She blinked, aghast. He left no stone unturned when it came to winning in an argument.
"You must think so highly of yourself," she quipped. "You believe that you are saving everyone here from some tremendous tragedy."
The upper corners of his lips curved into a smirk. "You see, My Lady, that is where you are wrong. IknowI am saving everyone from the horrors of your fidgeting hand."
Finally, she turned her head fully to look at him, their faces only inches apart. "If that is the case, then I shall not fidget anymore. Let go," she whispered, though her voice lacked conviction.
Ambrose raised an eyebrow as if to challenge her. "Are you sure you want me to?"
Her heart stuttered, and for a moment, she forgot how to breathe. She could feel the intensity of his gaze, the way his dark eyes seemed to be searching hers for something more.
She hadnotexpected him to say this in response. It caused her mind to fly into an infinite number of directions, all at once. But as she contemplated, Ambrose's grip loosened, and he let go of her hand.
The feeling of loss that followed was immediate, and dramatic. Like a sharp stab with a knife on the chest. Without thinking, she brought her hand to her chest, as if to stop the proverbial bleeding.
They did not utter a word to each other again until the quartet began to play their next set. It was Ambrose that broke the silence.
"You shouldn't have my attention like this."
Shouldn't?Daphne's fingers twitched around her glove but she restrained herself, not wanting to fidget in front of him again.
"If that is the case, then I express my deepest condolences for inconveniencing you, Your Grace," she pressed her lips together in a thin line, mustering all her energy to not let her mask of composure slip. "I did not know that it was such an issue."
At this, Richard turned to look at her. Her pulse quickened. Had he been privy to their conversation all this time? They had made sure to speak only in hushed tones. But the next moment, he turned away.
Daphne breathed a sigh of relief, and then shot Ambrose a glare.No more,she wanted to communicate.
But it would not be Ambrose if he did not push her to her last limit. "You should be more careful."
Daphne opened her mouth to speak, but somehow could not conjure an apt enough response. She was nothing more than an inconvenience to her. It had not changed for him, despite what she had wrongly assumed.
Her insecurities gnawed at her, louder than the music that filled the room. How foolish she had been to think... to hope, even for a second, that there was something more behind his gestures.
As soon as the last note of the quartet lingered in the air, Daphne stood up swiftly, and without a word to Ambrose or Richard, she excused herself to return to her sister and friends.
CHAPTER 17
Ambrose watched as Daphne left the room in a hurry.
Had he said something wrong?
He replayed their brief exchange in his head. All he had meant was that she shouldn't occupy his thoughts the way she did. It was more of an admission to himself than anything meant to be spoken aloud. Yet, it seemed to have struck a nerve.
Now with Daphne absent, the frustration that simmered within him had nowhere to go, and so he turned his attention to Richard, who sat nearby, obliviously engaged in conversation with one of the other guests.
"Did you notice her leave?" Ambrose blurted out.
Richard blinked and glanced around, realizing only now that Daphne was no longer there. "Oh, I suppose she needed someair," he said dismissively, waving it off. "Nothing to worry about. She's fine."
"Really?" Ambrose pressed. "Is that the case?"
"I do not know what reason she would have to be otherwise. We've been getting along rather well."
Ambrose raised an eyebrow. "You've been getting along so well that she slips your mind often, does she? Like, say... when you left her behind in the forest during the hunt?"
Richard's easygoing smile faltered, and his brows knitted in confusion. "What? I didn't—" He frowned, "She was right behind me the entire time. I?—"
"You lost track of her," Ambrose interjected, "It was your responsibility to ensure she was safe, was it not? Especially after you so confidently reassured me."
