“She did, did she?” Daphne scowled at the thought of her cousin’s orchestrations the night of the ball.
“Yes. Was she responsible for Lord Fitzwell coming out into the gardens?”
Daphne eyed Rafe carefully. “Very astute of you, Captain. Yes. That little urchin admitted it to me the next day. She sent him out there. It seems she was never a proponent of my marrying Lord Fitzwell.”
“I can’t say I blame her,” Rafe replied.
Daphne laughed. “I daresay she’s the most opinionated twelve-year-old in the kingdom.”
Rafe shuffled the cards again. “I must agree with you there. I’d learned as much only having spent a brief time in her company.”
Rafe dealt again and won again.
Another sigh from Daphne. “Youaregood at this,” she admitted.
“I’ve had far too much practice,” Rafe replied. “In fact, I need to think of a question.”
He tugged at his lips and Daphne tried to ignore the memory of kissing those same lips. She looked up at the ceiling, over at the door, anywhere to keep her eyes from his handsome face.
“Here’s one,” he finally said. “Who is the next lucky gentleman on the list?”
Daphne furrowed her brow. “You mean the next one I chose? With Cass?”
“Yes.”
“It doesn’t matter, does it?”
“It does to me, your husband.”
Daphne’s gaze snapped to his face. She took a deep breath. “I know you tried to help me, Rafe. I’ve had time to think about it since that night and I remember you tried to get me to stop talking, to salvage the engagement with Lord Fitzwell.”
Rafe glanced down at the cards that he’d gathered back into his hands. “I thought it was what you wanted.”
“I was a fool that night. But losing Lord Fitzwell. Well, it obviously wasn’t meant to be.”
For some reason, Rafe didn’t press her for the name of the next man on her list. She may have decided. But it didn’t feel right, either. She’d worry about that after she returned home. Instead, Rafe shuffled the cards soundly again and dealt them. This time he lost.
“Ah, seems my luck is running out,” he said. “What is your question?”
“Will you teach me how to be a spy?”
“What? Why?”
“You yourself just finished telling me how brave I am and how you respect me. I could be risking my life on this mission. I think I deserve to be trained in order to protect myself if I have to.”
Rafe was silent for a moment as if he were considering her words. “You’re right,” he said quietly.
Daphne’s eyes widened. “You’re going to teach me?”
“Yes. There’s no reason not to. First lesson, hand signals.”
Daphne sat up straight and watched him intently. Rafe rubbed the side of his nose. “This means I understand.”
Daphne rubbed her nose, too.
“You’ve got it,” he said.
Next he wiped his brow.
