Chapter 1 #2
Daniel Brighton, Marquess of Grisham, was her only brother. They shared a father and had different mothers, but the latter didn’t even matter. To her, Daniel was always her protector. She felt utter relief to see him stride toward them with his usual self-assured way.
Tall and lean, he was the epitome of male grace. However, there was also something underneath the easygoing charm—something more calculated.
Daniel quickly faced Lady Frances, who was starting to turn beet red. She and Daphne would now make quite a pair.
“Surely, what happened was merely an accident?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at the blushing lady. “You didn’t really mean to stain my sister’s dress. Did you, Lady Frances?”
“N-no, my lord,” Lady Frances stammered. “It was an accident. I apologize for the inconvenience, Lady Daphne.”
Daphne tilted her head toward Lady Frances, as a sign of acceptance, even as the stain bloomed on one of her favorite dresses.
“My dear.” Another saccharine voice piped up, and Daphne immediately recognized it.
Her mother, the Dowager Marchioness of Grisham, joined them, most likely because she saw that everyone seemed to be gawking at her daughter.
As Lady Grisham’s sharp gaze fell on the stain, Daphne swallowed. Her mother was not the sort of woman who would take her children’s side in an argument. She would always think of how the ton would receive any word or deed, and Daphne was certain she’d be getting an earful soon.
“It is best if you help your sister clean up,” Lady Grisham told Victoria, clearly giving a command, but neither could oppose the wisdom of the instruction as it was most prudent.
Therefore, the twins retreated discreetly, stepping away from the small cluster of people, and scurrying from the room in hopes of finding a private place where they could remove some of the stain from the gown.
Daphne nurtured no hopes of saving the garment, the splash of liquid had likely ruined the fabric, but at least she could leave the rest of the crowd behind for a moment.
They did find a quiet room just down the hall where Daphne dabbed at the wine with a bit of cloth. Lady Frances had certainly not done her a favor by selecting red wine as her beverage of choice. The dark color clung stubbornly to the pale, pastel fabric.
“If I could just get my hands on that little wretch…” Victoria fumed as her hands clenched into fists.
“No. Forget about Frances, sister. She’s not worth your energy,” Daphne advised, even as her chest tightened with a growing annoyance.
Her sister huffed and whirled away. “Very well. I’ll fetch a maid to help us.”
Victoria closed the door behind herself as she left, and silence settled like a heavy curtain.
Only then did Daphne fully feel it: the stillness, the sting of humiliation, and the damp chill of her ruined gown. She glanced down again; the stain had spread, forming strange shapes across the silk, like a map to some place she never wished to go. It took every ounce of composure not to cry.
The door swung open, and she started, her breath catching.
Relief rushed in before sense could stop it.
“That was quick, Vicky,” she began—
—but the words faltered.
Tonight, it seemed, fortune had elected to betray her entirely. For it was not Victoria standing in the doorway.
It was Lord Briarwood.
The one man she had spent all evening trying to avoid.
The Earl swaggered into the room looking for all the world like someone who had never had to suffer any consequences for his terrible actions.
His gaze roved over her body, and he let out a low, nearly inaudible chuckle.
Fear gripped Daphne as she realized that not only was he inside the room with her, but his body was blocking the exit.
“You should not be here, my lord,” she protested loudly, hoping that someone out in the hall might overhear these reproachful words. “It isn’t proper.”
“Ah, but the impropriety of this situation is what makes being here feel so… invigorating,” the cad murmured, smiling widely at her. “There is no one else around to see us.” He paused and swiftly closed the door. Daphne gulped nervously as he turned back to stare at her. “Nobody to hear and judge.”
“My lord, please. You should not be here. This is highly inappropriate,” she reminded him.
“Inappropriate?” he echoed. “Do you truly believe that propriety will protect you? The way you looked at me just now as you fled the other room…” He licked his lips as if relishing the thought. “Was that glance you sent in my direction anything, if not inappropriate?”“
Daphne was baffled. She had rushed from the room with Victoria at her side and had not thought to spare a glance for anyone—especially not this man.
“My lord,” she began, as she retreated until her back felt the wall behind her, the stain on her dress entirely forgotten. “I am truly honored by your attention. The young ladies outside reminded me of how fortunate I am. However, I believe that we are not—” she faltered, as she saw his eyes flash.
“Not well suited?” he finished for her, eyes darkening. “Do you think, my lady, that you are too good for me?”
“No, my lord,” she replied, her hands trembling. “I just… I do not think we’d make a sensible match.”
“Oh, but have you noticed?” His smile curved, slow and venomous. “No gentleman dares come near you anymore. I made certain of it. You’ve no choice now, my dear. No one else would dare claim what I’ve already marked as mine. So, you see, sensible or not—we are already matched.”
“That’s not true, my lord,” she managed to squeak out.
His eyebrows lifted slightly, indicating he was amused by her rebuttal. “Come now, Lady Daphne. This act may charm some gentlemen, but it will not work on me. You must have heard the rumors by now and…”
“What rumors?”
She wanted to know, even though she suspected he was going to invent something.
Immediately, Daphne’s thoughts flew to the rest of her siblings.
She, Victoria, and Daniel all still lived with the Dowager Marchioness, but thankfully her older sisters were already married.
She breathed a quick sigh of relief as she realized that at least the eldest ladies in their family would be exempt from whatever vitriol the Earl planned to fling at her.
“Well, your sister is unlike any lady the ton has faced. Far too rowdy to find herself a husband. And your brother… well, they say he won’t be the marquess your late father was,” he goaded. “As for your mother, she is nothing but a—”
“Stop it,” Daphne snapped, feeling a surge of anger she had never known.
Among her siblings, she was the one with the most patience. Elizabeth, her older half-sister, was the closest to her in temperament, but Daphne knew that anyone in her situation would have been hard-pressed to stifle a reaction to his cold words.
“You must admit that your family is a failure, every member weak and feeble,” the Earl taunted, his lips curling with cruel amusement. “You, in particular… so prudent, so meek. It makes the thought of your obedience all the more… enticing.”
Daphne’s breath hitched. “And this is your way to win my regard? To ignore my discomfort? To corner me behind a closed door? To insult my family?”
“Oh, darling,” he murmured, closing the distance between them, his voice silk over steel. “I do nothing out of mere cruelty… I simply want you to see how your options are limited. Be my wife, and you’ll finally have a name that is actually worthy of admiration.”
Before she could take a deep breath and think through what to do or say next, Daphne raised her hand and struck the Earl. Her palm slapped against his cheek and immediately, her hand throbbed in response.
The silence that followed was terrifying. Daphne did not need the Earl to tell her that she had made a mistake.
The Earl of Briarwood reached for his cheek and rubbed it calmly. His eyes, on the other hand, were wild with outrage. They glared at her with unbridled fury, and her heart almost leapt into her mouth—
The door flew open and because Daphne was still so close to it, she had to rush forward to avoid being clobbered by it.
No, no, no—
She made a mad attempt to lurch away from the Earl.
I must not be caught alone with Briarwood. No—
Daphne’s head whirled to the side.
Daniel, the Dowager Marchioness, a maid, and most importantly, Victoria stepped into the room.
Everyone saw the red mark on the Earl’s cheek and the way Daphne shrunk away from him.
Her family members didn’t look too pleased except for her twin, who had a smirk on her face.
Daniel and their mother wore identical expressions.
With eyebrows furrowed and mouths twisted in discontent, their disapproval was evident.
“Lord Briarwood, please excuse my daughter for her behavior. The unfortunate stain incident has rendered her hysterical,” the Dowager said smoothly, rushing forward so that she might speak directly to the Earl. “She did not mean to cause any offense.”
Daphne’s hands balled into fists. She’d never known an instance in which her mother had taken her side, but seeing her apologize to a man who meant to attack her hurt, nonetheless.
“Oh.” Briarwood’s eyes flashed, then he touched his cheek gingerly.
“Do not fret over this misunderstanding, my lady. I was merely concerned for Lady Daphne. I saw what happened in the ballroom. Then, she disappeared.” Briarwood had the gall to give the Dowager a sheepish grin.
“I am simply glad that her spirits were not dampened by the spectacle in the other room.”
“Still—” Daniel strode forward so that he stood next to their mother once more.
He fixed the Earl with a critical stare.
“You are aware that it is hardly dignified to be alone in a room with a lady, my lord. You may ruin her reputation far more than your own, and I trust, sir, that you understand this.”