Chapter Ten #3
He watched her disappear inside the ballroom.
He waited behind for a few minutes before doing the same.
Standing on the edge of the dance floor, Arthur looked around as couples paired up for the first dance of the evening.
Looking over at the French doors, he also noted that neither the viscount nor Black were standing outside.
Watching the couples whirl by, Arthur continued to look for the two gentlemen.
He also kept his eye on the door to see if Daphne and her mother appeared.
He finally spotted Black speaking with a couple of other gentlemen on the other side of the ballroom.
At last he found Daphne with her mother and another mother and daughter sitting in the lemon grove in a corner of the room.
Arthur decided to walk over to her and ask her for the next dance before Black found her and did the same. As he made his way to the grove of trees, he greeted fellow party goers. Some he knew, a lot he did not. Her mother was the first to recognize him when he approached.
“Your Grace, good evening,” she trilled.
“Ladies. I hope you’re all having an enjoyable evening.”
They all agreed, making his job easier. “May I introduce my good friend, Lady Rose and her mother, Dowager Baroness Sweet,” Daphne offered. The baroness’s husband had passed away years ago, but she had never remarried.
“Ladies.”
A few moments of small talk and Arthur could tell the first dance was ending and the next would start in the next few minutes. He turned to Daphne. “Lady Daphne, may I have the honor of this next dance?”
“You may,” she beamed.
He placed her smaller hand on his arm and led her to the center of the dance floor. Arthur was very much aware her mother was watching closely, as she should. He imagined she was nervous about the earl being in attendance.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked as she placed her hand on his shoulder.
“Yes, I am now.” She smiled. “I’m sure you heard the earl’s here and won’t accept what my father told him for the hundredth time.”
“Yes, I heard.”
The music started and he led her around the floor, past other couples swept up in the moment. They weren’t five minutes into the dance and Black decided to try and cut in. Arthur glanced at Daphne and squeezed her hand.
“If you don’t mind, Your Grace, I’d like to dance with my betrothed,” he smirked.
Black reached for Daphne, but she pulled away. “I am not your betrothed nor are we courting,” she spat.
“We are to be married. It’s just a little misunderstanding between your father and me.”
“Bollocks,” she cried. “The only one misunderstanding the situation is you. You need to accept the fact and move on to someone else. Someone who’s more gullible than I.”
Arthur decided to step in. Not that Daphne needed help, but the earl was so determined, Arthur was afraid something might transpire that shouldn’t. The man was known to have a temper. Especially if he didn’t get his way.
“If you’ll excuse us, Black…”
“I am going to have my dance with Lady Daphne, now. Unhand her.”
People were beginning to turn and watch what was transpiring. He didn’t want her embarrassed any more than she might be, but Daphne beat him to it. “He will do no such thing.” She looked up at him. “Would you escort me, Your Grace?”
“I’d be honored.”
Arthur began to lead her through the other dancers and to the side of the room when Black yelled out, “This isn’t over with. You are mine, Lady Daphne. I shall teach you some manners once we’ve married.”
“Don’t be afraid,” Arthur said. He kept her close. “We’ll try for another dance a bit later.”
“Please don’t let me out of your sight, Arthur. I don’t trust that toad not to do something drastic. He does not take no for an answer.”
“Understood. I won’t.”
He needed to speak with the viscount, though he was sure he’d heard Black’s outburst. The earl was becoming desperate, and that made him dangerous.
“Are you hungry? I see the buffet is open.”
She shook her head. “No, not after that confrontation.”
“You can’t let him dictate your life.”
“I’m trying not to, but he does scare me. I’m afraid he’s capable of horrible things.”
“You need to show him you’re not afraid of him,” he replied. “Come, let’s go through the buffet, get something to drink. We can sit at one of the tables and talk.”
Biting her lip proved to him she was scared. She nodded. “Yes, let’s.”
Daphne picked her way through the buffet line. Her choices were safe, making Arthur wonder if she were that picky with all foods. He certainly hadn’t noticed it before now. Then again, it was probably the confrontation with Black that was to blame for the lack of food on her plate.
He found a table to sit at and hoped no one would want to join them. He wanted to see what she was thinking. She was quite headstrong, as seen by her words to Black.
“What are you thinking about? I don’t think I’ve seen you so quiet,” he said, picking up his fork.
She looked him in the eyes before speaking. “I’m not sure you’d like to hear my thoughts.”
“Try me.”
She speared a shrimp off her plate and thoughtfully chewed it. “I’ve been thinking about your unofficial proposal.”
His head jerked up. “You wish to marry? Now?”
“Why not? It would solve a lot of potential problems. Black for one. Face it, he’s not about to give up. At least if we were married, he might just disappear,” she said.
Arthur shook his head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to marry just to get rid of the man. That seems so cold. I want to marry you because I’ve fallen in love with you. I want to make you my duchess.”
“Arthur, I may not show it but in this short time, I’ve grown quite fond of you. I’m afraid to call anything love for fear I’ll be left with a broken heart.”
“So you’re saying you’re fond of me?”
“It’s more than that. A lot more. I am afraid I’ll wake up and find it all a dream,” she replied.
“It’s not a dream, Daphne. Do you have any ideas on this matter?”
Taking her fork, she moved food around on her plate. “We could elope.”
“I thought all young ladies wanted a formal, large wedding. You don’t?” he asked.
“Under the circumstances with Black, I’m sure my parents would understand.”
He set his fork down and took a sip of wine before continuing. “We could go to Gretna Green.”
“Don’t you have an estate in the north? We could go there. You could get a special license and we could marry,” she replied.
“There is that option. We could spend a fortnight there. If we were to go to Gretna Green, we could also stop at my estate and spend some time.”
“Remember what I suggested at the cottage?”
“Yes. If we’d stayed, I wouldn’t have been able to promise you the outcome,” he said.
She giggled. “Let’s think about which is the more viable option. That outcome could still occur before we leave on an adventure.”
He ignored her comment. “Black isn’t going to take no for an answer. He’ll keep coming around trying to break your father down until he gets the result he wants.”
“My father won’t see him. He’s said his peace,” she said.
Arthur swirled the wine around that was still in his glass. “Are you done?” he asked as he swallowed the remainder of his wine.
She looked at her plate. “Yes, why?”
He took her hand, bent over, and whispered in her ear, “Fancy a trip to London?”
“Now?” she asked, her eyes growing large.
“Yes. Nothing like the present.”
“But I need to pack.”
“You can buy anything you need.”
She shook her head. “No. I can manage to pack a few things quickly, and you can do the same.”
“Daphne, that’ll take you far too long. I want to be on the road as soon as possible.”
“Then we’re at an impasse, Your Grace.”
Now was not the time nor place to be stubborn. “Are you serious?”
“Quite.”
“Fine. We’ll need to sit down and replan this in order to accommodate you.
It’s obvious we won’t be leaving tonight.
” She could be so frustrating, and he, for the most part, could deal with her.
This was different. He had planned it out in his head.
On the other hand, it might be for the best. She’d been confronted by Black to the point she was nervous about him.
He was afraid if they waited too long, Black might come up with a scheme like kidnapping her to marry her.
That wasn’t going to happen if he had anything to say about it.
“You’re serious?”
“I’m afraid so. Perhaps we can leave in a day or two. You can pack a bag to be ready for when we do leave. I’m not changing my mind, just when and how we do it.”
She said nothing for a few moments, then nodded her head in agreement. “I think that would be the better plan. How would we go?”
“To London, then take the train to our destination,” he said.
“I like that.”
“What is it you like?” her father said from behind her.
“Papa, do you always eavesdrop on others?”
“No. I wanted to make sure you were all right after that incident on the dance floor,” he said.
“I’m fine. His Grace has been entertaining me.” She smiled at both men as though she had not a care in the world.
“Is the earl still here?” Arthur inquired.
“He’s in the card room enjoying the liquor a little too much.”
“Be sure to have my brother-in-law know. He’ll have him put in his carriage in no time.”
“I think there is a line of men who’ll see to it,” the viscount said with a smirk.
“No doubt,” Arthur replied.
“I’ll let you two get back to your conversation. I just wanted to make sure the earl hadn’t ruined your evening.”
“Thank you, Papa.”
The viscount resumed his rounds, greeting people he knew for sure behind their masks. Arthur and Daphne watched him until he stopped to greet a couple he obviously recognized, then resumed their conversation.
“It’s nice to see my father is enjoying himself. He’s usually not one for social events such as this, but he seems to like this one,” Daphne said.
“I would say you’re right. Has he always been like that?”
“No, I believe my mother dragging him from party to party might play a part as to why he’s usually so solemn in situations like this.”
Arthur sat straight up in his chair. “What would you like to do now? We could dance, or I could take you back to your mother if you wish.”
“Could you escort me as far as the curtain over there?” she asked innocently.
He realized she was wanting to go to the ladies’ retiring room. She did not wish to walk across the room alone. “Of course, though wouldn’t it be better if your mother escorted you?”
“I don’t wish to disturb her. And before you ask, no, I don’t care what others think. They need to get used to seeing us together.”
Her statement didn’t surprise him. She was an independent woman and shunned some of the ton’s list of things not to do, if there was such a list. He stood to his full height and offered her his hand. She put her smaller one in his as she stood.
As they approached the curtained off room, he let his grip loosen. “I’ll be right over there by that statue.”
“I’ll try not to be too long.”
He nodded and watched her disappear behind the dark-blue curtain.
Sitting in a high back crème damask chair, he summoned a passing footman for a glass of brandy.
Moments later, the young man reappeared, brandy in hand.
He accepted the glass and began to swirl the liquid.
This should help the time pass while he waited for Daphne.
He watched as people walked by, and if he couldn’t guess, wondered who they were behind their fancy masks.