Finally, this ordeal was over.
Richard hopped out of the boat first, offering his hand to help her out. She accepted, but only begrudgingly.
As soon as her feet were back on solid ground, she wanted nothing more than to escape the situation, to flee to the safety of her chambers and be alone with her thoughts.
But there was no escaping the scrutiny of her friends.
As they walked back toward the estate, Richard had taken the lead, a few paces ahead, engaged in conversation with his uncle. This left Daphne trailing slightly behind with Isadora and Violet.
"Well, that was certainly a charming little outing," Violet began.
Daphne didn't respond immediately. Her mind was still spinning. She couldn't quite shake the disconnect she'd felt the entire time. Richard had been perfectly polite, perfectly attentive—but as usual, something was missing.
"Don't you think Richard is a bit... well... over the top today?" Isadora asked, trying to phrase her concern delicately. "I mean, he was certainly making an effort. But there was something... I don't know..."
"Off?" Violet finished for her.
Daphne sighed, "Oh, you know how Richard is. He likes to talk about himself. It's part of his charm, I suppose."
But even as she said it, she felt the weight of the truth pressing down on her. It wasn't charming. It wasn't endearing. It was exhausting.
"Are you sure everything's alright?" Isadora pressed gently, her brow furrowing with concern. "You don't seem quite yourself today."
Daphne forced herself to nod, "I'm just tired," she said quickly. "The rowing, you know. It's been a long day."
Violet looked skeptical, but she didn't push further. Instead, she linked her arm with Daphne's and offered a playful smile. "Well,tired or not, you've certainly made an impression. I wouldn't be surprised if Richard is preparing a grand gesture as we speak."
Daphne's heart sank at the thought. She didn't want a proposal, not from Richard. But how could she say that out loud?
CHAPTER 19
Where was he?
As the afternoon sun gave way to evening, Daphne found herself growing increasingly restless.
She hadn't seen him all day. At first, it had seemed like a blessing. She told herself that avoiding him would help her regain control of her thoughts, keep her emotions from spiraling further out of control. But as the hours passed, curiosity began to gnaw at her.
It had grown to the point that it was skating along the edge of a much more dangerous emotion:obsession.
She couldn't help but wonder. What was he doing? And more importantly... who was he with?
Seated with the other ladies, Daphne tried to focus on the conversation around her. They were discussing fabrics andcolors, idle chatter. It was all in the background for her anyway. Instead, her mind was conjuring up scenarios of its own.
Her hand tightened around the delicate fan she held, fingers digging into the smooth handle.
That's when Lady Eugenia entered the room.
Daphne's stomach clenched painfully at the sight of her. Lady Eugenia, graceful and poised, seemed to glide into the room. She had a perfect smile on her face, as though she had spent her day in quiet luxury. Daphne's gaze flicked to her face, scanning for any signs, any clue to where she might have been.
Had she been at breakfast?
Daphne hadn't noticed her, but then again, her thoughts had been too preoccupied with Richard.
Now, though, Daphne couldn't shake the sudden suspicion that Lady Eugenia had been with Ambrose this entire time. The idea hit her like a punch to the gut, sending a wave of jealousy through her.
No... it couldn't be.
But the longer Daphne stared at Lady Eugenia, the more the irrational thought took root.
