Page 24 of Romancing Daphne

When had Persephone come inside the book room? Daphne’s face heated as it always did at the slightest embarrassment. Her sister, however, did not appear disapproving nor censuring. If anything, she looked amused.

Daphne held her treasured note up but offered no spoken explanation.

“Am I to assume, then, this lovely bouquet is for you?”

Daphne nodded.

“Sent by a young gentleman whose absence you mourned last night?”

Daphne eyed Adam. She saw no surge of disapproval or irritation. Heseemed legitimately curious. “What did the lordling have to say?”

She ignored the word he chose in reference to James.“He said he was sorry to have missed the ball.”

Persephone joined her on the small sofa.“I am pleased to hear he is being so attentive.”

“Except, it—The tone of the note is odd.”

“Perhaps your cautious nature is forcing you to doubt things you do not need to doubt.”

She held the card out to her sister. “Tell me your impression of it.”

Persephone made a quick perusal of the very brief note. “It does seem abit more ardent than is usual for Lord Tilburn.”

“Is he being brash?” Adam demanded.

“No, dearest,” Persephone was quick to say. “Nothing in his note is the least bit untoward.” She looked over the note once more. “Perhaps word of your unending grumpiness reached the poor gentleman and he felt the more abject his apology, the more likely he was to not be drawn and quartered.” She tipped her head and caught her husband’s eye once more. “I have warned you about making too grand a show of your disapproval.”

“I am what I am,” Adam said.

Persephone’s gaze turned warm as it so often did when focused on him. “Yes, you are.”

“Besides, my afternoons with Daphne, a rare enough occasion of late, were interrupted by these flowers and that note. I have every right to be grumpy.”

Her father had turned down her company. Adam grew sullen when denied it. Was it any wonder she loved her brother-in-law as much as she did?

“Do you like Lord Tilburn?” Daphne asked them both.

“What I have learned of him these past five days, I like,”Persephonesaid.“He seems very kind and amiable, and his obvious preference for you certainly raises his worth in my eyes.”

Obvious preference.Another smile broke through her usual reserve as a wistful thought occurred to her.“I wish Harry were here this Season.”

“Harry?” Persephone lightly laughed.“He would tease you mercilessly.”

“True. But he would offer an honest opinion on Lord Tilburn. I should like to have a gentleman’s viewpoint.”

“Is mine not sufficient?” A hint of a smile tugged at Adam’s scars.

“Youthink everyone ever born is an imbecile,” she reminded him.

Persephone’s expression grew more amused.“Harry is so run ragged by his mischievous children that he might very well be too short on energy to sort all of us out as well as his growing brood.”

A memory of Harry and Athena’s second oldest escaping the nursery wearing not so much as a nappie during their last visit to Falstone Castle drove home the truth of Persephone’s words.“And with Athena so near another confinement, he likely would be distracted by that as well.”

“It is a miracle we get any coherent thoughts out of Harry these days,”Persephone said. “Though he does smile a great deal.”

“When has Harry evernotsmiled?” He was the happiest person of Daphne’s acquaintance. “You do not find anything suspicious in Lord Tilburn’s flowers or note?” How she wanted to believe the sincerity of hervery first floral offering. “Do you think he meant those ardent words?”

“Do you think he did not?” Persephone watched her pointedly. “I have no reason to doubt that he is being genuine. Have you?”

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