Page 1 of Her Ruse with the Rakish Duke
ChapterOne
“My lady, I water flowers in my spare time — Wait!”
Daphne was dragged by the arm away from Lord Caine. A delightfully boring man who had been introduced by her mother. Her cousin Melanie’s fingernails dug through Daphne’s sleeves into her skin.
Melanie’s face was flushed with color as she hurried Daphne into a corner of the exuberant hall. Gowns and gentlemen swished past, swaying in time to the music. But none of that caused Melanie to pause.
“Mother is going to kill both of us! Lord Caine was her last hope for me.”
“Lord Caine only thinks about his flowers,” Melanie huffed. “You were on the verge of faking a fainting spell.”
“I would never resort to such juvenile means to escape an unpleasant conversation, cousin.” Daphne said.
“Ah, so you admit that it was unpleasant?” Melanie retorted.
“That is not what I am saying. He was not all bad. At least I could have gotten a bunch of roses from the affair. Or those white irises I adore.” They stopped by the thick, dark curtains lining the wall. Perfectly concealed from Daphne’s mother. It was good because Daphne was not in the mood to deal with her mother’s fury.
The last time that anger descended was four years ago at a ball like this. She had been introduced to a supposedly wealthy viscount and she ruined everything by running out to the gardens and was almost ruined.
Of course, she had never told her mother about the following incidents. It meant that, in her family’s eyes, she had intentionally failed. An old ache pierced through her at the thought of that night.
Four years had gone by.
Not a single word from him.
“Now, will you tell me why you are acting like a complete lunatic?” Daphne prodded.
Melanie beamed, almost bursting from the seams of her dress. “Are you ready?”
Daphne caught the plague of her excitement and smiled back. It was inevitable. With Melanie, it was always something. From the discovery of a perfect shade of dress material to the tastiest snack she had ever tasted. Anything could excite her cousin.
She held Daphne’s hands and shook her shoulders. “Now, he is behind you.”
“Who?” Daphne attempted to turn.
“No! Do not turn so rudely. Do it with some style,” Melanie cautioned.
“Daphne! Melanie!” A woman’s sharp voice came. Both girls froze and looked over their shoulders. Standing by the side of a very imposing man, was Daphne’s mother, the Countess of Wallace, Gertrude Parsons.
And her face was tight with anger.
She would be screaming the house down if thetonwas not present. Now, she merely affixed a fake smile at another mother and marched toward them. She was not aware that Daphne was distracted by the man. He was speaking to another person beside him.
It was the same dark hair. The blue eyes. Tall figure. Broad shoulders. The softest lips.
Daphne felt the air drain from her body. It was the Duke.Victor. Daphnewantedto faint now.
“What do you think you are doing?” Lady Wallace barked at them in the lowest voice she could afford without arousing suspicion.
“Aunt,” Melanie coughed, hiding behind Daphne. The coward.
“You must have a good explanation for interrupting Daphne’s discussion with that gentleman, otherwise I will have to send you back to your parents.”
“Mother!” Daphne gasped. “That is really too much. How can you threaten your niece in that manner?”
Melanie looked like she was about to cry. “I just wanted to show her the–”
“Shut it,” Daphne said out of the corner of her mouth.
