Daphne stared down at her slippers. She couldn’t face her brother while these words came out of her mouth. “Donald made Rafe promise not to… consummate the marriage.”
Julian gritted his teeth again. “Astute of him. And did Cavendish—” Julian tugged at his cravat and cleared his throat. “Keep his promise?”
Daphne could only nod. Yes, the blasted man had kept his promise, but not from any lack of trying to seduce him on her part.
“Good, or I’d be on my way to find him in the drawing room and beat him to a pulp right now,” Julian replied.
“So bloodthirsty,” Cass murmured from behind the teacup that she’d picked up again. She tsked at her husband.
Julian pressed a finger to his brow as if he had a headache and focused his attention back on Daphne. “I don’t see the problem then. If you’ve both kept your end of the bargain, an annulment shouldn’t be difficult. There are very few legal grounds for one, but if the Prince Regent is involved—”
“Itshouldn’tbe difficult,” Daphne replied, wringing her hands again.
“Is that why you’ve come for my help? I’ll ask some discreet friends in Parliament about it. Remind the prince. We can get it done quickly, quietly without anyone knowing.”
“Itshouldbe that simple,” Daphne said, “except…”
Julian’s forehead wrinkled into a frown. “Except what?”
Daphne sighed. “Except Captain Cavendish just told me that he refuses to grant me the annulment.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Daphne rounded the corner toward the drawing room just as Rafe was coming out the door. She nearly collided with his broad chest. The man smelled like pine needles and soap and—oh, something else good that she didn’t want to think about. She swallowed and shook her head. “I, er, Captain Cavendish, I mean—”
“There you are. I’d nearly given you up for dead.” His grin was unrepentant.
She took a step back and stared straight into his cravat. No good could come from staring into that handsome face. And that dimple… “I’ve just come from Julian’s study.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “And?”
Delilah’s little face peered around the far corner. “Do you mind?” Daphne pointed toward the drawing room where they would have more privacy. She waved Delilah away and frowned at the girl.
“Not at all.” Rafe pushed open the door again with one hand and gestured to her to precede him into the room.
Daphne straightened her shoulders and marched inside, trying her best to ignore his scent. This time she detected a bit of soap and leather and— Ooh, this was not helping. Not at all.
She made her way around the table in the center of the room, using it as a shield from his nearness.
Rafe eyed her with his arms crossed over his chest again. “I must say the way you ran out of here earlier, I wasn’t certain you were coming back.”
Daphne glanced down at her hands, staring at the naked ring finger. “I didn’t run.”
“Didn’t you?” She didn’t even need to look to know his brow was quirked.
She cleared her throat. No use quibbling with him. And very well, the truth was, she had run. A little. “You quite caught me by surprise.”
“I’m sure I did, but you didn’t allow me to finish what I was saying.”
Daphne tossed her hands in the air. “Finish what? Finish telling me you refuse to grant me an annulment? I’d heard quite enough. You’ve clearly lost your mind.”
“And you ran off to tell your brother on me before hearing the rest of it.” He scrubbed a hand against the back of his head. “Though I can’t say I’m surprised. You seem to enjoy looking to your family to fix everything. I daresay there hasn’t been a problem in your entire life that the Swift name hasn’t solved for you.”
Daphne’s eyes narrowed to slits. His words rankled. Perhaps because they contained a bit of the truth. Shehadrun off to enlist Julian’s help and she couldn’t deny it now. Instead, she scrunched up her nose and drew in a deep breath. “Very well. I’m back. Tell me. What do you want?”
“Want?” Again with the eyebrow quirk.
She nodded, her heart beating like a rabbit’s foot in her chest. Julian had informed her that unless the groom was willing, the annulment could not possibly be done quickly or quietly. If she didn’t get Rafe to agree to this, her entire weekend, her entire engagement, let alone her entire future, the one she’d planned with Lord Fitzwell, would be ruined. She feigned nonchalance by folding her arms over her chest and pushing out her cheek with her tongue. “Yes. In exchange for the annulment. What do you want?”
