Page 19 of Romancing Daphne

“You, there.” Adam eyed a gentleman standing surprisingly nearby. “You had better be deaf, for I do not abide eavesdroppers.”

The gentleman turned an unearthly shade of pale, his mouth flapping about. “I—er—I—What was that? I don’t hear well.” The last sentence was muttered too mechanically and too much like a question to have been anything but a desperate attempt to comply with the Dangerous Duke’s command. He ran off quickly.

Adam’s hard glare darted about, catching every person within thirty feet of them. They scurried away faster than rats off a sinking ship.

A sinking ship. That is not quite the way I would like to think of myself.

“Oh, Adam.” Persephone sighed. “Must you frighten everyone away?”

“Only those I find unbearable.”

“But that, dear, is everyone.”

“And that, dear, is not my fault.”

Persephone took Daphne’s hands. “He will not send them all running, Daphne. I will see to it.”

“In all honesty, I’m not certain I don’tpreferthat they all run off.” She didn’t want to be a diamond or a failure but something quietly in between.

Persephone shook her head. “That is Adam’s influence. I fear sometimes you have spent too much of the past six years with him. He has rendered you so very reticent.”

Had not even Persephone seen the person she was all her life? “He did not change me. He accepted me just as I am.”

“And somewhere, Daphne, there is another gentleman who will do the same.” Persephone spoke with such confidence. “We simply have to find him.”

While she didn’t intend to spill all of her secrets to her sister, Daphnehad been attempting to find a certain very accepting gentleman all night. Her eyes had never stopped searching for James Tilburn. He hadn’t objectedto her bashfulness all those years ago. He didn’t seem bothered by it now.

She turned her head in the direction of approaching footsteps only to be disappointed once more. Mr. Handle, who had made an extremely abbreviated appearance at the Kielder theater box, stepped up to where she sat.

“Mr. Handle,” Persephone greeted quite pleasantly. “A pleasure to see you again.”

He made a very proper bow. “The pleasure is entirely mine, Your Grace.”

“That it is,” Adam muttered.

She loved her brother-in-law dearly and agreed with his general opinion of social gatherings, but if she was to be forced into enduring them, Adam might at least give her a chance to be remembered fondly by the other attendees, or at the very least with something other than fear and trembling.

“Your Grace.” Mr. Handle’s voice shook as he addressed Adam. “MightI be permitted to stand up with Miss Lancaster for the next set?”

“No.”

Daphne very nearly smiled at Adam’s gruff and immediate response, as exasperating as it was. Persephone was clearly less amused.

“I give you full credit for bravery,” Adam added. “And I will temporarily consider you more intelligent than most of your contemporaries if you manage to summon the presence of mind to move along before my patience with you inevitably deteriorates.”

“Yes, Your Grace.” Mr. Handle made several bows in quick succession as he backed frantically away.

Persephone pushed out a frustrated puff of air even as Daphne breatheda slightly disappointed one. The thought of standing with anyone was adaunting one, but she knew perfectly well that doing so was a crucialmeasurement of a lady’s social success. She had hoped to stand up with atleast one gentleman over the course of the evening so any curious onlookers would have reason to declare her something of a success.

Persephone stood with palpable dignity. “Let us go make our farewells to Lord and LadyDebenham.”

“We are leaving?” Daphne’s stomach dropped.

“If Adam will not permit anyone to stand up with you, there is little point in remaining.” Persephone gave her husband a look of reprimand.

He showed no signs of feeling guilt-ridden.

“But—” Daphne rallied her determination. “But Adam would allow me to stand up with Lord Tilburn if he asked. Surely.”

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