“My lord,” she began, as she retreated until her back felt the wall behind her, the stain on her dress entirely forgotten. “I am truly honored by your attention. The young ladies outside reminded me of how fortunate I am. However, I believe that we are not—” she faltered, as she saw his eyes flash.
“Not well suited?” he finished for her, eyes darkening. “Do you think, my lady, that you are too good for me?”
“No, my lord,” she replied, her hands trembling. “I just… I do not think we’d make a sensible match.”
“Oh, but have you noticed?” His smile curved, slow and venomous. “No gentleman dares come near you anymore. I made certain of it. You’ve no choice now, my dear. No one else would dare claim what I’ve already marked as mine. So, you see, sensible or not—we are already matched.”
“That’s not true, my lord,” she managed to squeak out.
His eyebrows lifted slightly, indicating he was amused by her rebuttal. “Come now, Lady Daphne. This act may charm some gentlemen, but it will not work on me. You must have heard the rumors by now and…”
“What rumors?”
She wanted to know, even though she suspected he was going to invent something. Immediately, Daphne’s thoughts flew to the rest of her siblings. She, Victoria, and Daniel all still lived with the Dowager Marchioness, but thankfully her older sisters were already married. She breathed a quick sigh of relief as she realized that at least the eldest ladies in their family would be exempt from whatever vitriol the Earl planned to fling at her.
“Well, your sister is unlike any lady thetonhas faced. Far too rowdy to find herself a husband. And your brother… well, they say he won’t be the marquess your late father was,” he goaded. “As for your mother, she is nothing but a?—”
“Stop it,” Daphne snapped, feeling a surge of anger she had never known.
Among her siblings, she was the one with the most patience. Elizabeth, her older half-sister, was the closest to her in temperament, but Daphne knew that anyone in her situation would have been hard-pressed to stifle a reaction to his cold words.
“You must admit that your family is a failure, every member weak and feeble,” the Earl taunted, his lips curling with cruelamusement. “You, in particular… so prudent, so meek. It makes the thought of your obedience all the more… enticing.”
Daphne’s breath hitched. “And this is your way to win my regard? To ignore my discomfort? To corner me behind a closed door? To insult my family?”
“Oh, darling,” he murmured, closing the distance between them, his voice silk over steel. “I do nothing out of mere cruelty… I simply want you to see how your options are limited. Be my wife, and you’ll finally have a name that is actually worthy of admiration.”
Before she could take a deep breath and think through what to do or say next, Daphne raised her hand and struck the Earl. Her palm slapped against his cheek and immediately, her hand throbbed in response.
The silence that followed was terrifying. Daphne did not need the Earl to tell her that she had made a mistake.
The Earl of Briarwood reached for his cheek and rubbed it calmly. His eyes, on the other hand, were wild with outrage. They glared at her with unbridled fury, and her heart almost leapt into her mouth?—
The door flew open and because Daphne was still so close to it, she had to rush forward to avoid being clobbered by it.
No, no, no?—
She made a mad attempt to lurch away from the Earl.
I must not be caught alone with Briarwood. No?—
Daphne’s head whirled to the side.
Daniel, the Dowager Marchioness, a maid, and most importantly, Victoria stepped into the room. Everyone saw the red mark on the Earl’s cheek and the way Daphne shrunk away from him. Her family members didn’t look too pleased except for her twin, who had a smirk on her face. Daniel and their mother wore identical expressions. With eyebrows furrowed and mouths twisted in discontent, their disapproval was evident.
“Lord Briarwood, please excuse my daughter for her behavior. The unfortunate stain incident has rendered her hysterical,” the Dowager said smoothly, rushing forward so that she might speak directly to the Earl. “She did not mean to cause any offense.”
Daphne’s hands balled into fists. She’d never known an instance in which her mother had taken her side, but seeing her apologize to a man who meant to attack her hurt, nonetheless.
“Oh.” Briarwood’s eyes flashed, then he touched his cheek gingerly. “Do not fret over this misunderstanding, my lady. I was merely concerned for Lady Daphne. I saw what happened in the ballroom. Then, she disappeared.” Briarwood had the gall to give the Dowager a sheepish grin. “I am simply glad that her spirits were not dampened by the spectacle in the other room.”
“Still—” Daniel strode forward so that he stood next to their mother once more. He fixed the Earl with a critical stare. “You are aware that it is hardly dignified to be alone in a room with a lady, my lord. You may ruin her reputation far more than your own, and I trust, sir, that you understand this.”
Daphne’s pulse quickened. She had always known her brother would not hesitate to fight for her if it came to that, and the knowledge lent her a brief, fragile comfort.
But it did nothing to soften the way Briarwood’s gaze prickled her skin like a poisonous needle.
He leaned slightly, his stance carefully calculated to obscure the full expression on his face from the room. His slow, cruel smile stretched wider, then softened into something disturbingly benign. It made her stomach tighten.
