Page 23 of Betting on a Baron
Paddy set off again and grumbled, “Lord save me from stubborn ladies.”
Chin tucked into her cloak, she followed Paddy paying no mind to which direction they were headed. It hadn’t occurred to her before that she all too easily placed her fate in others’ hands. That was about to change.
Paddy stopped and held out his arm to usher her through a garden gate to enter the back alley. “This way, my lady.”
They both froze at the sound of male voices and the whinnying of horses being readied.
“Thought his lordship was stayin’ in tonight,” a footman grumbled.
Daphne tugged on Paddy’s sleeve. “Is he talking about Lord Harlowe?”
Paddy pressed a finger over his lips and nodded.
A coachman tugged on the collar of his great coat. “When a man receives an invitation from Madame Sinclair, he best make haste.”
Paddy’s large hands covered Daphne’s ears and she couldn’t make out the rest of the conversation between the Harlowe staff. Daphne reached for Paddy’s wrists and twisted out of his hold as Ambrose’s carriage moved down the alley.
Hands on her hips, Daphne asked, “Why in the blazes is Ambrose off to see Madame Sinclair in the middle of the night?”
Paddy wagged his eyebrows at her.
She shook her head in disbelief at the idea Ambrose was off to a bawdy house to spend the evening in another woman’s bed. “Lord Harlowe wouldn’t…”
She didn’t want to believe that after declaring his love for her, after all these years, Ambrose would seek out the arms of another woman. Perhaps she had misunderstood. Her heart sank. She’d overheard many a gentleman and on more than one occasion, counting down the hours at a ball, and boasting of receiving a coveted invitation to Madame Sinclair’s bed. The woman’s invitations were considered like golden tickets among her peers of the opposite sex.
Daphne brushed the moisture gathering in the corner of her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’m ready to return home.”
Paddy nodded and led her back through the garden gate. He pushed her behind him out of sight at the sound of the clip clop of hooves upon the cobbled stone street. Daphne peered around Paddy and witnessed with her own eyes Ambrose lounging in his carriage looking out of the window. Moonlight highlighted his profile and the lopsided smirk Daphne had treasured in the past was firmly in place. She clutched her cloak to her chest at the knee-buckling ache stabbing her heart.
She had been too eager to agree to marry Ambrose. Too eager to overlook his desperate need for funds. Too much in love, blinded to all the man’s faults. That was in the past. She stepped around Paddy and marched down the street. She was going to forge her own path, one that did not lead to heartache.
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
Trailing after the one you loved had its risks and rewards. Seated opposite his sister in his traveling coach, Ambrose pulled back the curtain and was blinded by the bright late-summer sunlight. “I’m sorry.”
Alice snapped her book closed and asked, “And what are you apologizing for this time?”
For the last five months he’d placed his sister in the awful position of intermediary. After his initial consultation with Madame Sinclair, during which he’d unabashedly explained his dilemma, Daphne had retracted her agreement to marry and refused to acknowledge his very existence.
The tides had turned. She was the one who was too busy to pay any mind to his constant efforts to garner her attention. Daphne’s days were filled with various pursuits that precluded Ambrose. Even his standing invitation to the weekly Archbroke literary salon had been revoked. His cheeks heated as he recalled the day Lord Archbroke had personally delivered the blow that he was no longer welcome to the literary gatherings. The man who never appeared to be bothered by anything had paced Ambrose’s study and confessed that somehow both Daphne and Lady Archbroke had discovered that he coordinated a meeting with Madame Sinclair, and that they were both now banned from attending the weekly gathering. Astonished to hear that a gentleman of Lord Archbroke’s status would abide by his wife’s declaration preventing him from attending an event held in his own home, Ambrose had initially joked that Lord Archbroke would be back in his lady’s good graces in no time and would be welcomed back. However, as the Season progressed and Lord Archbroke continued to join Ambrose in his study for brandy and a strategy session as to how to get back into the ladies’ good graces, Ambrose realized that for a happy relationship to continue even after you say “I do,” much effort was required from both parties. It dawned on him that Daphne’s refusal was her way of protecting her heart. If he couldn’t put forth effort before they married, what evidence did Daphne have that he would continue to after?
With the close of parliament, families fled London in waves. It came as no surprise to Ambrose that the Viscount of Sumnerson was among the first to relocate his family to the country. With the added distance, Ambrose relied heavily on Alice to provide information on Daphne’s plans.
His sister tapped him on his knee and said, “You don’t owe me any apologies.”
“No. I do. And I’m sorry for dragging you about the countryside all summer.” He hung his head in shame. They had attended every house party keeping up the pretense Ambrose was still on the hunt for an heiress.
“While it has been exhausting, this summer has been highly educational.”
“How so?”
“When our peers believed you flush with funds, there was no shortage of ladies or gentlemen to converse with. After months of pretending to be destitute, I’ve discovered who I can truly call a friend. There are far fewer than I’d hoped.”
“Speaking of true friends, do you think Daphne will ever forgive me and give me another chance?”
“Not until you confess to the truth.” Alice picked up her book and reopened it, then dropped it back to her lap to add, “I’m rather looking forward to Lady Osbourne’s house party. It promises to be a highly entertaining fortnight since this shall be the last house party of the summer before everyone begins preparations to return to London, and the matron has yet another three matches to make in order to win the wager with her cousin.” Alice drummed her fingers over the cover of leather-bound novel.
He was going to set matters with Daphne to rights at Lady Osbourne’s house party even if it meant embarrassing himself to no end.
