Page 89 of The Best of Friends
“And Charlie insisted on doing the mathematics an additional few times because he is an utterly bizarre person.” Artemis shook her head. “Pity me, friends. I live with a mathematician.”
Charlie snuck a quick kiss. “You love me, as you well know.”
“Enough of that, you two.” Daria used Artemis’s exact words from earlier. “There’s no time forl’amour.”
“Contrary to the besmirching my mathematical calculations have received,” Charlie said to the group as a whole, “thereisa reason I counted a few times. We have a result that is... unexpected.”
Daria glanced over at Toss, who looked as curious as she felt.
“Daria received twenty-seven points,” Charlie said.
Twenty-seven.She had done twenty-seven things of her own choosing, twenty-seven things that her parents had not dictated or required of her. Was it strange that she felt proud of that?
“And Toss,” Charlie continued, “received... twenty-seven points.”
A draw? She met Toss’s eyes and saw amazement and amusement mingled there.
“What happens now?” she asked Toss.
“I haven’t the first idea.”
“The wagers both groups placed were dependent upon a win,” Artemis said. “And if we are being quite technical, no one was victorious.”
Quite without warning, Daria had an idea. Not an ordinary, fleeting one but a moment of realization that made her feel quite clever. “I received a letter from my mother in the moments before you began tabulating our totals,” Daria said to Artemis and Charlie. “Which, I believe, means it arrived before the contest ended.”
“It would seem so.” Artemis watched her with obvious curiosity.
“Then, any action I took in regard to the letter could potentially count toward our competition.”
Artemis looked to Charlie, who nodded his agreement.
“My mother has insisted I plead my father’s case and pave the way for my parents to remain in London.” Daria set her shoulders. “And I intend to ignore her, which, I assure you, neither she nor my father would approve of.”
Toss pressed his hand to his heart and nodded, an approving and pleased look in his eyes. “That earns you a point, my dear.”
“And victory,” Artemis declared.
The Huntresses hoorahed and celebrated, congratulating Daria and crowing a bit over the Pack, who took their loss not merely in stride but joyfully.
Toss pulled her into an embrace. “Well done, my darling Daria.”
“This means the Pack has to ensure that everyone joins in the next house party.Everyone.” She brushed the tips of her fingers along his jaw. “They’ll see to it all the Huntresses will be there and all the Pack, including Tobias. And you’ll be there from Cambridge. And I’ll be there from Nottinghamshire.”
“We’ll be together.” He kissed her forehead. “My favorite place to be.”
“I’m sorry we couldn’t find you a musical mentor,” Daria said. “Even if you had won the challenge, I’m not certain we could have managed that, though we would have exhausted all avenues.”
“That you were willing to try gave me hope these past weeks.” He pulled her ever closer. “And that you love me enough to wait however long is needed to make up for the loss of my income and your dowry gives me strength to face the temporary separation ahead of us.”
“I do love you that much,” she said, hoping to adequately communicate her sincerity. “I truly do.”
“And I love you, my darling friend, my dearest love,” he whispered. “My Daria.”
Chapter Thirty-four
Falstone House was quiet thenext morning. With the Huntresses dispersing for the Season and three of the members of the Pack leaving Town as well, their weeks of revelry had come to a close. Toss was choosing to feel hopeful.
He would be returning to Cambridge with Duke and Fennel, completing his studies, and setting himself on the path most likely to prove successful. A mere few days earlier, he would not have thought it possible. Doing so meant being separated from Daria. But completing the education Laurence had brought to an abrupt halt meant he could reapply for membership in the Royal Society of Musicians, this time with a very good chance of being accepted. There was no predicting how long he would need after that to secure a steady enough income for them to begin building their life together. He ached at the thought of even temporarily losing her companionship, but enduring that separation meant that in the end, they could be together for the rest of their lives. It would be well worth it.
