his chest."What we had," he said with quiet finality, "was not love, Victoria. It was convenience, mutual attraction, and social expectation. What I have now..." His gaze moved to Felicity, and something in his expression made her breath catch. "What I have now is worth far more than all of that."Victoria's perfect composure finally cracked completely. "You can't mean that! She's nobody, Adrian! A merchant's daughter with no breeding, no connections, no understanding of our world!""She's my wife," Adrian said simply. "And that makes her worth more than all the blue blood in England."The silence that followed was deafening. Victoria stared at Adrian as though he had struck her, her face pale with shock and hurt. Felicity felt her heart hammering against her ribs, hardly able to believe what she had just witnessed.Finally, Victoria drew herself up to her full height, every inch the aristocratic lady despite her obvious distress."I see," she said, her voice barely controlled. "I suppose there's nothing more to be said."As they rode back to the manor in heavy silence, Felicity couldn't stop thinking about the scene in the folly. Adrian had chosen her over Victoria—but had he done so out of genuine feeling, or simply because his pride wouldn't allow him to admit that his marriage was a mistake?And perhaps more troubling still: what would Victoria do now that her desperate gambit had failed so spectacularly?As they approached the stables, Felicity caught sight of Victoria's face in profile. The beautiful woman's expression was cold and calculating, and there was something in her eyes that sent a chill of foreboding through Felicity's veins.Whatever Victoria was planning next, Felicity had the sinking feeling that it would make her previous attempts to reclaim Adrian look like child's play.The game, it seemed, was far from over.
