Daphne felt a small twinge of disappointment as his focus moved away from her, though his courtesy toward her sister was nothing less than expected.
Surely, you are reading far too much into it.She assured herself.If he were not interested, he would not have invited you.
The two exchanged pleasantries until Richard's attention returned fully to Daphne. "I trust you'll enjoy the next few days here. The Greymont Estate can be overwhelming at first, but there's much to explore."
"Oh, I can see that," Daphne nodded. "It is sprawling."
"If either of you would like a tour, I'd be more than happy to arrange it. Perhaps tomorrow, when the light is better for the gardens?" Richard suggested.
Daphne's heart gave a slight leap at the suggestion, but she kept her smile composed. "Lovely. That would indeed be lovely, thank you, Lord Richard."
Richard's gaze flickered toward the entrance as another wave of guests arrived, and his smile softened apologetically. "I'm afraidI must excuse myself for a moment. There are other guests I need to attend to."
"Oh, right. Of course," Daphne nodded.
"I'll catch up with you both later. Please, enjoy yourselves."
As Daphne watched him walk away, Joyce nudged her playfully. "Well, it looks like we'll have to manage on our own for now."
Daphne chuckled lightly, "It seems so."
But just as Joyce opened her mouth to say more, her eyes brightened as they landed on someone across the room. "Oh! There's Lady Amelia," she said, excitement lacing her voice. "I haven't seen her in ages. Do you mind if I?—?"
"Go ahead," Daphne interrupted with a wave of her hand, "You don't need my permission to socialize, Joyce."
Joyce grinned and gave her a quick hug. "I won't be long. Promise."
Now with both of them gone, Daphne was left alone. She decided against mingling with the other members of theton, instead preferring to retreat to a quiet corner.
It was not as though Daphne did not mind socializing with theton. But excessive chatter that held little meaning exhausted her,and she knew that she had to keep her energy preserved if she was going to make the most out of the next few days.
But no sooner had she taken a few steps than she sensed someone approaching her.
"Ah, look who it is.Lady Daphne."
Her heart sank.Of course he came to hound me the moment he spotted me alone.
She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him, schooling her expression into polite neutrality. "Your Grace."
Ambrose's gaze flicked over her, a slow and deliberate assessment that made her feel both scrutinized and singled out in a way she wasn't entirely comfortable with. Then, with a calculated ease, he reached for her hand.
Before she could process what was happening, Ambrose had taken her gloved hand in his, his grip firm yet gentle. He held it just a moment longer than necessary, his thumb grazing over the back of her hand in the briefest of motions before he lowered his head.
Andkissedher there.
The gesture was enough to throw her off entirely. She had not expected it from him, nor anticipated the absolute havoc that it unleashed inside of her. With her cheeks burning, she quicklywithdrew her hand but not quick enough to miss the amused smirk on the Duke's face.
Does he do this with all the women? Do they get flustered like this, too?
Daphne chided herself halfway. In any case, it was not her business to wonder what he did or did not do with other women. Her focus was Richard. Ambrose was nothing more than an insufferable thorn in her path.
"Shall I ask you why you're all by your lonesome?" Ambrose asked once he straightened back up, now towering over her once more. "Though... on second thought, I believe I understand why."
"Do you?" she raised one of her eyebrows, curious. "Well, then. I shall like to hear your reasoning too."
"Well, perhaps you find yourself out of place," he conceded, "Not unexpected, of course. I made sure to invite some of the most charming ladies of theton."
Daphne felt her stomach churn at the comment. The thought of being compared with the other ladies made her feel a bit ill.
