Dominic shook his head in disagreement. “It may be too obvious, Alasdair. Briarwood knows your connection to Daphne. We also exiled the late Lord Grisham to your country before he died. He will suspect Scotland. The man may be a scoundrel, but I believe he’s smart enough to search for Daphne in Scotland. It might even be the first place he considers.”
“As much as I want my sister the furthest away possible from Briarwood,” Elizabeth conceded, “Dominic is right. He would guess the connection immediately.”
“All right, then,” Daphne said with a sigh. “I can’t go to Scotland. Still, I should hide beyond London. It should not be too far, however, that none of you can visit me from time to time.”
“Not that far,” Gerard murmured thoughtfully. “It should be a place Briarwood would not associate with you or this family, but still close enough so that we can check upon your safety.”
For a moment, everyone sank into their own thoughts, the room was heavy with quiet.
Daphne fidgeted as unease twisted in her chest.
Will we be able to find a place where I can truly be safe?
Her eyes drifted to her brother. He paced back and forth, each step seeming to scorch the floor beneath him.
“I may have a place,” Wilhelmina said suddenly, her voice cutting through the silence and drawing every gaze.
Heads whirled toward her. Eyes were wide.
“My publisher, Mr. Finch, just might have the answer. He has a vicar cousin who lives with his wife in a quaint little village. It isnot too far from London, and they are respectable people. I have been there myself, briefly. The place is quite modest, but they should have room for Daphne.”
She looked at everyone else in the room, as if waiting for a comment. Nobody said anything. They seemed ready to know more about Finch’s relative’s home.
So, she continued. “Finch’s cousin is not associated with any of us. Not by blood. Not by title. Not by any business. Briarwood would not think of the place. He’ll get too tired of hunting and find someone else. We could tell people who ask that Daphne has taken ill and needs to recover in the fresh air.”
“That just might work, Mina,” Daphne breathed, her right hand resting on her chest. Her heart had been beating too hard and fast as of late that sometimes it was difficult to ease the ache in her chest. “It will be far enough from theton’s gossip and Briarwood’s reach but near enough that I may still see some of you. Hopefully, it will take Briarwood weeks or more to find a connection between me and Mr. Finch’s relatives.”
Her sisters and brothers-in-law finally one by one voiced their agreement and gave little nods respectively.
“We can send word to theGazetteerimmediately. Mr. Finch should be there by morning. Hopefully, we can reach his relative immediately so that Daphne can leave as soon as possible. Before dawn. She might even use the servants’ entrance. What do you think, Grisham?” She finished this speech by peering at Daniel.
He was, after all, the head of the household and had been the first to swear he would protect Daphne with his own life.
Daniel nodded, his features still not relaxing. However, Daphne would like to believe that his shoulders had somehow lost some of their tension.
“Nobody will be informed where she has gone, aside from the lot of us here.” Wilhelmina tacked on that extra tidbit, as if she thought additional information would be necessary to fully secure Daniel’s good opinion of the plan.
“It is settled, then,” Daniel said, finally stopping his pacing. His eyes were on Daphne, as if gauging her true feelings about the situation. “You must begin packing at once. The sooner you leave London, the safer you will be.”
Daphne swallowed. Her throat had become dry and tight. Almost painful. Tears were beginning to form, but she took deep breaths. It was one of those moments when she had to be brave and prove to the rest of her family that she was capable of being stern and solid. Gone would be the girl with pastels and daydreams.
Her family had endured a great deal of turmoil in their shared past. She regretted adding to their troubles, but hoped their resilience would help them find peace after suffering under a harsh man. It was unsettling to look around at all their faces and know that this time tomorrow, she would be separated from them. Because of Lord Briarwood, she must take this momentto look upon her siblings and dearest companions one last time. That thought tinged her next words with melancholy.
“I am so sorry, everyone,” she whispered. “I—I didn’t mean to put you under such duress. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think we’d be at the mercy of a man such as Briarwood.”
“You didn’t cause this,” Marianne reminded her. “Briarwood did. We are just unfortunate to have met a man like him.”
“You have done nothing wrong. You… we… are forced to react to this dreadful situation by taking calculated measures of our own. Your safety is our main concern,” Dominic reassured her, his voice deep and soothing, reminding her that she had gained three other older brothers aside from Daniel.
“He will nae touch a hair from yer golden head, lass,” Alasdair promised.
Daphne remembered how Society had once whispered that he was uncivilized. The ladies especially had called him a terrible man. In truth, he was nothing like Briarwood. Elizabeth’s Scottish husband was hulking, and he tended to tower over most everyone else, yes, but he was gentle. Alasdair was a man whose size was matched by his kindness.
“You are not alone, Daphne,” Elizabeth said softly.
Guilt writhed within her. She could not help it, even as she reminded herself that she didn’t do anything to warrant such attention from the Earl of Briarwood.
Later, Daphne was left alone with her twin in her bedchamber as she began folding gowns into her trunk. She could no longer wait. Her body was a mass of pure coiled tension.
