Page 10 of Romancing Daphne

His Grace’s departure did not relieve the tension. James rose and crossed the room, fighting the urge to pace—or flee. The duke had more or less forced him to call on Miss Lancaster, yet he could scarcely have been less welcoming. And when he’d called the day before, no one else had been visiting. He’d fully expected to walk into a room full of people making a good show of being Miss Lancaster’s particular friends. Something was odd in the arrangement, but he could not put his finger on just what.

“I hope you realize the duke is not being dramatic when he makes these threats. He means every word.”

James spun around at the sound of a young lady’s voice. In a tall-backedarmchair near the fireplace sat a young lady with golden ringlets and anangelic face. She could not have been more than fifteen or sixteen years old. Her startlingly green eyes twinkled with unmistakable mischief. The girl, nodoubt, was a handful.

“I am Artemis.” She smiled amusedly—apparently his confusion showed.“Daphne’s younger sister.”

“Miss Artemis.” He offered a small bow.

“Are you going to marry her?” She certainly didn’t want for nerve.

He managed to speak through his shock.“I am utterly unacquainted with your sister.”

Miss Artemis shrugged.“There is not much to know. She is quietand bookish and terribly boring.” She sighed quite dramatically, leaning back in her chair.“Sometimes I marvel that we are at all related.”

James had no idea what to say to that. Agreement would be ungentlemanly toward Miss Lancaster, but arguing with Miss Artemis was not acceptable either. No response proved necessary. Miss Artemis kept talking withouthis input.

“Our older sister Athena was a smashing success when she had herdebut. Falstone House was simply crawling with gentlemen from the veryfirst day, and she has hordes of friends every time she comes to Town. Persephone is welcomed simplyeverywhere. I don’t imagineDaphnewillconvincevery manygentlemen to call on her more than twice.” Artemis shook her head.“This is your second time, so I suppose you won’t be back again.”

“I can think of no reason notto return.” In reality, he could think of plenty but knew himself committed to being a friend for the remainder of his time in London. Miss Artemis seemed unaware of her brother-in-law’smachinations. James had no intention of being the one to inform her.

He heard footsteps approaching in the corridor. Miss Artemis tucked her legs up onto the chair, indicating with a finger to her lips that she wished him to say nothing of her presence there. He looked about and realized just how he’d missed her upon first arriving. The position of her chair completely hid her from the rest of the room.

“Guard your liver with your life,” Miss Artemis whispered.“Adam is particularly fond offoie gras.”

“Which ofyourorgans would the duke harvest if he found you here?”

Miss Artemis grinned.“All of them.”

Yes, the youngest Miss Lancaster was definitely a handful. Not wishing to get the girl in trouble nor wanting to attempt an explanation of their very private tête-à-tête, James moved closer to the door.

Miss Daphne Lancaster stepped inside an instant later. She could hardly have proven more of a contrast to her sister—dark hair, dark eyes, and entirely subdued. Her expression remained passive, no hint as to her feelings. Miss Artemis had described her sister as “terribly boring.” James could not say how accurate the evaluation was.

Seeing Miss Lancaster dressed for a carriage ride, James assumed she had not, as the duke had predicted, decided to toss him out on his ear.“Shall we, Miss Lancaster?”

She nodded. That was all the conversation he was to receive, apparently. Perhaps she meant to save all hints of gratitude for the efforts he was making until they were out of the house.

He offered his arm and led her from the drawing room to the front door. The Duke of Kielder stood in the entryway, his expression black and foreboding. That threatening eyebrow of his had lowered, though it made him only slightly less intimidating.

“Not a scratch, Tilburn.”

James dipped his head but did not manage a reply. He was doing afavor for this family, after all. Why, then, did they all seem so put out with him? Even a potentially homicidal guardian ought to lower his weapons for a ready-made friend he himself had acquired for his ward.

“Fanny.” At the duke’s command, a maid stepped to the door wearing an unprepossessing outer coat, obviously intending to spend time out of doors.“I expect a detailed accounting of all Lord Tilburn’s actions, especially those of which I would not approve.”

“Yes, Your Grace.” The maid curtsied, gave James a look of warning, and, head held triumphantly high, led the way out the door and to the waiting carriage.

A detailed report.He hadn’t expected that. It certainly was not the first time he’d taken a young lady for a ride in the park, but it was likely to be, by far, the most uncomfortable of such outings he had ever undertaken.

Chapter Five

Daphne slowly released a breath,willing the tension to ease from her shoulders. She would never forgive herself if she ruined this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by being too nervous to enjoy even a moment of it. Perhaps if she thought of him asJamesinstead of both names together, he would seem less intimidating, different somehow from the imaginary gentleman she’d thought of so often during the past half dozen years.

He broke the silence between them.“Has your sojourn in London been pleasant thus far?”

Her voice stuck in her throat a moment when she turned to look at him. His eyes focused ahead as he carefully drove the carriage toward the park. Even in profile, she thought him the handsomest man of her acquaintance.

Stop being a gudgeon,she told herself. What a ridiculous person she must seem, entirely unable to speak a coherent sentence. Was it any wonder she’d sunk under the weight of her come-out?

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