Page 13 of Guilty Pleasures

There was a hint of dismay in the other woman’s voice, and Daphne’s heart sank. Perhaps the viscountess’s words about friendship had been lightly spoken. Perhaps she had been talking about her with Anthony for obscure reasons of her own. Nonetheless, Daphne knew she had to leave Tremore Hall, and Viola was her best chance of doing so. “Since my father’s death, my life has been following an inevitable path over which I have had little control.”

“Because you are a woman,” the viscountess said, an almost acerbic note in her voice. “We have little control over our lives.”

“Perhaps, but I have been turning our conversation over and over in my mind, and I cannot help but feel that it is time I found my mother’s family and took my rightful place in society.”

“Of course! I said as much yesterday, but you were adamant about staying here. Are you certain you wish to do this?”

“Yes. I have never had the chance to enjoy good society or make friends, for Papa and I were always moving. Here, I am buried in the country working alone all the day long and never meeting anyone.”

“Of course you must be very lonely here, and earning a living is beneath a baron’s granddaughter. I confess I had been thinking how delightful it would be to reunite you with your family and help you to come out into society. But I had thought your feelings—” She broke off, not voicing whatever she had been about to say. Instead, she looked down, fingering the quill pen on her desk, lost in thought. Daphne waited, silent, hoping the viscountess’s seeming reluctance did not mean she would refuse.

After a moment, Viola looked up. “Have you discussed this with the duke?”

“No. I felt I should speak with you first.”

She nodded. “I told you I would be delighted to have you at Enderby, and I would not have said it if I did not mean it. However, Anthony will not like it. What will he do without you?”

Daphne bit back the tart reply that Anthony would not waste one moment grieving her departure. “He will be able to find someone else for the post.”

“But not someone as excellent as you. Why, only the other night he was telling Sir Edward and me how skilled you are at your work. He admires your knowledge and intelligence very much.”

And that was all he admired, since she was a stick insect with no feminine appeal. Daphne did not want to think about his opinion ever again. In the light of a new day, remembering his words made her want to bash him over the head with one of his Samarian wine jars.

“This excavation and the museum he intends to endow with the artifacts means a great deal to my brother,” Viola went on. “He intends to retain you until the project is finished, and he will not want you to leave.”

Daphne did not care tuppence for what Anthony wanted. “He will have no choice.”

“Anthony has been a duke since he was twelve years old. He is accustomed by a lifetime of experience to getting his way.”

“He cannot force me to stay.”

“Oh, Daphne, you underestimate the power of a duke. News of your departure will displease him enormously, especially when he learns I am the one taking you away.”

Daphne’s heart sank. “I should hate to be the cause of any rift between you and your brother,” she said, trying to hide her dismay. “I understand if you wish to retract your invitation.”

Viola considered the situation for a moment, then she shook her head. “I shall do no such thing! To my mind, it is unconscionable that a young woman who is the daughter of a knight and the granddaughter of a baron should have to earn her living. You deserve your rightful place in society, and Anthony is only being selfish. It will be my pleasure to have you at Enderby.”

Daphne’s relief was so great, she nearly sagged in her chair. “Thank you. I am in your debt.”

“Not at all. I shall enjoy your company very much. All I ask is that when you resign your post, you give Anthony a month’s notice of your departure. He will need time to find someone to replace you.”

Another month here, knowing Anthony’s contempt for her, would be hard to bear, but she had no choice. “Of course.”

Viola picked up her quill and scrawled something on a sheet of paper. “I shall be leaving here shortly and going to Chiswick. I will anticipate your arrival there in about a month. If you change your mind, write to me at this direction.”

Daphne took the sheet the other woman held out to her. “I will not change my mind.”

“Do not be so certain of that. This excavation business is very important to Anthony, and he will not like losing you. I know my brother very well. He can be very persuasive when he chooses. And very determined.”

Daphne did not reply to that. She was leaving, and there was nothing more to say.

Anthony sank the spade into the ground with care, working to remove the earth without damaging any treasures that might lay buried in the ancient room beneath his feet.

He was probably the only peer in all of Britain who truly enjoyed physical labor such as this, he thought, as he pressed his boot down onto the spade and lifted another shovelful of damp earth. Most of his acquaintances would be shocked to see him now, covered in dirt with his shirt off, his body damp with sweat.

He dumped the shovelful of dirt into the wood-framed screen box beside him, and as he did so, he caught sight of Miss Wade approaching, weaving her way amid the workmen and the half-uncovered walls of the excavation. He paused and reached for his shirt, pulling it over his head as she came up to him.

“Could I speak with you a moment?” she asked. “It is rather important.”

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