Daphne kept her gaze down, cutting into a piece of fruit as he continued. "I had the pleasure of attending a ball at Lord Furton's estate. The guest list was exclusive, of course. All the important figures were there."
Daphne nodded absentmindedly.
"Lord Furton himself sought me out. Wanted me to give a few words on a hunting technique I'd shared with him last year. He made quite the spectacle, really," Richard said, "The other gentlemen were quite impressed. By the end of the evening, I'd practically held court."
She did not know Richard to speak so much. Let alone in conversation with her. The more he continued, the more she kept picking up a hint of something underneath his words. Was he...boasting?
Apparently, Daphne was not the only one whose mind that thought crossed in. Across the table, Isadora kept stealing glances in their direction, beaming with thinly veiled excitement, eyes twinkling as if to say,See? He's trying to impress you.
Daphne already knew what Isadora must be thinking. This wasn't just idle chatter from Richard—he was laying thegroundwork, showcasing himself. If that were true, then a proposal couldn't be far off.
The proposal.
The thought made her chest tighten, and before she realized it, her mind had drifted far from the conversation. She could still hear Richard speaking, but his voice had become a distant hum, swallowed by her own racing thoughts.What am I going to do?she thought.I don't want this...
She blinked, snapping back to attention just in time to see Joyce giving her a pointed look from across the table. Daphne quickly tried to catch up, offering a polite nod to whatever Richard had just said.
"I... yes, of course," she muttered, not entirely sure what she was agreeing to.
Richard, seemingly pleased with himself, smiled as he continued. "I knew you'd appreciate the finer details, Daphne."
Finer details? Daphne did not even know what he was talking about. Luckily, he had not noticed the lapse in her attention. She busied herself with her plate, stretching out the last of her piece of fruit to the most it could go to.
Just then, the door to the breakfast room creaked open, and in walked Uncle Sebastian. He was always late, but no one minded. With his charm, he could get away with nearly anything.
"Well, look at this lovely spread," Sebastian said, flashing a grin as he took his seat. "I trust I haven't missed the best part of breakfast."
"Not at all, Uncle," Richard replied with a laugh. "You're just in time."
Daphne found herself grateful at his entrance, if only that it made Richard divert his attention elsewhere for the moment.
Sebastian's gaze scanned the room as he poured himself a generous helping of tea. "Where's Ambrose?"
Daphne's heart gave an uncomfortable jolt at the mention of his name.
Richard shrugged. "I... I'm not sure. I haven't seen him this morning."
"Strange," Sebastian mused, "Ambrose is usually the first one up, even before the servants." He popped a piece of bacon into his mouth, his brow furrowed. "Is he unwell?"
Daphne felt a knot of anxiety twisting in her stomach, but she kept her eyes fixed on her plate, determined not to show any reaction.
Joyce, noticing her sister's sudden quietness, gave her another knowing look, but Daphne refused to meet her gaze.
"I'm sure he's fine," Richard said after a beat, "He's probably just... busy."
"Busy?" Sebastian chuckled. "At this hour?"
No one had an answer for that – but it was not a topic anyone particularly wished to dwell over either. The conversation swiftly moved on but Daphne felt herself pondering.
If he had not showed up to breakfast, then where had he disappeared to?
"I was thinking," Richard's voice broke through her thoughts, "the weather today is perfect for an afternoon by the lake. Perhaps we could take the rowboat out for a ride."
Daphne, who had been sipping her tea, nearly choked on her drink. A rowboat?
The notion immediately filled her with dread. In that kind of setting, there would be no escaping the inevitable—Richard, poised with a ring in hand, asking her to marry him.
The thought was overwhelming, and before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "Maybe Isadora and Violet would like to join us?"
