Page 47 of The Rogue and His Flower

Sterling cuts a look to Drix, then clears his throat as he swipes a hand through his glossy brown hair. “They’re settling in.”

“Are you sticking around for a while?” I ask, knowing that he dislikes his father about as much as I like Carl, and since his dad divorced his mum and she moved out, his visits to Princetown are few and far between. Which is a shame because like Ben, Sterling is one of the few people who I actually like in this town.

“Of course, I wouldn’t dream of missing your wedding,” he replies, cutting a look at Dalton, who clears his throat pointedly.

“I hate to steal Daisy away, but there are other guests we need to greet. We’ll catch up soon, yes?” he says to Drix, before looking between Sterling and Ben.

Drix doesn’t reply, but Ben nods. “Actually, Harlow has agreed to sing at Bandits Bar, you should all come, might make her feel more at ease if there are some familiar faces in the crowd.”

Sterling snaps his head around to Ben. “She has? When was this arranged?”

“Couple days ago. She’s performing next weekend, in fact,” Ben replies, his lips twitching up in a smile. “I asked her to fill in whilst the guys are doing some gigs in London.”

“Princetown Bandits are gigging in London?” Drix asks, referring to the local band Ben manages.

“Yeah, a record label is very interested in them. I’m going to meet with the label and the guys when they return,” Ben explains. “It’s been a long time coming.”

“That’s amazing, they’re really good,” Lia adds.

“If you don’t mind me coming too, I’d love to hear Harlow sing again. Her voice is stunning,” I say.

“Oh me too,” Lia adds. “She gave me chills when she sang at the wedding.”

“Pretty sure she gave a few of us more than chills,” Ben comments with a smirk, and I can’t help but notice the way Sterling’s jaw grits and his eyes narrow at Ben. I wonder what’s happening there. Whilst Ben doesn’t quite have the same reputation as Dalton, he’s still single, handsome, and heir to the Pike family fortune. He’s a catch. Perhaps he’s made a move on Harlow, or maybe it was her who made a move on him?

“Anyway,” Ben continues, “Of course you all should come. It’ll be a great night.”

"Well, I guess we better head off. I’ll hopefully see you all soon then?” I say.

“You bet, Daise,” Drix replies, pressing a kiss against Lia’s forehead as she smiles up at him.

As Dalton leads me away to greet the other guests, I can’t help but steal glances at Lia and Drix, feeling a bittersweet ache in my chest as I admire their genuine warmth and connection. In contrast, Dalton’s hand on my back as we exchange pleasantries with the guests only serves to remind me of the charade we are playing, of the lies we are weaving to keep up appearances. Despite how uncomfortable that makes me feel, I play my part, smiling and nodding in all the right places. I even manage to keep myself in check when Carl finally approaches us both.

“Are you enjoying yourselves?” he asks, his cool gaze flicking over me. I see the annoyance in his gaze at my choice of dress, but thankfully he refrains from commenting.

“It’s been a lovely evening, thank you,” I reply, even though all I want to do is escape to my room and hide. Honestly, I’m exhausted by all the pretence.

Carl nods, a polite smile on his lips as he glances between us both. “I’m glad to hear it. Daisy, do you mind if I steal Dalton away for a moment? There’s a matter we need to discuss.” His tone is casual, but there’s an underlying tension that makes me stiffen.

“That’s fine. I need to use the ladies room anyway,” I lie, glad for the opportunity to escape, even if it’s only for a little while.

“I’ll come and find you in a moment,” Dalton says, his fingers brushing mine briefly before he follows his father out of the ballroom.

The heat of his touch lingers on my skin as I slip through the crowd, and head towards the back of the manor, and the gardens beyond. I suddenly feel like I can’t breathe and need some fresh air, a moment to recenter myself. As I step out into the cold winter air, I hear two women laughing, and my steps falter. Hidden by a marble statue, I listen in on their conversation.

“What about her dress? There’s no accounting for taste,” a familiar voice says. “Daisy looks like a Christmas bauble.”

Heat floods my cheeks at the insult. It’s Clarissa, Mrs Fernsby’s daughter and someone I once considered a friend. That was before I found out that she was the one who’d dared my ex-boyfriend, Jonathon, to date me in college and then dump me in front of my peers at our graduation ball. Jonathon had pretended to be in love with me for months, took my virginity and then broke my heart, destroying my trust in people in the process. He was the reason Drix ended up in debt, because when Drix found out what Jonathon had done, he’d beaten him so badly he’d ended up in hospital. Carl paid the family off, and then used that debt to force Drix to be his enforcer.

A debt that will be fully written off once I marry Dalton and provide Carl with a grandchild he’s so desperate for.

“I really don’t understand what Dalton sees in her,” the woman she’s with replies.

“Oh, come on, isn’t it obvious?” Clarissa says, her voice tight with bitterness. “He clearly pity fucked her and got her pregnant. If this isn’t a shotgun wedding, I’ll eat my hat.”

The woman gasps. “Surely he wouldn’t. She’s a…nobody.”

“Exactly, just because she has the Hammer name, doesn’t make her a part of this world. It never will,” Clarissa replies. “Besides, we all know Dalton. There’s no way he’d choose Daisy willingly. He was probably even drunk when they fucked.”

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