“Who is it?” she called toward the door.
“It’s Cass, dear. May I come in?”
Daphne sighed. No doubt her sister-in-law had heard all about her foibles last night. “Of course,” she called back.
Cass came sweeping into the room wearing a pretty peach day dress and a wide smile on her lovely face. She made her way over to the bed, pulled the chair from the writing desk next to it, and took a seat. “How are you feeling, Daphne?”
Daphne groaned and rubbed a hand to her forehead. “Like I was run over by the mail coach.”
Cass winced. “I’m so sorry.” She reached out and patted Daphne’s hand.
Daphne pressed a knuckle to her forehead. “Ooh, I knew alcohol was evil. I knew it. I cannot imagine why I thought it was a good idea to have any.”
Cass’s cornflower-blue eyes were filled with sympathy. “In moderation, it isn’t so bad. But I hear that moderation was not with you last night.”
Daphne heaved a sigh. “It wasn’t. Not a bit. Oh, Cass, I completely ruined my life last night.”
Cass gave her a slight smile. “Don’t you think it’s a bit of an exaggeration to say you ruined yourentirelife?”
Daphne put the back of her hand to her forehead. “Very well. Perhaps not myentirelife, but a good portion of it. Certainly my plans for the future.”
Cass smoothed the bedsheets with one hand. “You mean your engagement to Lord Fitzwell?”
“Yes. Not to mention my reputation. If Lord Fitzwell tells anyone what he saw, I’ll be a disgraced spinster the rest of my life.” Daphne bit her thumbnail again.
Cass patted her knee above the blanket. “Don’t worry about that, dear. Julian had a nice long chat with Lord Fitzwell before he left.”
Daphne blinked. “Lord Fitzwell left?”
“Yes.”
“And Julian had a chat with him?” Daphne gulped.
“Julian made it quite clear that he’d better not hear a word against your character or he’d take it up with Fitzwell privately.”
Daphne breathed a sigh of relief. Julian was a crack shot. No one in his sound mind would want to face him in a duel. “I’m glad to hear that, but if I hadn’t acted so recklessly Julian wouldn’t have had to threaten poor Lord Fitzwell.”
“Don’t worry about Fitzwell. I think he was extremely—how did you say it?—judgmental last night.”
Daphne whimpered. “Were you there, too?”
Cass shook her head. “No. I heard about it afterward from Julian.”
“Was Julian there?” Daphne groaned.
“No. He heard about it from Captain Cavendish.”
“Well, Captain Cavendish certainly was there. That much I remember. I blame him for this.”
Cass shook her head. “Why?”
“Because he’s… he’s just so…”
“Kissable?”
Daphne let her head fall into her hands. She groaned again. “Lucy told you?”
“Yes, but she swore me to secrecy, I promise.”
