Page 91 of Romancing Daphne

Persephone skewered Artemis with a scolding look.“Even with Daphnekeeping you company, you are not to venture outside the walls.”

Artemis enthusiastically linked her arm with Daphne’s.“We will be pattern cards of decorum,” she promised.

Persephone gave her a look of patent disbelief.“All I ask is that you do not run amok amongst the flowerbeds.”

Artemis wrinkled up her nose.“That was five years ago, Persephone. I am far more dignified now.”

Daphne bit back a smile and saw Persephone do the same.DignifiedandArtemisrarely found their way into the same sentence.

“We shan’t be gone long,” Daphne told her oldest sister.

“Take a leisurely stroll,” she was instructed in return.

Daphne firmed her shoulders and stepped outside arm in arm withArtemis. Though clouds covered a great deal of the sky, the air outside proved less chill than one might expect. Summer was quickly arriving. Town would soon grow unbearably warm, and Society would flee to the countryside. Theslightest breeze stirred the shrubbery lining the front path that led to the door, but the temperature was pleasant.

Artemis sighed.“Oh, I had wished for a positively leaden sky. To walkabout under threat of rain is far more heartrending, don’t you think?”

“Receiving a thorough drenching would not be particularly welcomethough,” Daphne answered.“Perhaps you could consider our partiallycloudy skies a happy compromise.” Bless Artemis for choosing a topic asbenign as the weather. Daphne had feared she would delve directly intolove and loss and unending heartache.

“But don’t you see, Daphne, I have decided something quite, quite important.” Artemis pulled her by the hand into the central garden. “My decision is so important, in fact, that I capitalized the wordimportantwhen I wrote in my diary about it.”

Oh dear.“What is this important-with-a-capital-Idecision?” Daphne asked warily.

“I am going to fall in love in a park, or at the very least in a place that is green and alive. Further, I have concluded that there absolutely must be water.” Artemis grinned at her, eyes overflowing with excitement.“Is that not simply divine?”

“I confess I do not understand the necessity of water, let alone a park.”

Artemis groaned in a fashion Daphne knew all too well. She could have spoken her sister’s next words along with her, so familiar was the response.“Daphne, you have absolutely no romantic sensibilities.”

“I know I am a sore trial to you,” Daphne said dryly. She steered them along the tree-lined path, a pleasant place to spend a morning, even with one’s exhausting younger sister.

“If you had shown a bit more feeling, maybe Lord Tilburn would not have—” Artemis clamped her hand over her mouth but too late.

With effort, Daphne kept the pain of Artemis’s unfinished declaration from registering in her expression.

“This park is nice, but I have always loved Persephone’s little garden at the castle. It is so green, with so many flowers and so muchgrass.” The words rushed out of Artemis in an unmistakable attempt to cover her blunder.“And a great many flowers. Oh. I already mentioned the flowers, didn’t I?” She looked utterly miserable.

Daphne supposed she ought to take pity on her sister. The poor girl’s mouth did have a tendency to run away with her. A few uncomfortable moments of alarm might help teach her to think before she spoke though. Daphne kept her peace, allowing the sounds of nature to hang in the airbetween them. The breeze rustled leaves. Somewhere, a lone bird calledout for its missing companions. A canine yelp full of enthusiasm and energyjoined the cacophony.

A great deal of uncertainty slipped away as she continued to walk. Daphne knew she had made only the smallest of strides by leaving the housewithout being forced but felt remarkably proud of herself. Adam wouldcertainlyrecognize the step for what it was. A tendril of hope began to weave its way around her heart. Her future began to look a touch less lonely. She need not thrust herself into Society but, in time, might not feel the urge to hide from it.

They had traversed nearly half the distance around the park when a flash of brown fur darted in front of Daphne, circling about her legs and barking with marked excitement. The merest glimpse identified the tiny pup, and in an instant, her heart lodged firmly in her throat.

“Hello, Scamp.” Her voice trembled a bit. She lowered herself enough to stroke the pup’s head with shaking fingers. Scamp’s presence all but guaranteed the presence of his master.

James arrived at her side in the next moment, his look both amused and apologetic.“I let him off his lead for only a moment, and he immediately darted in your direction.”

She straightened, reminding herself of her newly acquired measure ofcourage.“I did not realize Scamp had stayed in London after your motherreturned home.” Though, thinking on it, she believed Adam may havementioned something on that score.

For some reason, her innocuous observation made him shift uneasily.“I had thought—He would not have been—” James cleared his throat, apparently struggling to reply. An almost embarrassed smile touched his lips.“I grew rather attached to him and couldn’t bring myself to send him away.”

“Has he caused you a great deal of trouble?” Perhaps if she kept to the topic of ill-mannered puppies, she could prevent herself from falling to pieces. His reluctant admission of tenderness toward the ramshackle mutt tugged at her heart in a worrisome way. She would not allow herself to fall for him once more. Bravery was one thing. Stupidity was another altogether.

“His trouble stems only from youthful spirits and a dislike of confinement,” James answered.

Artemis broke into the conversation.“Would you care to walk with us, Lord Tilburn?”

“Speaking of youthful spirits and a dislike of confinement,” Daphne said under her breath.

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