Page 79 of Rivals
“Will you come to the ladies’ room with me?” Daphne put a hand on Gabriella’s arm. “I could really use a friend rightnow.”
Gabriella gave Daphne’s hand what she probably thought was a reassuring squeeze. “Of course.”
As she and Nina had discussed, Daphne headed down to the third floor. “I need some privacy,” she murmured, bypassing the bathroom line and opening the door to a guest room. She flicked a light switch, revealing a queen-sized bed and a cabinet filled with curios: a bowl painted with tiny gold whorls, a silver thing that looked like a bird’s nest.
Pushing aside her lingering regrets, Daphne sank onto thebed and slumped forward, cradling her head in her hands. “I don’t know what to do,” she breathed.
“What happened?” Gabriella asked eagerly, then seemed to realize she needed to sound more sympathetic. “If you want to talk about it, I’m here. I won’t tell anyone,” she added, perching on the bed next to Daphne.
What a liar. The only secrets Gabriella Madison had ever kept were her own.
“I feel like Jefferson is hiding something from me.” Daphne had feared that this part might not sound convincing, but in the moment it came out very real.
“Hiding something?”
“Or hiding someone.”
Gabriella’s eyes shone with eagerness. “You think he’s cheating on you?”
Daphne stared down at her hands, twisting the signet ring back and forth. She could feel Gabriella’s gaze on it like palpable heat. “I don’t know. Of course, Jefferson would never fall for just anyone,” she added, trying to stoke Gabriella’s ego. “It would have to be someone he knows well. Someone he trusts.”
Gabriella frowned. “Not necessarily. He got involved with that tacky charity case of Samantha’s, after all. What was her name? Lena?” As if Gabriella didn’t know perfectly well what Nina’s name was—as if she hadn’t sabotaged Nina’sfinancialaid.
It took every ounce of Daphne’s considerable willpower to keep from slapping Gabriella across the face.You’re the tacky one, in spite of all your money and titles,she wanted to say.Nina is worth a hundred of you.
Instead she shook her head. “I just worry about what happens when I’m not around. There are always women throwing themselves at Jefferson. He’s only human, after all. Eventually he’ll stop saying no to them, don’t you think?”
Gabriella made a vaguely sympathetic noise, as if she weren’t one of the women Daphne meant.
“I guess I should get back out there and face the damage.” Daphne sniffed, then glanced hopefully at Gabriella. “I wish I had a little…help. Something to take the edge off things, you know?”
There was a momentary flicker of interest on Gabriella’s features, but then it was gone. “You’re right. We should get back to the party.”
Daphne silently cursed her misstep. She’d overplayed her hand; now there was nothing left to do but keep on overplaying it. She would have to grovel, prostrate herself before Gabriella, make herself pitiable and small.
“Wait!” She swallowed, lowered her eyes. “What do you think I should do?”
Gabriella paused. “Are you saying you might break up with Jefferson?”
“I’m asking your advice. You know him as well as anyone.” It wasn’t hard for Daphne to make herself cry; she’d been close to tears already. She felt the hot wetness in her lashes, trailing mascara down her cheeks. “You’ll watch him for me, won’t you? Keep an eye on him at school?”
Gabriella flashed a catlike, knowing smile. Daphne had just given her free license to flirt with Jefferson. “I’ll keep an eye on him.”
Daphne wiped furiously at her eyes. She felt queasy and unsettled, like when she’d skipped too many meals in a row. “Thank you,” she forced herself to say, and glanced back at the door. “Ugh, I’m such a mess. Sorry. I just—I feel so overwhelmed by it all.”
Finally, Daphne had sacrificed enough to win the dubious honor of Gabriella’s trust. She watched as Gabriella opened her clutch and withdrew a tiny baggie of white powder. “Want a pick-me-up?” she offered.
Daphne nodded as if indicating that Gabriella should go first. Gabriella leaned onto the bedside table, cutting a line with her platinum credit card, then sniffed it up one nostril. Her motions were quick, efficient, in a way that suggested she’d done this many times.
When she turned toward her, Daphne laughed nervously. “I’m fine, thanks.”
Gabriella didn’t bother hiding her condescension as she rose to her feet. “Whatever, your loss.”
She started toward the hallway—just as one of the shuttered doors to the closet unfolded.
Nina stepped out. “Before you go, I think we should have a little talk.”
“Nina?” Gabriella demanded, and Daphne couldn’t help feeling oddly satisfied that she so obviously knew Nina’s name. “You little creep. Why were you spying on us?”
