Page 28 of Betting on a Baron
“If you can find us a seat that might afford us some privacy.”
“I shall not fail you this time.” He led her into the grand ballroom arranged with large round tables and some smaller square tables. He spied the perfect spot in the corner and weaved a path between the milling guests before anyone else could claim the seats.
Seated next to Daphne rather than opposite her, Ambrose leaned in and said, “If you had chosen the hot house, we could discuss matters more openly.”
“This will suffice.”
Her curt replies were like daggers to his heart, but he had to persist. He rested his arms upon the table and interlocked his fingers. He was ready for her to commence her interrogation.
Daphne glanced at his hands. “Prayers won’t help you now.”
Ambrose forced a chuckle to escape. He was a bundle of nerves, but he couldn’t forgo this opportunity to explain matters. “I’m prepared to do whatever necessary in order to convince you of how much I love you.”
“I don’t doubt your love for me. However, I felt betrayed when I discovered you were to meet with Madame Sinclair.”
The hurt he recognized in her gaze tore at his heart. He needed to reciprocate her open honesty with his own confession but the lump in his throat prevented him from replying. He dropped his gaze to the table and said, “Please accept my sincere apologies. My intention was never to hurt you. Pray let me explain.” He forced himself to meet her gaze. When she nodded, he continued, “I have never shared a bed with a woman, nor do I intend to unless she is my wife. I only wished to gain information from the madam. I wanted to…”
Daphne glanced about the room and then leaned in closer to complete his sentence. “To be prepared. I understand.”
Inches away from her, his heart thudded in his chest. She understood him like no other would.
Daphne shifted and straightened in her seat placing more space between them than he liked. She let out a sigh and said, “After reading Madame Sinclair’s note, it dawned on me that your meeting with the woman was not that different from me prying details out of Sue.”
Relief that she wasn’t cross at him was quickly replaced with panic. “You have been in correspondence with Madame Sinclair?”
A slight frown appeared briefly and then quickly disappeared as Daphne replied, “Lady Archbroke facilitated the delivery of a missive from your instructor.”
“There was no instruction, merely an exchange of information.” He turned and reached out to cup her hands in his. “I swear.”
Daphne smiled and said, “There’s no need for you to worry so. I believe you.” She dropped her gaze to their hands. “I’ve known about your…”
“Inexperience?”
She shook her head. “Your desire to wait until marriage. I wanted to help. Ease things by gaining knowledge on the subject. After our kiss, I thought we could discover and learn together. But upon reflecting on events, I realize my eagerness to share what I’d learnt from Sue placed you at a disadvantage.”
Her confession touched his heart. “I think you had the right of it, but I mucked it all up by not trusting… by not communicating… by not following my heart.”
Daphne lifted her eyes to his. “I love you.”
“I love you.” He pushed back his chair and fell to one knee. “Lady Daphne, will you marry me?”
Daphne nodded and smiled. “Yes.”
He jumped up and turned to address everyone in the room. “She saidyes! Lady Daphne has agreed to marry me.”
A round of applause went up in the air. Ambrose presented his hand for Daphne, and as soon as her hand was in his and she was standing, he set off for the hot house. The grand gesture he had decided upon required privacy.
EPILOGUE
TWO MONTHS LATER…
Seated on a bench in the bride chamber of the church, Daphne tracked Alice as she paced back and forth in front of her.
With her gloved hands tightly clasped behind her, Alice asked, “How long must we wait?”
The wedding preparations had taken a toll on Alice’s nerves. It wouldn’t surprise Daphne in the least if Alice set off for Gretna Green with her intended rather than relive the last two months. The marital contract in itself took three weeks to be signed due to the solicitors’ need for extra time to draft the unusual terms she, her father, and Ambrose had agreed upon. Terms that required special consideration since the courts were not in favor of granting a wife ownership of assets in her own right. Regardless of the laws in place, both Ambrose and her father were adamant that they would not sign until the marriage contract reflected their intentions. Ambrose had apologized daily for the delay, but Daphne understood he was not only fighting for her but also for Alice and every other lady who stood to inherit unentailed assets. After waiting for years, a few extra weeks seemed paltry, especially considering the reason for the delay. However, once the contracts had been signed, life had been a whirlwind. Endless invitations to congratulatory teas, soirees, and balls had Daphne and Ambrose on the go for the entire three weeks that the banns were read. Miss Lennox had worked tirelessly to complete her trousseau. Contrary to Alice, Daphne’s anxiousness seemed to be dissipating rather than increasing as the minutes ticked by as they waited for the signal for the wedding ceremony to begin.
Daphne picked up the pair of lace gloves in her lap and smiled. Since her journey to Ambrose’s heart had begun over the wretched gossip that he could not afford to purchase lace, the delicate material would always hold a special place in her memories. She donned the gloves and stood to link arms with her best friend. As they paced the length of the small antechamber together, Daphne said, “You know they say that good things come to those who wait.”
