Chapter 6 #2
“In childbirth, I believe.” Lydia nodded.
“How tragic.” Daisy bit her bottom lip. Sympathy for the Duke and Lord Harry squeezed her chest.
“Isn’t it always?” Lydia returned.
They shared a commiserating look, knowing that when their time came, they were just as likely to roll the dice on whether they would survive childbirth.
With a sigh, they resumed their walk.
Daisy enjoyed the bracing wind that bit at her face, waking her up completely and clearing any lingering cobwebs from her mind. If she thought about it too much, the prospect of partnering up with the Duke felt a bit daunting.
Lydia was right. He was rather brooding, in a deeply intriguing way. But who would believe he looked at her and saw a future bride? She was plain old Daisy, and he was tall and imposing. His eyes alone could hold anyone captive.
What am I thinking? All things considered, the Duke would never willingly marry a woman like me.
“Perhaps I should call it off,” Daisy said abruptly, giving voice to her conflicted musings.
Lydia stopped walking to give her a concerned look. “Is it because of what I said? I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t mean to dissuade you. Of course you can manage. You’re the most capable person I know.”
“Well, it’s manage this, or marry Dulforth, so I suppose I’ll have to.”
“Oh Daisy.” Lydia squeezed her arm. “If anyone can help you with this, it’s the Duke. So you were quite sensible to enlist his help.”
“Well, actually, he offered to help me so…” Daisy said drily, resuming their walk.
“Even better.”
“Uncle Winston!” Harry shouted before throwing himself into the man’s arms with absolutely no regard for his safety. Edmund watched from the sidelines, unable to help, grinning.
His friend caught his son in his deftly then captured him in a massive bear hug, making Harry squeal.
“How is my favorite nephew then?” Winston asked as he relaxed his grip.
“I’m fine. What did you bring me?”
Winston grinned even as Edmund sent Harry a chiding look. “Is that how we speak to guests, Harry?” Edmund asked.
Harry shook his head, pursing his lips. “Sorry, Uncle Winston. May I please have my present?”
Winston laughed. “Of course.” He reached into his coat and extracted a package, which he handed over to Harry. “It’s a toy carriage made by a gypsy woman and enchanted to move.”
Edmund cocked an eyebrow at him. “Don’t tell the boy fairy stories, Winston.”
Winston crossed his hand on his chest dramatically. “I swear it’s the truth. Open it.”
Harry excitedly tore the paper with which the toy was wrapped and held it up.
Edmund saw that it was a very faithful replica of their carriage, complete with the House of Blackvale crest on the door.
It had miniature wheels, and when Harry put the carriage on the floor, it rolled a few feet before coming to a stop.
Winston leaned into Edmund so he could whisper in his ear. “There’s a mechanism you can use to wind it up,” he murmured.
Edmund snorted. “And you think Harry won’t find it?”
“Of course he will. He’s a clever boy,” Winston said.
Edmund raised his voice. “Harry, what do you say?”
“Thank you for my toy!” Harry jumped to his feet. “Can I go and play with it?”
“Yes, you may. But remember that you wanted to visit with your uncle and Lady Daisy, and that’s why we’re having this small gathering.”
“All right, I’ll just go and put the carriage in my chambers, and then I’ll come back,” Harry said.
“Good lad.” Winston clapped the child on the shoulder before following Edmund into the den.
“Now that there’s no one else about, you can tell me what possessed you to host afternoon tea. Is someone blackmailing you?” Winston asked.
Edmund huffed. “No one is blackmailing me into hosting afternoon tea. I did it of my own volition…mostly.”
Winston folded his arms and gazed expectantly at Edmund. “Explain.”
Edmund looked around. “It’s quite simple. I have entered into an agreement with a lady to win my aunt’s sponsorship. She is in dire need of the funds and won’t take a handout.”
“And what do you gain from this?”
“Respite from my aunt’s incessant matchmaking.”
“Hmm. But won’t you have to act as if you are engaged to this woman?”
“And? Are you saying I do not know how to behave around women?”
“I’m saying you have limited experience with ladies. It’s not the same thing, you know.”
Edmund barked a quick laugh. “I know. And I am a gentleman despite my aversion to the marriage mart; I do know how to go through the motions.”
“Do you?”
Edmund cocked his head to the side. “Oh, ye of little faith.”
Winston threw back his head and laughed heartily. “In all your thirty-two years of living, have you ever courted a single lady?”
Edmund thought about it.
“Mary does not count,” Winston said before Edmund could say a word about his departed wife.
“Of course she does not. Mary was my dear friend,” Edmund said softly.
“May she rest in peace,” Winston replied.
“Amen.”
“But to my point, you did not have to court her.” Winston crossed the room and picked up a hefty book.
He balanced the tome in his hands, then turned an expectant look on Edmund.
“True,” Edmund countered, “but I did marry her.”
“You did not have to make her swoon or convince anyone else that she was in love with you.”
“Nobody expects love,” Edmund scoffed. “As long as we seem to like each other, that should be sufficient for the purpose of Lady Archworth’s Games.”
Winston was silent for a while before he snorted.
“You and Mary were hardly the picture of romance. Perhaps you can sell this relationship with Lady Daisy in the same way. Instead of asking people to believe that you are lovers, you might do well to convince them that you are at least smitten with one another.”
“Yes well, Daisy and I don’t plan to be lovers anyway.”
“You know what they say about plans. Man proposes, God disposes.”
“When exactly did you become God-fearing?” Edmund mocked.
“The point is, sometimes the line between pretending and having actual feelings is quite thin.”
Edmund laughed. “That sounds like wishful thinking.”
“Lady Daisy Murray is quite the prime article, as I recall. If she were better endowed financially and her father were not such a stain on her name, she would have been snatched up long ago.”
Edmund frowned, not happy with the thought of anyone else getting their hands on Lady Daisy.
He remembered all too clearly the look of consternation that had marred her features when she had been cornered by Lord Dulforth.
While he still did not know exactly what passed between them at his aunt’s dinner party, Edmund could not bear the thought of seeing Lady Daisy so distraught ever again.
“She is more than a beauty, Winston. She has quick wits and an honorable nature. She wouldn’t settle for just anyone. ”
Winston smirked. “Is that so? You sound almost fond.”
Edmund sighed in irritation. “I know how much you love to be right, but you are wrong about this, my friend. Lady Daisy is safe with me. I am a gentleman, and nothing of any sort is going to happen between us.”
“You may be a gentleman, Edmund, but you are also a man. Don’t go forgetting that.”
Edmund rolled his eyes. “You are infuriating.”
Winston grinned. “I’m honest.”
Before Edmund could respond, the butler stepped into the room to announce the arrival of Lady Archworth, as well as Lady Daisy and her father. Winston and Edmund got to their feet to receive the visitors.
Lady Archworth’s face lit up as soon as she saw Winston. “Lord Salwick. What a pleasure. Have you and Edmund been conspiring? You have that look about you.”
Winston laughed. “I suppose you shall never know.” He turned his attention to Daisy and made an elegant leg. “Lady Daisy, it is a pleasure.”
She sent Edmund a quick look of confusion, then recovered just as hastily. “Have we been introduced? My apologies, I don’t remember.”
Edmund smirked as Winston explained to Lady Daisy that they’d met at a house party during her debut Season.
“Forgive me,” she said with a sheepish smile. “There were just so many introductions then.”
Winston put a hand to his heart. “I can imagine that a beauty such as you was inundated.”
Daisy blushed. Her long lashes swept downwards to cover her eyes. Edmund had noticed she did that when she did not want her expression to be read.
“I…well, it was my debut. I was just new to it all.”
“Modest as well as beautiful,” Winston said.
“Lord Salwick, kindly stop embarrassing the lady,” Edmund said drily, and Winston flipped him a wink before moving aside to greet the Earl.
Edmund stepped forward and bowed in front of Lady Daisy. “Lady Daisy. A pleasure to see you again.”
She instituted a curtsy. “You as well, Your Grace.” Her eyes remained cast demurely downward.
Edmund smiled warmly at her. Then, he turned and nodded to her father. “Lord Claymore.”
The earl bowed grandly. “Your Grace, my daughter and I thank you for the honor of this invitation.”
“It is my pleasure to play the host this afternoon.”
At his words, Edmund did not miss the stunned looks that Winston and Aunt Regina sent each other. But he did choose to ignore them.
He gestured towards the sofas, and everyone took a seat. Just then, Harry came streaking into the room and headed straight for Lady Daisy, skidding to a stop just half an inch short of slamming right into her.
“Lady Daisy, you came.” His cheeks were flushed with pleasure, and in his haste, his shirt had come untucked.
Edmund frowned.