“I do not wish to force anything upon you, my lady,” the Duke added. “I am asking to you to marry me. Briarwood has a power that depends on how much you fear him. However, even he has his limits. One of the limits I believe he won’t test is my authority.”
The Duke looked at her intently, as if showing her just how serious he was or could be.
“If you become my wife, Lady Daphne, no one will so much as whisper your name without my leave. You will be untouchable, and protected not by plea or pity, but by my power. No man will dare speak against you, nor even think harsh words in your presence.”
His promises, though spoken with measured calm, carried a seriousness that pressed against her chest. On the surface, they sounded practical, even merciful.
Safety, protection. An end to fear.
But beneath that veneer lay something heavier, something final: marriage to a man she barely knew. A stranger whose strength unsettled her as much as it tempted her. It was an offer wrapped in reason and authority, yet it felt no less like a cage.
One lined with velvet, but a cage, nonetheless.
“We scarcely know each other, Your Grace,” she reminded him.
“That is true,” he replied. “But I already respect your character. You are brave, selfless, and worthy of respect. I realize you possess a whole host of other qualities, but I am inclined to think them admirable.”
“There must be another way to get rid of the Earl,” Daniel muttered, shaking his head.
“There isn’t,” Daphne told him. “You saw Briarwood. Once he finds out that this was nothing but a performance, he will strike back. What other option have I got? One that won’t tear my whole life apart?” she asked, her voice growing desperate. “Should I have to go to the ends of the earth to escape the wretched man?”
“No, you don’t have to,” the Duke said softly.
“Daphne,” Daniel began, his voice holding a quiet warning.
“As for you, Your Grace…” Daphne faced him. “If I accept this arrangement, I want to know what you have to gain from it. While I want to be safe, I can’t imagine why you would want to commit to a stranger.”
“A Duke is expected to have a wife,” he said simply.
“And the sun rises in the east,” Daniel remarked sarcastically. “Have you got any other reason to offer us, Your Grace?”
“I am being honest,” the Duke offered. “I do want a wife, and this coincidence happens to be very convenient for me.”
“Still, you are asking my sister to bind her life to yours, when she has just met you,” Daniel countered.
The Duke kept his eyes fixed on Daphne. “There are two proposals before you,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “One offers nothing but entrapment and oppression. The other offerssafety, respect… and a chance to be treated as the woman you are. Choose wisely, my lady. And do not mistake the stranger’s protection for coldness. It is given with intention, not obligation.”
Daphne sighed. The sound was quiet but weighted with resignation.
It seemed, no matter how she turned it over in her mind, she was trapped.
Each choice carried its own danger: one path promised a life under the scrutiny and whims of a man whose attentions chilled her blood; the other offered security, yes, but at the cost of marrying a stranger, binding herself to a man she barely knew.
She pressed her hands together, feeling the faint tremor that betrayed her outward composure. Fear, anger, and a bitter sting of helplessness gripped her. Yet, despite it all, she understood that some semblance of control remained in choosing the lesser evil.
She could endure a life of uneasy companionship if it meant preserving her dignity and protecting her family.
For now, that was all she could do: measure the risks, steel herself, and accept that survival sometimes required compromise, even when her heart recoiled.
“If I agree to this, I expect you’d keep your word. You would protect me and not demand from me that which I do not wish to give. And above all, respect my family, and ensure nothing harms their name.”
The Duke met her gaze. He didn’t flinch or waver. He simply lowered his voice when he promised solemnly, “You will be safe with me. I will never take from you what you do not freely offer. And your family’s name will never be tainted. Not under my watch.”
In that moment, a flutter stirred in her chest, sharp and unpredictable, leaving her breath uneven.
It was an unnerving, thrilling sensation, one part fear, one part something else she could not name. Her heart raced, betraying her calm exterior, yet despite the anxiety clawing at her, she could not tear her eyes away from him. Every nerve seemed drawn toward him, as though the very air around him had some magnetic pull.
“Very well, then. I accept your offer, Your Grace,” Daphne said after a long exhale.
