Chapter Eight #2
Lady Daphne sat at the table with her parents having dinner.
Of course, her brother wasn’t subject to the same set of rules she was.
He was a man, and men could do whatever they wanted to do.
She listened as her parents were having a discussion on her father’s sudden change of heart regarding both the earl and the duke.
Personally, she despised both men, the earl more so.
He was old and looking for a woman to replace his late countess.
The duke was seemingly more interested in her than the earl was.
The earl was all about money and seeing that his wife would be compliant with his wishes.
She kept remembering the duke, Arthur telling her about his sister’s experience in such a marriage.
“Papa, why did you accept the earl’s offer of marriage so quickly?”
The viscount looked at his daughter for a moment, as though trying to choose his words carefully. Her mother watched, looking at her daughter first, then her husband.
“Your mother and I agreed it was past time for you to marry. You’ve had two failed seasons and there’s no need for another. I thought arranging a marriage for you was the best way to secure a husband for you.”
Daphne speared a piece of beef from her plate as she waited for her father to continue. “By marrying me off to the highest bidder?”
“It’s nothing like that, silly girl,” the viscountess said.
“No? Please enlighten me.”
“I’ve done some digging on the earl since he first approached me about marrying you. I don’t like what I found.”
“So you let him go to London to procure a special license?”
“No. It was all his doing. I never agreed to anything with the man. I told him I would consider his offer.”
“All right, but what about the duke?”
“His Grace came to me and told me about his feelings for you and asked me if he could court you. He impressed me so much I gave him permission,” the viscount said.
“Yes, the duke will do splendidly in Parliament. He’s a great speaker,” Daphne said. She tried not to roll her eyes at what had just come out of her mouth.
The viscountess picked up her wine glass and took a sip. “Tell her what you found out about the earl.”
“I did some research into the earl. He’s in dire straits for money due to his gambling and drinking habits. He’s sold everything that’s not entailed. That’s why your dowry is so important to him.”
“Let’s say if you granted the earl his marriage proposal, and he got my dowry, what’s to say he won’t spend that as fast as he can?”
“I’m quite sure he would spend it all.”
Daphne stared at her plate one last time before having a footman remove it. “What about His Grace?”
“The exact opposite of the earl. He doesn’t need the money. In fact, he mentioned he would take the dowry and save it for any daughters you and he might have. That they’re taken care of should they not marry.”
“Impressive.”
“Yes, it is,” her mother said.
Daphne smiled. “There’s only one thing.”
“What’s that?” her father asked.
“You forget that I dislike the duke.”
“I think you’ll change your mind as you spend more time together.”
Drat! Her father knew her better than she knew herself. She already had changed her opinion of the duke to some extent, but she certainly wouldn’t let anyone know. Arthur needed to work for it. He needed to do all the things a man should do when courting, and then some.
“That remains to be seen.”
“You’ll make a superb duchess and make the duke proud. You’re beautiful, well educated, compassionate, and kind,” the viscountess said proudly.
“You always see the best, never the worst.”
Her mother reached out and covered her daughter’s hand with her own. “Don’t overthink so much. Enjoy the duke’s company, and if it’s meant to be, you will know.”
She glanced at her father, who was enjoying a piece of lemon cake as he listened to his wife and daughter.
“What if the Earl of Bath returns early?”
“That’s highly unlikely. If he does, I’ll handle everything.”
Daphne shook her head. “He’s not going to give up easily. He’s quite determined to have me as his bride.”
“No, he won’t. I will handle the earl, no worries from you.”
She sighed. “Very well. I trust you to make the right decisions. You always do.”
The viscount smiled at her as he continued to enjoy his dessert. Daphne saw her father’s good spirits as a perfect time to discuss one or two things with him.
“Papa, would it be possible to move Sam back into the drawing room? Not loose, of course, not unless he’s supervised. He could stay in his large cage. He just seems so lonely in my room. You know how he loves being around people.”
Her father sat back in his chair and tapped the tabletop with his fingers. “I will take it under consideration. But if I decide to allow his return, he will stay caged if you’re not here to properly oversee him.”
“What about if I have guests? The ladies would be mortified at his language,” Daphne’s mother said.
“If it’s a small group of ladies, you could host them in the parlor. Or the blue drawing room,” Daphne said.
The viscountess nodded. Daphne knew she hadn’t considered that. By doing so, she showed her mother there were other options. “Yes, either of those would work.”
“See? The two of you can work things out without me,” her father chuckled.
“Of course we can,” her mother said. “Once this house party is done, I should like to have a small dinner for our neighbors.”
The viscount grunted and reached for a glass of port sitting in front of him. “Let us recover from this first one.”
“But of course,” the countess replied. She glanced over in Daphne’s direction with a look of triumph. Daphne, in turn, smiled knowingly at her mother.
Taking a fork, Daphne cut a piece of cake and put it in her mouth before her mother could protest. The countess was of the belief that young ladies needed to be more aware of what they ate. Daphne didn’t have that problem, but her mother still watched to make sure she didn’t overindulge.
Knowing her mother was watching her, she took three bites before pushing the plate back. She reached for her wine glass and finished the remaining contents. Surely her parents would be ready to move to the drawing room. Neither budged so she took her own initiative.
“If I may be excused, I would like to decide on what to wear to tomorrow evening’s function.”
“Of course, my dear,” her mother replied. “The new apricot silk gown would be perfect.”
Daphne nodded her head as she left the room, leaving her parents to discuss whatever worldly matters interested them. She took long steps to the staircase, taking two steps at a time. As she opened the door to her chamber, Daphne was greeted by Sam, her beloved macaw.
There was no holding the parrot back. “Bloody hell! Sam good boy.”
“You’re sure about that, Sam?” Daphne scratched the feathers on his neck.
“Sam like.”
Daphne turned and walked to the adjoining room where gowns and dresses were held.
She expected her lady’s maid to be there, but the room was vacant of anyone.
The apricot gown was already pulled, waiting for the wrinkles to be removed.
It would be a good choice, but Daphne wasn’t convinced it was the right gown for the occasion.
There was a sapphire silk gown which was her initial choice.
It was elegant yet daring. The color brought out her hair color.
It would definitely catch the duke’s attention.
She couldn’t believe she even cared what the duke thought, but she found herself in a precarious situation.
Marry the earl or Arthur. The choice wasn’t hard.
The duke was right; the earl wanted a young wife to bear him more children and accompany him to social events.
The thought of the toad touching her made her shiver.
The duke was handsome, took very good care of himself, was educated, and was concerned about what would happen if she married the earl.
She still couldn’t believe her father didn’t just tell the earl no. The earl, though, wasn’t one to be told no by anyone. He would return from London with a special license and demand the two would wed. That’s how the toad thought. Everything revolved around him.
At least with Arthur, they had some of the same interests.
He was a delight to talk with, though she would never let him know that.
Dukes were notably snobbish because of their rank.
They had every reason to be, but one thing she’d noticed about Arthur was that he wasn’t a typical duke.
Certainly, he could play the duke card when it suited him, but for the most part, he was down to earth and approachable.
She brought herself out of her thoughts and focused on the deep-blue gown. Yes, this would work. She would shine above every other young lady hoping to gain the attention of Arthur. A duke certainly would be a fine catch for any lady but he seemed to have eyes only for her.
Daphne wandered out to her bed where her night rail was laying waiting for her. A warm robe had been placed next to it. She began to take her clothes off when Lydia rushed in to help.
“I apologize, milady. I should have been here.”
“Lydia, you can’t be here all the time. Even you need a break.”
“Thank you, milady.”
“I’ve decided to wear the sapphire gown tomorrow evening.”
Lydia cocked her head at the change. “It’s certainly beautiful and eye-catching.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
The maid nodded and began to unlace Daphne’s corset.
No further words were said unless necessary.
Daphne walked into the sitting area to talk with Sam before she put him in his cage for the night.
The macaw knew his routine and, like most nights, he was either in his cage or sitting on top waiting for her.
Tonight he was in his cage. He was so smart he’d pulled the door closed with his beak.
“Good night, Sam,” she said as she bolted the door shut on the cage and covered it with a large piece of fabric to keep out the nighttime drafts.
“Sam sleep now.”
She smiled as she turned away. Moments later, she climbed into bed, hoping she’d be able to sleep sooner than later.
It was hard to simply turn off the thoughts in her head.
There was so much going on in her life. She had one man who thought if he obtained a special license, her father would sign off on a marriage to his only daughter.
Then there was the duke, a man she couldn’t stand to be in the same room with.
Now she found herself drawn to Arthur and wanting to spend more time with him.
Her father had given them a way to do that very thing by agreeing to let the duke court her.
She’d only had one man court her, and that was two years ago.
His name had been John Coe and his family members of the gentry.
It all ended abruptly when she and her mother ran into him at a shop in London while escorting another young woman.
He had been tongue tied and embarrassed.
It was the last time Daphne ever saw him.
Tomorrow evening would be a true challenge.
The duke would dance with her more than what was customary.
Tongues would be wagging by the time the evening was over.
The masquerade would be the final social event at the house party.
Two days before everyone would meet in the ballroom with masks on.
Everyone trying to figure out who was who, which wasn’t hard to do.
Those who opted for more elegant masks were nearly impossible to figure out.
Would he kiss her again? Tomorrow evening or perhaps at the masquerade party? His previous kiss had been quite nice, leaving her wanting more, though she’d never let him know that.
She felt her eyelids become heavy as sleep crept up on her. Daphne let it take over, fighting any thoughts of the duke until the next time. It was almost impossible to close her mind off from Arthur, but she fought it until she remembered nothing except in her dreams.