“I know,” Daffin replied, climbing in behind him. “But I told her we’ll be back because I want her to look over her shoulder the rest of her life.”
Grim leaned back against the squabs. “Where to?”
“Your town house. I have an important question to ask your uncle.”
Daffin spent the ride to Grim’s house in silence. He’d made his decision. Hearing vile Lady Rosalind say those horrible things about Regina, he’d realized. He couldn’t allow Regina to marry Dryden. Dryden wasn’t right for her. Dryden didn’t love her. Daffin did. He’d guessed at the depths of his feelings for her when she’d been kidnapped, but now he knew for certain. He loved Regina desperately. He didn’t want to spend another day of his life without her. He had to try, at least. First, he needed her uncle’s approval.
They stepped into Grimaldi’s foyer together.
“Do you want me there with you?” Grim asked.
“No.” Daffin shook his head. He didn’t want to put his friend in a difficult position. “What I have to say is for the duke’s ears and the duke’s ears alone.”
“Understood.” Grim clapped him on the shoulder. “Good luck, Oakleaf.”
Daffin nodded and turned to the butler. “I’m here to see the Duke of Colchester.”
Abbott showed him into the salon, the same room where Regina had treated him for a pistol wound. Today he was here on a much different errand. Daffin had no more secrets. It was all there in theTimes,printed in black-and-white for the entire town to see. The duke might well reject Daffin for his past, but Grimaldi’s reaction had given him hope. There was only one way to find out what her uncle and grandmother thought.
Not a quarter hour later, the duke was wheeled into the room by two footmen who quickly left.
Daffin stood and bowed. “Your grace.”
“Mr. Oakleaf,” the duke intoned. “I read about you in the paper this morning.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Daffin tugged at his cravat.
“I knew the Duke of Portland,” the duke continued, his tone dour. “I cannot say I liked him.”
“Neither did I.” Of course thetonstill didn’t know what Portland had done. Portland had never admitted hiring Knowles to kill Daffin’s mother. But Portland was dead. Daffin could only hope the afterlife had delivered the reckoning the man deserved.
Daffin shifted to the other boot. “I’m here, your grace, to ask you something important.”
The duke lifted his chin. “What’s that?”
“May I have your blessing to marry Lady Regina?”
The duke lowered his chin to his chest. His white eyebrows dipped low over his eyes. “Mr. Oakleaf,” he said, “you’ve done many commendable things for this family. We owe you an immeasurable debt of gratitude, but…” The duke paused.
“But that gratitude does not extend to your niece’s hand in marriage?” Daffin finished for him.
“I’m afraid it does not.” The duke did not meet Daffin’s eyes.
“You’d prefer someone like the Earl of Dryden for Regina?” Daffin asked, his nostrils flaring.
“I would prefer someone of Regina’s same class. Yes.”
Shame burned his chest. “Not the bastard son of aduke?”
“Please don’t make this difficult, Mr. Oakleaf. You’re ahighly respected member of Bow Street, and I have great admiration for you.”
“As long as I remain on Bow Street, where I belong.”
The duke shifted uncomfortably in his seat, but remained silent.
Daffin turned and paced away a few steps. Humiliation burned in his chest. “Does Lady Harriet feel the same way?”
The duke nodded. “I don’t see how she couldn’t. We both only want the best for our Regina.”
