Her voice caught for a moment. She swallowed hard, and went on, “It was a wonderful thing, truly the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me, and I will not turn it into something of which I should be ashamed. I will not marry you, because despite this mad attraction you seem to have for me now, you do not love me, nor even care for me in any sense that would result in a happy union. I will not be chained to any man in a loveless marriage by his temporary passion, nor his need to expunge his guilt.”
“Love has nothing to do with this. This is about honor and duty.”
“I will not be any man’s duty.” She walked over to her cloak, which lay draped over the cap of a Corinthian column. “I thank you for your offer, your grace, but I will not marry you. That is my final resolve. Your duty is now discharged.”
Throwing her cloak over her shoulders, she left the antika, too angry to say one more word.
Anthony stared at the door that Daphne had just slammed behind her, feeling bewildered, ill-used, and rather angry himself. What did she expect of him? Did she think him a callous brute who would ruin her, then pay her off as if she were a streetwalker? That he could then abandon her as if he owed her nothing more, or that he could turn her into a courtesan? God, that wounded him, that she thought him capable of such an action.
But he had also wounded her. She had been infatuated with him, and his words must have hurt her deeply, but as he had just tried to explain, he had not known her then, not in any personal sense. He had hired her to do a job of work. He had been her employer, and he had treated her accordingly. And yes, his opinion of her as a woman then had not been flattering, but he would never have expressed it had he known her to be eavesdropping outside the door.
A stick insect . His words, true, but the way he thought of her now was so different. Could she not see that? She was no longer the unnoticeable subservient who did everything he asked, who took every word he said as if it were gospel, and who has always hovered by to obey his every order without question.
She had changed before his eyes, and somehow, she had become in his sight a woman as alluring and desirable as any he had ever known. Even now, when the consequences of what he had done were so grave, he wanted her again. Even now, when all the things he valued most—the future of his estates, the honor of his name, and the legitimacy of a possible heir—were in jeopardy, even now, he wanted her.
Yes, she had became a passion to him, a beautiful and vibrant woman. A woman he had hurt very badly.
These were not the most romantic circumstances under which to propose, and he had probably wounded her a second time by discussing their marriage in such blunt fashion. And having the subject of his mistress come out had not helped. He hadn’t even had the chance to tell her he had written to Marguerite and ended the arrangement.
He supposed it had been rather arrogant of him to assume that she would accept him, but damn it all, he was a duke. It was not as if he were an attorney or a land agent. Only royal dukes, princes, and kings ranked higher than he, and it was not conceited of him to take her acceptance of his offer as a matter of course, especially under these circumstances.
Anthony walked over to the table by the wall. He pulled his cloak from beneath it and put it on, then left the antika.
Sunrise was breaking over the horizon, and Anthony paused for a moment outside the antika, staring at the crimson, pink, and gold horizon. Today was Epiphany. Somehow that seems appropriate , he thought wryly, as he began walking back to the house.
Marrying Daphne was simply the right and honorable thing to do, and he was going to have to figure out a way that would persuade her to accept. He had the feeling it was not going to be easy.
Chapter 21
Daphne had departed from Tremore Hall less than twenty minutes after she had left Anthony in the antika. He did not attempt to see her before she left, deciding it would be best to wait a fortnight before following her to Chiswick so that both of them could think over the situation in a calm and prudent fashion. For his part, he knew that he had not been particularly romantic in his proposal. In persuading Daphne to accept him, he would have to find a way to remedy that. Getting her alone would be an easy matter at Enderby, but when he arrived there, his sister turned his plans upside down.
He found Viola in the midst of packing to leave, surrounded by opened trunks scattered about the floor of her boudoir, with maids scurrying about her in a frenzy of activity, filling the trunks with gowns.
“Left?” he demanded of his sister. “What do you mean, she left?”
Viola shook her head but not at him. “No, no, Celeste, not the green silk, the green wool.” She turned her attention to Anthony and gestured to a nearby chair of her sitting room. “Dear Daphne has gone on to London. Lady Fitzhugh was kind enough to offer to act as her chaperone under the circumstances.”
Anthony frowned as he sat on the edge of a brocade chair, oblivious to the pile of gowns he crushed. “What circumstances?” He glanced around him. “Are you not packing for town?”
“I am going to Northumberland. Hammond has been in some sort of accident, and I must go to Hammond Park at once. I received an express from Dr. Chancellor last evening.”
“What sort of accident?”
“He was shot.”
“A hunting accident?”
“No.” Viola bit her lip and looked away. After a moment, she returned her attention to Anthony. Looking him in the eye, she said, “He was in a duel. Over some woman.”
“The blackguard!” Anthony slammed his fist into the padded arm of his chair. “By God, I will ruin him for this. How much more humiliation does he expect you to endure?”
His sister looked pained, and he expelled a harsh breath. Though Viola might have felt some distress at this news, he did not. Hammond had treated Viola damn badly, and a duel over some woman was the last straw. Anthony could spare little regret for the other man’s injuries. “I am sorry, Viola, but Hammond is a rakehell if ever there was one.”
“It hardly matters now, does it?” She shrugged and went on, “I was so glad to see Daphne, and we had a wonderful visit. Though she was disappointed that I cannot go to London after all, things have turned out quite well. She is going to stay with the Fitzhugh family for her season.”
If Daphne was staying in London with the Fitzhughs, his task had just become much more difficult, for he would have no opportunity to be alone with her, not to mention that his task of making her see reason would be played out before the entire ton. The gossip would escalate to a frenzy of rumor and speculation. “Damn.”
He could not help noticing his sister’s surprised glance.
