Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Once dinner was finished, they moved back to the parlor.
Guests were still discussing the Dowager Marchioness’s announcement with some fervor.
Daisy was rather astonished. She’d assumed she would be the only one who would be salivating at the thought of winning such a large sum, but from what she could see, she was far from alone.
She drifted over to a smiling Lydia who was standing with her father and brother and joined their pleasant conversation.
Daisy felt a moment’s regret that Lydia’s brother was already betrothed.
He would have made an excellent partner, as he was skilled at most games and competitions, but would have no interest in the money at all.
Who could I possibly ask?
She looked around for her father and tensed when she couldn’t find him anywhere in the room.
“Excuse me a moment,” she murmured to Lydia before embarking on a walk around the room to look for him. “Lord, where could he be?”
She walked by the large bay windows that opened out into the garden and spotted him on the veranda, his head in a flowerpot. With an aggrieved sigh, she slipped out the door and went over to him.
“Papa?” she whispered. “What’s wrong?”
Just then, she registered the retching sounds he was making and realized that he was vomiting into the huge vase of peonies. She looked around, worried that someone would see, before standing behind him and rubbing his back helpfully.
“There, there. Let it all out.” She whispered soft, soothing words as he retched miserably.
Finally, he straightened up, using his kerchief to wipe his mouth.
She resisted the urge to wag her finger at him, but could not stop herself from formulating a light rebuke. “You really shouldn’t drink so much, Papa. At least not in other people’s houses.”
“Oh, enough, Daisy. You do not tell me what to do. I am still your father,” he snapped.
Daisy’s shoulders hunched defensively as she took a step back.
She was no stranger to being yelled at by her father, but usually he waited until they were in the confines of their own home to turn on her.
His eyes widened as if he also recognized that he had gone too far.
He mumbled something that could be an apology and hurried back inside.
Daisy watched him go, shaking her head slowly. She could not wait to be married and out from under her father’s thumb. Much as she loved him, he was exhausting and recalcitrant.
I shall make sure my husband is a teetotaler who abhors gambling and loves children.
She took a long breath and meant to return to the parlor, but her way was blocked by a familiar figure.
She stopped short with a tired sigh. Daisy was not certain when Lord Dulforth joined the soiree.
She had not noticed him sulking in a corner when she first entered the house, nor had he been in her line of sight at dinner.
Yet here he stood, with his mustache quivering, glowering at her.
“You were supposed to give me some time, not hounding me everywhere I go.”
He snorted. “Don’t think I didn’t notice how your eyes sparkled once Lady Archworth made her announcement. You think that you will win the money and pay me back that way, don’t you? But you have no partner, and I have a better proposition for you.”
“I’m not interested in your propositions. Don’t you think one was enough?”
He laughed nastily. “I’m trying to help you, my dear.”
“I am not your dear, and I don’t want your help.”
“Not even if I can help you win the money?”
Daisy met his gaze then and tried to understand his meaning.
Why would he want to help me? If I win the money, my father will be released from his debt, and I will be free to set out on my own.
Intrigue got the best of Daisy, and she nodded, indicating Lord Dulforth should explain himself.
His mustache twitched as his lips parted into a thin smile. “I could be your partner, Lady Daisy.”
She gave a bitter laugh and shook her head resolutely. “Not even if you were the last gentleman on earth would I consider such a union.”
The Baron’s forehead furrowed in annoyance. “Be careful how you speak to me,” he growled. “I have it within my power to destroy you.”
Daisy pursed her lips to avoid saying something she might come to regret, then she looked away from him, only to see the Duke, standing by the door, watching them both. He was staring at them curiously, as if he were attempting to read their body language and interpret the conversation from afar.
Daisy squeezed her eyes shut.
This is too much. I need to win that competition, but I cannot continue being judged by the Duke and hounded by the Baron at every turn and bound. It might be best if I left altogether and…
“Eh-hem.”
Daisy was summoned from her moment of reflection when the Duke approached and cleared his throat. She noticed that this, too, was a habit of his; a surefire way of garnering attention without ever having to raise his voice or call for silence.
“Lady Daisy, are you in distress?” the Duke asked. She blinked owlishly at him.
She understood that he’d been watching closely, but until this moment, she had not imagined he was so perceptive.
Lord Dulforth snorted derisively and gave the Duke a pained smile. “Of course not. Lady Daisy and I were just talking.”
“Mm.” The Duke tilted his head to the side and continued appraising Daisy with his eyes.
“Having a conversation and being in a state of agitation are not mutually exclusive notions, Lord Dulforth.” He righted his head, then spoke directly to her once more.
“My Lady, are you uncomfortable in any way?”
Obviously irritated by this intrusion, as well as the Duke’s dismissal, Lord Dulforth squared his shoulders and said in a tone that was much too loud, “There is no need to intervene, Your Grace. Lady Daisy and I are perfectly capable of keeping one another company.”
At that, the Duke twisted his neck slowly so that when he finally met the Baron’s eyes, the act seemed to carry a multitude of meanings.
His gaze flicked back and forth between Lord Dulforth and Daisy before he said brusquely, “The lady does not seem to enjoy your company much. Perhaps you should leave her alone.”
Lord Dulforth opened his mouth and then closed it again. Daisy was certain he meant to argue or perhaps cause a dramatic scene, but then, he seemed to think better of engaging in a debate in Lady Archworth’s house.
The Baron nodded once and scurried off toward a group of revelers who were clustered just inside the doorway, talking in an animated fashion.
He vanished into the throng with little difficulty, and it was then that Daisy allowed herself to fully meet the Duke’s gaze.
She looked at him with newfound respect.
“Thank you,” she said simply.
A small smile inched its way onto his face, tugging at the corners of his lips. “Then, I read the situation correctly? The Baron was luring you into a scheme?”
Daisy scoffed. “Not precisely, Your Grace.”
His eyebrow arched. “It was you then who was planning and plotting with Lord Dulforth?”
She gasped, once again unsure if he was teasing her or merely trotting out a second summation of the situation. “I would never conspire with such a creature, for your information.”
His smile broadened. “That is as it should be.” He sent a dark look over his shoulder in the direction of where Lord Dulforth had disappeared, then quickly returned his gaze to her. “It was clear that you were in his company against your will. He hasn’t…hurt you, has he?”
She swallowed audibly. “No, Your Grace. I remain unscathed. But I know better than to align myself with a scorpion like Dulforth. If I turn my back, I anticipate he will not hesitate to sting.”
His eyes narrowed. “Explain yourself. How have you come to know the likes of Baron Dulforth so well?”
“It is none of your business, Your Grace.”
“Well, I am making it my business. So, tell me.”
Daisy blinked at him, nonplussed by his interest. He did not seem the kind to enjoy gossiping, but she could think of no other reason why he’d be so insistent on hearing her story.
He took a step closer, looking her in the eye. “I insist upon hearing what you have to say. Speak, Lady Daisy, and I shall listen,” he said firmly, and she found herself compelled to obey.
She took a deep breath, feeling her cheeks heat with embarrassment.
“Without going into too many details, it is imperative that I find a match for this Season, one who is not Dulforth, in order to enter this competition.” She gave him a significant look, hoping he would deduce for himself what she meant, so she didn’t have to say the words.
“Why?” he asked, much to her disappointment.
“Well, the short answer is that I am in need of the funds. I am a woman who comes with no dowry, and the sponsorship will assist me in finding a husband.”
“Hmm…” He hummed thoughtfully for a long moment.
She watched his face carefully. First, the right eyebrow arched, then as it dropped, the left took its place. His expression was not comical, per se, but it was rather entertaining to observe the way he meticulously mulled over her words and considered his own before speaking.
“I see. Well, if it is funds you need—”
She held up a hand. “Please, do not finish that thought, generous though it may be. I could not possibly take your money.”
“Not even as compensation for saving my son?”
“Especially not for that. I did not do it for money.”
“I am aware, but—”
“No, thank you, Your Grace. Please. Allow me to keep my dignity and earn or win the money as I may.”
The Duke pursed his lips. “Very well, then. What if my aunt were to sponsor you? She is known for her generosity. It would not look like charity; you may rest assured.”