Page 45 of Romancing Daphne

“Keep your cheeky remarks to yourself,” he muttered.“I take no delight in leaving my wife to fend for herself in this den of idiocy.” He crossed to the sofa where she sat. An earnestness entered his eyes, and Daphne foundshe couldn’t tease him further.“Neither can I be at ease abandoning her when she is not in the pink of health.”

Daphne had noticed Persephone’s flagging spirits, but no one had told her that her sister was truly ill.“If she needs to return home—”

Adam cut off her offer before she’d fully made it.“Persephone insistsshe is well enough to remain, and I have learned over the past seven yearsthat arguing with her is as futile as explaining to the Regent the benefits of exercising economy.”

“Or undertaking a reducing diet,” Daphne offered.

Amusement entered his very somber expression. Daphne was glad of it. She didn’t like seeing him so burdened.

“How long do you anticipate being gone?”

“The journey will not take overly long, but my sojourn there will dependentirely on what I find upon my arrival and how long your brother takes toarrive.”

Daphne shifted a little to face him more fully. Adam was in his“methodical and conscientious overseer of the estate” mind-set. She’d learned long agothat he needed a listening ear more than anything else in these moments.

“And the entire thing will be endlessly complicated by the fact that I am taking Artemis with me.” His annoyed tone spoke volumes.

“Why in heaven’s name would you do that to yourself? You’ll more than likely toss her out the carriage window halfway there.”

The stern lines in Adam’s face clearly indicated he was not anticipating the journey with any degree of equanimity.“At times like this, it is terribly inconvenient to be irrevocably in love with one’s wife.”

“You would do this for Persephone?”

He nodded.“I would do anything for her.”

Artemis’s dramatic enthusiasm grated on Adam; everyone in the family knew as much. Yet he was willing to endure her exclusive company and what would likely be a long string of complaints mingled with ridiculous daydreams in order to spare his wife the trouble of her. What must that be like? To have a man love her to the point of such selflessness?

“I have a few assignments for you.” Adam moved straight to the heart of the matter.“First, do not allow Lord Techney to bully you, something he is infuriatingly fond of doing.”

“I may be of a quiet nature, Adam, but when in the years I’ve been under your tutelage have you known anyone tobullyme?”

He gave a crisp nod.“Next, keep an eye on that slippery fellow who purports to be courting you.”

“Slippery fellow?Purportsto be courting me?” She did not at all like his choice of words and hoped her tone told him as much.“You certainly take a skeptical view of things for one who has made himself exceedingly scarce in Society these past days.”

“And yet,” he said unrepentantly,“I have kept just as close an eye on Lord Tilburn as I did the day he took you for a ride in Hyde Park. The difference being this time I didn’t choose to make my surveillance known.”

A nervous flutter assaulted her stomach.“And what have you discovered with your spying?” She tried to sound less than concerned.

His gaze narrowed as he studied her a moment.“Likely nothing you haven’t already noticed yourself but I’d wager have dismissed or explained away.”

“Such as?” She couldn’t entirely retain the surety she’d had in her tone amoment earlier. She had, in fact, noticed a few things that worried her.

Adam took up the topic with no obvious hesitation.“Lord Tilburn pays you the same amount and type of attention he gives his mother, his brother, and any number of his casual social acquaintances. He keeps surprisingly busy with estate, family, and political matters for one who is neither the lord of the manor, head of the family, nor holder of the seat in Lords. A gentleman undertaking a suit generally puts a great deal of effort into it.”

Daphne swallowed down the small lump forming in her throat.“What is it you suspect him of?”

He shrugged.“Nothing in particular. I only think it odd that a man as thoughtful and meticulous as I have found him to be in the six years I’ve watched him would be so lackadaisical. His enthusiasm for any number of things is more pointed than it is for this courtship.”

She’d seen with some alarm that his attentions hadn’t grown more frequent, neither had they moved beyond the merest beginnings of a friendship. But this wasJames Tilburn. This was a dream coming to life. Despite her uncertainty, she wasn’t willing to give up.

She set her gaze on the empty fireplace, not able to look at Adam while she spoke aloud her worries.“You think he has changed his mind regarding me?”

“No. I think he has yet to know his own mind where you are concerned. He strikes me as a man confused.”

She felt his arm wrap around her shoulders. She pushed out a breath, days of worry and frustration escaping as she did.“What if he comes to the conclusion that I am not worth his time or energy?”

Adam gave her a squeeze.“I offered him only a single unobjected-tomorning call. Yet he has come more than once.You predicted after thearmed escort in the park that he would not return. Yet he has. Thus far, he has shown himself a gentleman of determination.”

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