"It seems to be the case," Daphne admitted with a sigh. "I... I do not know how it happened, but now, instead of annoyance, I feel a yearning for him instead. I feel his absence when he is not around, and I feel myself wanting to speak to him."
"But Daphne," Isadora spoke, alarmed, "You sound as though you are besotted by him. As though youlovehim."
Daphne almost smiled at the word. Yes, that was it. She had been too terrified to admit it to herself, to give a name to what she felt inside of her. But it was most fitting. This feeling she felt was no passing infatuation, it had to be love.
"Do you?" Violent asked, her voice softer than the former.
Daphne took her time to answer. She knew that she was not helping the suspense allegations against her by doing so, but she had to take her time. It was, after all, the first time she was admitting the words out loud to anyone.
"I do," she said softly, staring at her hands folded neatly in her lap, "I have tried running away from it in every way I knew possible, but I have fallen in love with him."
"Oh, Daphne," Isadora leaned forward to grab her hand, and then hold it gently. "But this was not part of the plan. You were supposed to... feel this way about Richard."
"But I do not," Daphne admitted. "Richard is lovely, and a thorough gentleman, but..."
"He does not ignite the same spark within you as the Duke?" Isadora completed her sentence, her voice full of understanding.
Daphne nodded, feeling the awful feeling her stomach rise once again. All her life, she had longed to feel love for someone like this – a deep love, one that goes against all rationalities, a maddening love. And now that she had, it had suffered the terrible fate of being unrequited.
"Oh but I do not understand still," Violet shook her head, still reeling from Daphne's admission, "Howdid this happen? I remember that you detested him, how does that strong change into love? Did he try and win your favor?"
Daphne shook her head. That was the thing – he made no effort to activelywinher over, and yet, he ended up doing so anyway.
"Please, Violet," Isadora interjected, "You are being too daft. It was always in front of us, and yet we never noticed. The signs were always there – it is not every day that someone can elicit such a strong emotion out of you."
"Yes, but you say that as though the emotion was apositiveone," Violet retorted.
"It is the intensity of it that matters," Isadora continued, "It only evolved into something else, something quite deep from the way Daphne is speaking about it. Why, I have never seen her act like this."
"But..." Violet's tone still held traces of confusion, "It's all quite lovely that she has fallen in love with the Duke. But we are forgetting another very important character in this entire story... what aboutRichard?"
Daphne shrugged. It seemed that he was the last of her worries. "What about him?"
"The both of you are in a courtship, and expected to marry. What will become of those plans now that you are in love with his brother?"
Daphne thought back to what Ambrose had said to her. That she should marry his brother, and that would be the solution to all of this mess that they found themselves in.
"I do not know," Daphne answered, earnestly. She knew that she had to make a decision soon.
"What does the Duke have to say about all this?" Isadora asked, "Does... he... well, does he return your feelings?"
A sigh ripped from Daphne's throat. "Even if he does, he has made the choice to not pursue his feelings. He has told me in no uncertain terms that nothing can happen between the two of us, and that doing so would be the most practical thing."
Practical.Daphne could not even begin to describe how much she had grown to detest that word ever since Ambrose had uttered it from his lips in their last conversation together.
"Practical?" Isadora repeated, taken aback. "How should one remain practical when faced with a love like this?"
"Well, it takes two to make a marriage," Violet commented, "What is Daphne meant to do if the Duke is not willing? She said so herself."
Hearing the words out loud, Daphne felt her heart break all over again. Violet sensed the shift in her demeanor, and quickly wrapped an arm around her.
"I apologize for I did not mean to be so harsh," she said, worried, "I was just stating what could be done..."
Daphne raised a hand to silence her, "No need for that. You are correct. We are simply not fated to be together, and I cannot fight fate."
A small silence settled over the carriage at her words, and Isadora squeezed her hand.
"I wish there was something that could be done," she spoke after a long moment. "Does anyone know about this?"
