"Now, let's move on to your walk," Isadora said, gesturing for Daphne to follow her. "Remember, light steps, shoulders back, chin up. You must move with grace and purpose."
Daphne took a deep breath and attempted to imitate Isadora's fluid movements. She tried to keep her steps light and herposture straight, but her feet felt clumsy beneath her, and her shoulders kept tensing up.
"You're overthinking it," Isadora said, her tone exasperated. "Stop trying so hard. Just relax."
Daphne shot her friend a frustrated glance. "It's easy for you to say. You've been doing this your whole life."
Isadora sighed. "Yes, but that's the point. If you want to impress Ambrose, you have to show him that you can carry yourself like a Duchess."
Daphne groaned inwardly. Why did everything with Ambrose have to be so difficult? Why did he care so much about appearances and manners? It was infuriating.
Surely, Richard would not care about any of this non-sense. If only Ambrose was not a big obstacle in my way of marrying Richard...
Daphne was determined. She would show him that she could be everything he thought she wasn't. She would prove him wrong.
By the time their lesson was over, Daphne's feet ached, her shoulders were sore, and her patience was running thin. But she refused to give up.
"Tomorrow," Isadora said as she gathered her things, "we'll work on your conversation skills. You need to be able to engage in polite society without losing your temper."
Daphne sighed, feeling exhausted just thinking about it. But she nodded. "Fine. I'll be ready."
Isadora smiled, clearly pleased with her student's determination. "Good. Remember, Daphne, this is about more than just impressing Ambrose. It's about proving to yourself that you can rise to the challenge."
Daphne watched her friend leave, her mind still buzzing with thoughts of Ambrose, Richard, and the impossible task she had set for herself. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but she was determined to succeed.
She would show Ambrose that she wasn't the reckless girl he thought she was. She would be the perfect Duchess, even if it killed her.
The days following Daphne's first lesson with Isadora were grueling. What had seemed like a simple plan—becoming the perfect duchess—was proving to be far more difficult than she had imagined. Her legs ached from the endless hours of practicing her walk, her back throbbed from maintaining her posture, and her temper was fraying from trying to contain her natural impulses.
During afternoon tea one day, her sisters, Joyce and Annie, were the first to notice the change. Daphne was trying to maintain her newly perfected posture when she caught them whispering behind their teacups, occasionally glancing at her.
"Daphne," Joyce began, setting down her teacup with exaggerated elegance. "What is going on with you?"
Daphne blinked innocently, sitting as perfectly upright as a duchess in a painting. "Going on? I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."
Annie narrowed her eyes playfully. "Don't give us that. You've been walking around like you've a book on your head for days. I mean, look at you—sitting there like a statue."
Daphne attempted to sip her tea with grace, but the tension in her shoulders caused her to miss the cup slightly. She recovered quickly, but not before her sisters burst into giggles.
"There it is again!" Joyce laughed, leaning over to Annie. "She's doing that thing—like she's afraid to blink."
"I am not!" Daphne protested, trying to sound dignified, but the absurdity of the situation was starting to crack her composure. "I'm just... being more refined, that's all."
"Refined?" Annie raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you care about being ‘refined'? You were the one who used to race usacross the garden, remember? I don't think you worried about refinement when you slipped and landed in the flowerbeds."
Daphne felt a blush creep up her neck. "Well, that was a long time ago."
"That was last summer!" Joyce exclaimed, laughing so hard she nearly dropped her teacup. "Oh my goodness, you should have seen yourself. Covered in dirt and yelling at the roses like they had personally wronged you."
"You are so dramatic," Daphne defended, "It was not as bad."
"Maybe I am exaggerating a bit," her sister laughed. "But you have admit, it is not entirely untrue."
Daphne sighed dramatically, though she was fighting back a smile. "Well, people change. One can't remain reckless forever."
"Reckless?" Annie repeated, barely containing her grin. "You accidentally poured sugar into Aunt Harriet's teapot instead of her cup last week. She's still convinced someone's trying to sabotage her."
"That was an honest mistake!" Daphne defended herself, though her cheeks were growing redder by the second.
