Sir Roderick’s bark of laughter was the only sound.
“How would you know how bad it is to drink too much when you’ve never had so much as a taste of the stuff?” Rafe countered.
Mother stood and wrung her hands. “Why don’t we all—”
“No, no, Mother. That’s quite all right. Let’s continue. I shan’t allow Captain Cavendish’s poor manners to ruin the fun,” Daphne said.
Cass gasped.
Daphne finally looked at Lord Fitzwell. He was frowning, the sides of his mouth decidedly turned down. She had to do something quickly to divert the attention away from her war of words with Rafe.
She tried to resume her flowerlike stance but couldn’t manage much. She wanted to run from the room. She glanced desperately at Sir Roderick and gave him a pleading look.
“A sunflower!” he shouted.
Daphne expelled her breath. Thank heavens for Roddy.
She nodded quickly.
“Well done,” Lord Berkeley said to Sir Roderick, clapping him on the back.
“I’ll go next,” Lucy gamely offered.
“Yes, please do,” Daphne replied, moving away from the center of the room. She cleared her throat and stopped next to her cousin’s chair. “Delilah, may I please speak to you in the next room?”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“Let me ensure that I understand you correctly,” Delilah said, pacing slowly across the rug in the drawing room next door to where the charades game was still taking place. Delilah’s hands were folded behind her back and her gamine little face was pulled up in a knowing smile. “You want me todistractCaptain Cavendish?”
“Precisely.” Daphne nodded.
“And how exactly do you suggest I go about doing such a thing?”
“You know? Talk to him, follow him about, keep him from showing up every time I’m speaking with Lord Fitzwell. He seems to take great pleasure in causing me trouble and I’d like to see him stopped.”
“And in return for this service, you’ll give me what in exchange?” Delilah unfolded her arms from behind her back and tapped one finger against her plump little cheek.
Daphne sighed. Before this weekend was over, she might as well give her cousin all of her worldly possessions. “Name your price.”
Delilah’s eyes rounded. “Ooh, that is tempting.”
“Go ahead, you little urchin. What is it that you want?”
The finger continued to tap against Delilah’s cheek. “I want that new bonnet you purchased on Bond Street last week.J’adoreit.”
“Done.”
“And…”
“And?” Daphne rubbed her temples. The girl knew how to bargain, she’d give her that.
“And I want you to—”
An unexpected rapping on the door interrupted their conversation. Rafe’s head appeared. “I do hate to interrupt, but it seems your poor Lord Fitzwell has become afflicted with a nosebleed. Your mother has called for some linens and he’s lying on the settee in the next room but the game of charades has decidedly come to an end.”
Daphne whirled to face Rafe. “Oh, heavens. Is he all right?”
“I expect him to be. It is only a nosebleed after all.” The scoffing in his voice was quite apparent.
