Page 86 of Romancing Daphne

“I know your brother has been very concerned about his estate,” she said.

“That concern has transformed into excitement since Mr. Windover’s invitation arrived. I have been acutely relieved to see it.”

She nodded slowly and without enthusiasm. The lady with whom he had shared his thoughts and worries had disappeared behind a stoic and impenetrable mask. He made no further attempts at conversation as the evening wore on. She clearly would not allow it.

Sounds of voices floated up from the entryway below not long after the ormolu clock on the mantel struck seven. The duchess was on her feet on the instant, her eyes glued to the door. Miss Artemis pressed her hand to her heart, watching the door as well. Daphne was clearly aware of the inevitability of someone’s entrance but didn’t seem anxious one way or the other. He was certain she was, but she didn’t permit it to show.

The door flew open, and the Duke of Kielder swept inside, his formidable gaze ranging the expanse of the room. “Is everyone here in one piece?”He eyed them all and, apparently satisfied with what he saw, gave a firm nod. “Good. I’ll be in my book room until dinner is ready.”

“Adam,” Her Grace said, stopping her husband in the instant before he turned back toward the still-open door.

He watched her in somewhat impatient anticipation. “I have to—”

“Adam Richard Boyce. You come over here this instant and assure me you are well and whole.”

Something of her concern must have penetrated his obviously distracted mind. He crossed to her. “You aren’t going to faint, are you?”

She took an audible breath and leaned in to him, wrapping her arms around him. He followed suit, holding his wife in a gentle embrace. James had never in all his life seen such a thing. His parents did their utmost to avoid each other’s company.

“Do you know, Persephone,” the duke said, “even after seven years ofmarriage, I am still shocked to realize you worry about me. No one else has ever bothered.”

“I wasn’t worried,” she whispered, though the quiver in her voice beliedher words. “You have set our dinner back, and I am hungry, that’s all.”

The duke did something James could never have imagined. He smiled.Not a broad, eye-twinkling smile, not even enough of a smile to turn upboth sides of his mouth, but the tiniest twitch of his lips.

“Never let it be said that the Dangerous Duke allowed his duchess to go hungry.” He pulled a little free of his wife’s embrace and slid his hands to her face. “Have dinner set out. I’ll join you and the girls just as soon as I’ve spoken with Tilburn.” He pressed a kiss to his wife’s forehead. “Will that wriggle me out of your black books?”

“For now,” she answered, lightness returning to her voice.

The duke nodded his approval, then turned toward James. “You. My book room. Now.”

James followed His Grace out of the sitting room and back to the very book room in which a selection of the Kielder armory had been laid out the last time he’d entered. The desktop on which it had lain was blessedly empty.

“Sit.”

James sat in the seat facing him only to immediately discover how veryuncomfortable and low to the ground the seat he had been offered truly was. His head only barely sat higher than the desktop.

The duke’s expression remained stern.“Let me begin by saying thatpressing you into service this evening is not to be taken as an indication of any level of approval on my part. Daphne needed to return home, and you were the most convenient means of accomplishing that.”

What could he do but nod? He was absolutely certain a vocal responsewould be dangerously unwelcome. The duke didn’t speak, neither did helook away. He simply watched James, eyes narrowed, mouth turned down.

The silence dragged on. Perhaps this was what was meant by the calm before the storm.

“Ah, Linus,” the duke said without looking away from him. “Come in.”

James watched the lieutenant’s ominous approach.

“You were warned not to return.” Lieutenant Lancaster spoke from a menacingly close distance, his eyes snapping with anger.“Onboard ship, we keelhaul men for ignoring orders.”

“Stand down, Linus,” the duke said, his voice as even as though hewere attending to the well-being of a not particularly valuable horse.“Youcannot keelhaul a man on dry land, and I will not tolerate idle threats.”

The lieutenant did not back away in the slightest. Though the duke had the more apocalyptic reputation, the navy man’s glare proved everybit as disconcerting.“It was not idle. I know a jaunty who’d be more than happy to oblige me.”

“Save that favor for another time,” the duke said. “I have asked Tilburn to be here. It is time, Linus, we did something about Daphne.”

James looked from one of them to the other and back. He was worried about how withdrawn she’d become. Was there more the matter with Daphne than that?

“Are you certain about this, Adam?” Lieutenant Lancaster asked.

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