“No… certainly not,” Danielle lied.
“I hesitated to allow him to escort you,” Lady Daphne continued. “He promised to be on his best behavior. Was he?”
Danielle had to swallow the smile that popped to her lips. She suspected hehadbeen on his best behavior. The man was a complete rogue. “Yes,” she answered emphatically. “Of course. Though he did… meet a friend in the street.”
“Oh, no!” Daphne turned in her seat to face Danielle. “Not some criminal or ne’er-do-well.”
“I couldn’t say, my lady,” Danielle replied. “Her name was Miss Jones. She seemed to be…” Danielle cleared her throat. “Quitecloseto Mr. Cavendish.”
Daphne shook her head. “Her Christian name wasn’t Amanda, was it?”
Danielle’s eyes widened. “You know her?”
“I’m sorry to say we’ve met once. Under some very trying circumstances. Suffice it to say that Miss Jones mistook Rafe for Cade and it was… quite distressing.”
Danielle resumed the brushing. “Oh, my lady, I can only guess.”
“I didn’t care much for that tart,” Lady Daphne continued. “I cannot believe she’d be bold enough to stop him in the street. Wait. Yes, I can. She was quite bold indeed.”
“Agreed,” Danielle murmured. “At any rate, it was kind of Mr. Cavendish to escort Mary and me to Bond Street.”
Lady Daphne sighed. “I’m pleased to hear that you don’t regret it. I do worry about him.”
Thatwas intriguing. “You worry about him, my lady?”
“Yes, quite a lot. When he first arrived in London we were shocked. You see, Rafe had believed his brother was dead.”
“Is that so?” She continued to brush Lady Daphne’s pretty hair.
“Rafe hadn’t seen him in nearly a decade and had heard he’d been… I can trust you to keep this confidential, can’t I?”
Danielle nodded but a vision of Grimaldi hovered in the back of her mind.
“Rafe had heard that Cade had been in gaol,” Lady Daphne continued.
“Gaol?” Danielle did her best to feign surprise. Surely Grimaldi already knew that.
Lady Daphne wrinkled her nose. “Let’s just say Cade hasn’t always been on the correct side of the law.”
Neither have I. “Yet you allow him into your home, my lady?”
“He’s family. We would never shut him out. Besides, we don’t know of anything he’s donelately.”
“I understand, my lady. I hope you don’t think I’m prying.” She wanted to ask Lady Daphne if she thought Cade would steal from his own brother. “Do you know of any business ventures Mr. Cavendish is involved in?”
Daphne frowned. “Business? No. I mean we always assume he’s up to something. Mostly gambling and the occasional fight, but I’ve never known him to have an occupation. Not a proper one at least. He and Rafe have a complicated relationship.”
“What doyouthink of him, my lady?” Gamblingmightexplain the large purse. Perhaps he wastres, tresgood at gambling.
Lady Daphne tapped her cheek with one finger. “I think.” She sighed again. “I think he’s a good man who lost his way.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry if he’s been untoward to you, Danielle. If he bothers you, please do not hesitate to tell me or Lord Cavendish. I’d like to think we’re friends and you can be honest with me.”
Friends? Yet again, that word. Not only was Danielle pretending to be a maid and hiding in the woman’s house, but she just might be trying to ruin her brother-in-law and send him back to gaol. There was no way beautiful, kind Lady Daphne wouldn’t end up hating her.
“Mr. Cavendish has been no bother,” Danielle said instead. “No bother at all.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Daphne Cavendish sat at the dressing table in her bedchamber, staring at her reflection in the glass. She wore a dressing gown and her hair was mussed, having just been thoroughly ravished by her gorgeous husband. Rafe stood behind her, shrugging into his shirt.
