“I don’t want you to be like me,” Sam said. “I want you. Exactly as you are.”
“But—”
“But what?”
“I’ll let everyone down. You’ll all be disappointed in me. You’ll realize I’m not worth the trouble.”
“I could never,” Sam said. He kissed her forehead. “Whoever made you feel like this, I want to know who it was.”
“Lady Claystone,” her brother’s voice came from behind Sam.
“And Cliffton.” Lady Amelia said. “He ignored her. Abandoned her. Any woman would lose confidence in herself after such treatment.”
Daisy blinked. She’d forgotten Graham and Amelia were there. Sam took up her whole vision.
“I’m sorry, Daisy. I should have spoken out long ago,” her brother said. “I didn’t think you liked Cliffton all that much and didn’t care he never visited. I didn’t realize you were so unhappy in the arrangement itself.”
“It wasn’t that I wanted Cliffton about, but I couldn’t help but think maybe I was the reason he stayed away.”
“Cliffton never deserved you,” Amelia said.
Daisy drew in a breath. “I’ve made an utter fool of myself.”
“We all do that from time to time. It’s a human condition,” Sam said.
He stepped aside, and Daisy took in the massacre of the tablecloth.
“But it’s still ruined.”
Amelia tipped her own glass over and stood. “It’s just a tablecloth. We can clean it up and refill our wine glasses. Daisy, you are a remarkable and beautiful young woman. Your presence here has brought us so much joy, and I am proud to already call you my sister. I could not choose a better woman to marry my brother.”
Daisy sucked in a breath. “Why did you tell them without me?”
He tucked her hair behind her ear. “I knew there was a possibility your brother might hit me, and knew that would upset you. But he didn’t.”
“I wanted to,” her brother muttered.
Daisy looked to her brother. He gave her a half smile. “If you’re worried mother and father won’t support your marriage to Alston, I’ll persuade them.”
“We’re happy for you,” Amelia said. “Love is a gift too precious to refuse.”
A footman entered, took one glance at the table, and retreated. Then a team of people came out of the side door, and within moments the table was once again pristinely set.
Sam led her back to her chair, and Daisy had no choice but to sit. He held her hand in his as he took his chair. Daisy still felt like a fool for her overreaction.
“As long as we present this as it is, mother and father will be fine with it,” her brother said. “Over the years, I know mother has grown tired of Lady Claystone’s personality herself, though you seem to have caught the brunt of her bad behavior. We can figure it out together.”
“You’re really not angry?” Daisy asked.
“At you? Never. I did want to bloody his face, but in the end, who am I to decide who you marry? I’ve never seen you so emotional or vocal as you are now, with all this out in the open.”
“I’ve never had cause to be.”
Amelia laughed. “I imagine loving my brother would drive any woman mad. Good luck to you. I’ll be here for support.”
Sam glared at his sister, but then he turned his focus back to her. “You said something I won’t be able to forget until I hear you take it back.”
Daisy bit her lip. “I don’t remember everything I said.”
