And he did something that he never expected himself to.
"I believe that would be a lovely idea, Mother."
"Oh," the Dowager exclaimed but then quickly masked her surprise, "That is good to hear. Lady Eugenia, what is your opinion on the matter?"
"I would love nothing more," she replied, excitedly.
Ambrose nodded stiffly, already regretting his decision. "Splendid."
He glanced back at Daphne, catching the briefest flicker of something in her eyes—amusement, perhaps? Or was it a surprise? Whatever it was, it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Daphne had given much thought to what her next course of action should be. Given her little... slip up last night, she had a lot of amends to make.
For this morning, she chose the easy way out of trouble – to not speak at all. Richard was nowhere to be seen, so her efforts would have been in vain regardless. It was best if she kept strictly to herself for the duration of the breakfast.
However, as interesting as half-eaten honey cake on her plate was, she found her attention drifting... elsewhere. More specifically, over to the conversation that Ambrose was having with Lady Eugenia – the woman whom he had boasted topossess greatnatural charm,she noted with an inward roll of the eye.
What is so special about her, anyway?She found herself thinking. Sure, she seemed to be quite adept at holding polite conversation, effortlessly filling the gaps when there was silence with a brand new topic.
Or that she seemed to beentirely toocharitable. Perfect, even. But apart from that, her personality seemed quite bland.
Lucky for her, she seemed more interested in the duke and had not yet uttered a word about Richard.
That should have been enough for Daphne to stop eavesdropping on their conversation, but somehow, she could not resist. Especially when the Dowager suggested that the two should promenade.
Good for him. Perhaps he would stop meddling so much in my affairs when he finds a match of his own.
"All settled this morning, Lady Daphne?" Lord Whitby, who was seated next to her spoke up. "I hope that you are feeling more composed now."
Daphne forced a polite smile, knowing that it was a double-meaning remark. Lord Whitby had a reputation for being a gossip amongst theton, and it would not surprise her if word about her antics yesterday had already reached him.
"Yes, my lord. I feel quite well, thank you for asking me."
Whitby chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. "I daresay you've managed to provide the most amusement any of us have seen in weeks. We were all quite impressed with your... enthusiasm."
"I see," she nodded.
"I pray that there is another card game tonight," he continued. "I would surely love to be seated at your table. I do not mind losing – as long as you give us a repeat of what happened."
Daphne's jaw tightened. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, a cool voice cut through the conversation.
"I would think twice before suggesting that, Lord Whitby," Ambrose's voice was low, but sharp enough to silence the surrounding chatter. "It seems the only thing lacking in entertainment here is your manners."
Lord Whitby blinked, clearly taken aback. "I?—"
"Perhaps next time you should be the one to entertain the guests," Ambrose said, his words measured. "Since you seem so eager to critique others."
There was a tense silence around the table as Lord Whitby's face turned pale, his smirk long gone. He cleared his throat, clearlyuncomfortable, and muttered something incoherent before quickly turning his attention back to his plate.
Daphne, still processing what had just happened, glanced at Ambrose, her heart pounding. He hadn't even looked at her—his attention was solely on Lord Whitby.
Yet, he had just done something that completely surprised her. He had stood up for her.
Lord Whitby shifted awkwardly in his seat. "Yes, well," he muttered, "it was all in good fun."
"I would reconsider your definition of fun, Lord Whitby. For your own good of course," the Duke's voice was low and menacing, "I shudder to think what might happen if you were to impose your definition offunon someone who is not as polite as Lady Daphne."
Polite?Was Daphne hearing things now? Not only did he stood up for her, but he also lent her a compliment in front of everyone. It caused a flutter in her chest.
