CHAPTER SEVEN

Felicity took a deep breath before entering her house. She knew her parents would question her early arrival home. She felt bad for making Elizabeth and Joseph leave early. They had been very understanding. Felicity had told them she was feeling queasy. This was partly true, due to her first experience with brandy. Felicity told Elizabeth that the man she was talking to was nobody, just somebody who she briefly met, and she would explain her long absence tomorrow, but didn't want to discuss tonight. Joseph escorted them home, and Elizabeth said she would come check on Felicity in the morning.

Felicity's family was still awake, and in the parlor. Under God's grace, Nan was nowhere in sight.

"Why Lissie," Mother said looking up the button she was sewing on to one of Merriman's shirts. "You are home early."

"Is everything all right pretty one?" Mr. Merriman asked. "You look pale."

"I was feeling a bit queasy," Felicity said keeping her distance, afraid her parents would smell brandy on her breath. By now she did have a pretty bad headache.

"Too many parties, too much dancing, too much excitement," said Mrs. Merriman. "Did you have a lovely time though? Was it grand?"

"It was grand," Felicity answered. "Good night."

Felicity began to go up the stairs to her bedchamber. She could hear Father saying something about how out of character being queasy was for Felicity. Felicity was the girl who could dance all night, even if it wasn't the most graceful. She could ride horses all day long, and still be up for a game of battledore and shuttlecock.

"I believe she is resisting suitors," she heard him say. She stopped at the top of the stairs to listen. "She still has her head in the clouds over Ben Davidson. I have gentlemen friends with strapping sons who are interested in Lissie, but they say she is standoffish, and distance. They do not see the Lissie we get to see."

Felicity's cheeks grew pink. So it wasn't just Nan who thought she was a failure, her Father thought so too. She could not take anymore tonight. She opened the door to her bedchamber. Nan was sitting at her dresser trying Felicity's pearl choker, a gift from Elizabeth.

"Lissie!" Nan squealed. "Do you not know how to knock?"

"Tis my room as well," Felicity snapped. She was feeling exceptionally irritable due to the events of the night, and the brandy. Nan was the perfect pawn for her wrath. If that little imp said anything, Felicity was going to have her head. The fact that she was sitting at Felicity's dresser, rummaging through her things, and trying on her fine pearl choker was enough to set her off. All of Felicity's dresser things were out of order. She had been into her fine lavender powder.

"Take off my choker," Felicity said. "You do not have my permission to wear it. I don't go through your things."

"Nice to see you too dear sister," Nan quipped, as she took off the choker. "I guess you are worried that I would find your old love letters from Ben. I have found those long ago, and since he has quit writing, I know there are no more, since the Prutt boy doesn't write letters."

"My letters are none of your business," Felicity replied. She took the comb out of her hair, her red tresses came cascading down her back.

"You are home early," Nan remarked.

"I am not feeling well," Felicity replied as she began to shimmy out of the green silk. Earlier that night she would have never have wanted to remove the glorious dress. Now she couldn't wait to get it off.

"That must be your new excuse for getting no suitors," Nan said. "Bust hanging out and all."

"Nan I cannot take this tonight. Leave me alone," Felicity said sternly. The green mass went over her head. She immediately began undoing her stays. To be able to breathe again was a sheer miracle in itself.

"The boys are leaving you alone Felicity," Nan said with a smirk. She bounced down onto her bed.

"Nan, I do have a suitor," Felicity said with not much thought. She just had to get to bed. Lie down, and sleep. Get rid of the headache. Never drink brandy again. Never go to a ball again.

"Oh yes," Nan replied. "You will make a fine butcher's wife Lissie."

"I am not going to be the butcher's wife," Felicity shrieked. She picked up a pincushion and threw it at Nan. Nan ducked and it missed her and hit the wall.

"Being an old maid doesn't mean that you must be a crotchety old maid," Nan groaned.

"I did meet a suitor tonight," Felicity said as she took off her earrings.

"Really?" A said a surprised Nan. "I am shocked. What is the poor gentleman's name?"

"None of your business," Felicity muttered.

"The name of my future brother-in-law is my business," Nan returned.

"If I tell you, then you must promise to keep your mouth shut, and not make one peep to me for the rest of the night," said Felicity. "Not a one."

"You have my word," Nan answered.

"And you are not to go snooping through my things anymore," Felicity was now dressed for bed. Nan nodded. Felicity was trying to think up a name, but her brandy-clogged brain could only come up with one.

"Andy Matthews," she said and she blew out her candle, crawled under the coverlets, and closed the bed curtains around her shutting out Nan, Theodore Prutt, Eli Merriweather, and Andy Matthews.

Two days later Felicity was in the kitchen kneading bread. As she smacked the dough against the tabletop she pictured Eli's face, and she smacked it harder and harder. Nan burst through the kitchen door, running, with her hair a mess. This was very out of character for Nan.

"Why Nan," exclaimed Mrs. Merriman. "You never run, only my Lissie would be caught running."

"Mother you are not going to believe what I found out today at Miss Manderly's," Nan said, out of breath. "Catherine told me that it is all over town. Tis all the gentlemen at the tavern talk about."

"The war is over?" Rose asked.

"The war has started," Nan replied. "Catherine told me that Lissie hit a boy. She hit a boy at the ball, and gave him a bloody lip."

Felicity's heart dropped like a ball of lead into the deepest pit of her stomach, and a wave of nausea fell over her.

"Nan that is absurd," Mrs. Merriman laughed. "Lissie has no reason to go and hit a boy."

"Caroline said according to her brother, tis the talk of the tavern," Nan reported staring at Felicity. "After the ball, a bunch of boys went down to the tavern. David Merriweather had quite a bit to drink and he said that Felicity had hit a boy, and gave him a bloody lip. He wouldn't say who it was though. What did you do Lissie? Hit Mr. Plutt?"

David Merriweather was Eli's brother. Eli must have told his brother about her hitting him, and she was certain that David didn't know the real reason behind her intentions. Nobody did except her and Andy.

"I did not hit Mr. Plutt," Felicity said. What if Father hears this? She cannot lie about it? Her word would never stand next to a Merriweather's word. What if David reveals the identity of the boy she hit? She would die an old maid."The boys at the tavern are silly," Felicity went on. "They get drunk and then tell terrible stories about the ladies."

As soon as she could, Felicity ducked out of the kitchen to visit Penny in the stable. She pressed her face close to Penny's mane. She always took comfort in her smell. Penny smelled like a horse, but she smelled like Penny as well. Penny didn't care about that Felicity hit Eli Merriweather, or the fact that he tried to take terrible advantage of her. She didn't care that she had drank brandy alone with a stranger, or that she would be an old maid. Felicity stroked Penny and whispered to her horse

"Just me and you Penny, just me and you."