CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Felicity took a washcloth and dunked into the basin of lukewarm water by the bed, wrung it out, and placed it on Connie's forehead. It was late evening and dusk was settling in over the town. To Felicity, all dusk meant was one step closer to the dreaded duel. Felicity remembered Annabelle once long ago back at Miss Manderly's lessons, jabbering on about some girl she knew back in England who was thrilled and flattered that two men had fought a duel over her. Felicity was neither thrilled nor flattered. She was downright disgusted at both Andy and Ben, and for two cents she would tell them both to leave her alone. Miss Gypsy was curled up on the bed near Connie's side. Mr. Merriman did not want the dog on the furniture, but inside the bedchamber both Felicity and Connie let Miss Gypsy sleep wherever she fancied. Felicity sat down on the edge of the bed. She wished that she were Miss Gypsy. Miss Gypsy didn't have to worry about silly boys fighting duels, becoming an old maid, or getting married.
"Oh Lissie," Connie groaned. "You are so good to me. Such an angel."
"Well considering that tomorrow I may loose the man I love most dearly in the world, or a man I do care for the wellbeing for, I should be the one laying in bed," Felicity muttered. A look of sadness crossed Connie's face. It then occurred to Felicity that this was a rather tactless thing to say to Connie who had lost her husband. Felicity didn't mean to sound mean, but between Connie and Polly she was tired of nursing sick people.
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean it that way."
"Oh no Felicity," Connie replied. "It is okay. You are under a lot of pressure right now and you have every right to be."
"I have to do something to stop that duel," said Felicity. "Grandfather always was against dueling, it is a ridiculous practice. I never thought it would come to this."
"You have two men who love you Felicity," Connie sighed. "I wish we could do something. You see my older sister lives up in Boston, my older brother New York. I haven't seen them in ten years. It is too cold for my bones up north. Ben is really the only family I have left."
Both girls were silent for a few moments, deep in their own thought.
"I guess I do have an idea," Felicity said.
"What is it?" Asked Connie.
"Well, perhaps if I gave Andy the one thing in the world he most wants, he might fold and let Ben buy the horse."
Connie sat up in bed like a bolt of lightening. Felicity never knew that the ninny could move so fast.
"Oh Lissie don't," she gasped. "Don't engage in intercourse with Doctor Matthews. You will ruin your honor, and it isn't fair to my brother. Plus it is immoral, a sin! You will burn in hell for ever."
Felicity bit the insides of her mouth to keep from breaking out into laughter. Intercourse with Andy was not what she had in mind. Connie looked simply shocked, and Felicity decided to have a bit of fun with it. Teasing Connie was quite amusing entertainment.
"Oh Connie," Felicity retorted. "I've had intercourse with your brother many of time, and that is not what I am planning to do with Andy. What kind of a hussy do you think I am?"
Connie's eyes were wide and her mouth open. Her face was as pale as the bed sheets.
"Felicity you and Ben didn't?" She asked. "Please say you didn't."
Felicity shrugged, deciding to milk it for all that it was worth,
"I mean give Andy something besides me," said Felicity.
"He's got all the money he needs," replied Connie. "What else could he want?"
"Andy has been trying to get a piece of property from his father who is sick, heired to him. Andy was born out of marriage, and his father denies him."
"The poor thing," Connie moaned. "Felicity, that is very sad."
"Well I have kind of a different relationship with his father," said Felicity.
"You know his father?" Connie asked.
"His father is Jiggy Nye," said Felicity.
"I know who that is," Connie exclaimed. "Why Ben talked a lot of him. He's the one you rescued Penny from. He's the town drunk."
"Aye," answered Felicity. "Long ago I did do him a favor. He did pay me back, and we haven't had much contact since, but now I do have my womanly charms. Maybe I could get him to sign the papers declaring Andy his son, and leaving him the property."
"Lissie, Jiggy Nye is a no good drunk," said Connie. "He's dangerous. I think you should stay far away from him."
"I wasn't afraid of Jiggy Nye when I was nine years old, and I am not afraid of him now," retorted Felicity.
"Yes but only a truly wicked, abhorrent, soul would hurt a nine-year-old girl. A worthless drunk might not hurt a nine-year-old, but you are a lady now Lissie. He might get fresh with you."
Actually there was some lucid sense to what Connie was saying, but Felicity knew she could take care of herself, and if it spared the life of Ben as well as Andy she was willing to take the risk of meeting with Jiggy Nye.
"Poppycock!" She snapped. "Jiggy Nye will do no such thing. I'll be fine. I am going to leave tonight after everyone has gone to bed. I will draw up some sort of contract of my own for Mr. Nye to sign. Now don't tell anybody about this."
"I really don't think you should go alone," Connie whined. "Take Ben with you."
"Ben hates Andy with a passion," said Felicity. "There is no way he is going to go and happily observe while I try and get his property willed to him."
"How about William?" Connie suggested.
"That butterball wouldn't do me that much good," Felicity said. "Plus he will go tell Father. I can work alone."
"Then I will go with you," Connie announced.
Felicity once again had to stop her laughter. Why Polly with two broken arms, a broken leg, and a broken neck, would be better protection than a weak stomached ninny such as Connie. She would probably faint at the sight and smell of Jiggy Nye!
"Conne don't," Felicity argued, but Connie shook her head.
"Absolutely not," she said. "I am not going to let you go out in the middle of the night and visit some belligerent, raging, drunk, man by yourself. I am going to go with you. I know very well that I am scrawny and weak, but at least with two of us we might have a chance."
Felicity sighed. She wasn't going to waste good energy fighting with the ninny.
"Oh all right," she muttered. "We will leave at ten. Hopefully we will get back in time to catch some sleep before the duel. Later I am going to sneak a knife from out of the kitchen so we have some sort of protection."
Felicity flounced over to the desk and plopped down. Scribbling furiously with the quill she began to make up some sort of declaration. Connie got up out of bed, and tiptoed over to her trunk. She unlatched it, and lifted the lid. She took out a bulky bundle wrapped in a white cloth. She brought it over to Felicity.
"A knife won't be very good protection," she said. "Unless you can really thrust it into Mr. Nye, all it will do is irritate him, and can be used against you. We will take this for protection instead."
She unwrapped the white cloth. Felicity's mouth dropped open in complete shock. There resting in Connie's lap was a smooth, large caliber, flintlock, pistol. The rosewood stock was elaborately engraved, with embossed brass fitting, the barrel long and sleek. Connie Davidson Fellows was the last person on earth that Felicity thought would have a gun. She was stunned, but she was also very interested, she had never seen a gun before.
"Where on earth did you get that?" She demanded.
"My husband David gave it to me on our wedding night before he left for the war," Connie replied as she delicately ran her fingers over the engraved wood. Felicity thought that a gun was a very unromantic wedding gift.
"He knew I was going to be living alone while he was away, and he wanted me to have some way to protect myself," Connie explained.
"Do you know how to fire it?" Felicity asked.
"Oh yes," Connie said confidently. "David taught me before he left. He told me to practice and keep up on it, for my accuracy, and I did."
"Very well," Felicity nodded. "Hopefully he won't need it, but in case we do I hope that you know what you are doing with it."
Felicity went back to her writing. Connie took some gunpowder out of a small sack and began to work on loading her gun. Out of the corner of her eye Felicity watched her in amazement as she half cocked the hammer, poured in the gunpowder, wrapped up the lead ball bullet in a cloth and rammed it down the barrel, and snapped the frizzen over the pan, Connie worked swiftly and efficiently. For a moment, Felicity was actually thankful to be having Connie accompany her.
It was just about ten, Felicity and Connie were dressed and ready. Felicity tried to push any nerves that she had aside, but it was hard. She had hardly seen Jiggy Nye in six years, why in the world would he sign the papers for her? Andy his own son had been trying to get Jiggy to sign them his whole life. Both girls grabbed their cloaks. Felicity had the contract, ink will, and quill with her, Connie had the gun wrapped up in its cloth, hidden under her cloak. Felicity quietly led Patriot out of the stable. They would saddle him outside, so they wouldn't wake William.
"I'm scared Felicity," Connie said as Felicity hoisted herself up onto the horse.
"You don't have to go," Felicity offered her one last time. Connie pulled herself up onto the horse.
"Let's do it," she instructed,
They took off towards the tannery, Connie clinging to Felicity's waist for dear life.
"Lissie," she groaned. " I am worried about your morality. You didn't really you know, have, well you know, with my brother."
Felicity was delighted that in dire times like this Connie was concerned with such important causes. She tightened her grip on Patriot's reins as they began to speed up and sighed.
"That is for me to know, and you not to know."