Page 38 of Love and the Shameless Lady

“How charming. Love at first sight.” Melinda heaved a sigh. “I always hoped that would happen to me, but I didn’t fall in love with Lord Garrison until after I married him. I loved his voice the first time I heard it, though.” She smiled at Daisy again. “And you, Daisy? Did you swoon over Sir Julian at first glance?”

“No!” Daisy made a face. “I scowled at him, for he was staring at me in the most odious fashion.”

“How was she to know it was love?” Julian spread his hands. “I was far too astonished to behave in a civilized manner, and she quite rightly gave me the cold shoulder. But I am a persistent man.”

“How did he convince you to love him too, Daisy?” Melinda asked.

What a ghastly situation. Daisy hadn’t expected this prying sort of question, but Lady Garrison was so obviously trying to make the best of things that she bit back a sarcastic retort and tried to content herself with having horrified Gloriana.

It didn’t feel as satisfying as it should. Too late, she remembered the short, heart-wrenching correspondence with Gloriana that had followed her ruin. Gloriana’s scathing letter, blotched with tears, had made Daisy weep in turn, for two scandals in less than a year, first Miles’s and then Daisy’s, had seriously affected Gloriana’s marital prospects. But apologies were useless. Daisy had been far too proud to show she cared what Gloriana thought of her, so she’d waited until the tears dried before writing a short note telling her not to fear, for they would never meet again.

Which had been fine, more or less, until she’d glimpsed the pain, quickly veiled, in Gloriana’s eyes when they’d first walked into the room. Despite their estrangement, she was still the cousin who’d once been her dearest friend. Best not to think about it. They would never be friends again.

Meanwhile Mrs. Henderson sat rigid with disapproval, while her silly daughter couldn’t take her eyes off Daisy.

Fortunately, the butler arrived with the tea tray. “Ah, thank you, Reams,” Lady Garrison said. “Tell Mrs. Reams to prepare bedchambers for Miss Daisy and Sir Julian.” She turned to them with a smile. “You do intend to stay a good while, I hope?”

Gloriana shot to her feet, and the Henderson women both gasped.

Lady Garrison ignored them. “We’ll be having other guests soon. Just a small party, but it will be great fun. Do say you’ll join us.”

“Melinda!” Gloriana cried. “Think before you act. Remember who else is invited!”

“I am well aware of that,” Lady Garrison said. “Family always comes first.”

Gloriana clenched her fists, her breath coming quickly and fast. “Am I not family?”

Lady Garrison gave her a blistering glare. “Perhaps you should ask yourself that question.” She smiled inquiringly at Daisy and Julian.

Daisy tried frantically to decide what to say. She didn’t want to embarrass Lady Garrison and her guests. Truth to tell, she didn’t want to upset Gloriana either, but her very existence did that.

“Most kind of you,” Julian said. “We should love to stay. Isn’t that so, my darling?”

Daisy attempted a smile. “Yes, of course. We’d be delighted.”

“Wonderful. Reams, ask Mrs. Reams to put Daisy in the Rose Room,” Lady Garrison said, “and Sir Julian wherever she thinks best.”

The butler bowed and left.

Daisy bit her lip at this unexpected consideration. The Rose Room was near the family’s bedchambers. Lady Garrison could easily have relegated her to a garret. Perhaps she truly was as kindhearted as she seemed.

Or maybe she just didn’t want to displease her husband. From what Daisy remembered of Miles Garrison, he could be mighty unpleasant when crossed.

She glanced at Gloriana and wished she hadn’t. Her cousin stared back, wringing her hands, then crossing her fingers again and again. Which guests did Gloriana so desperately fear offending? Usually she considered the Warrens to be so far above everyone that no one else mattered. As for that other comment of Lady Garrison’s, why wouldn’t Gloriana consider herself family?

“I beg your pardon, Melinda,” Gloriana said, “but I find that I cannot stay.” She snatched up her reticule. When she reached Daisy, she shook those furiously crossed fingers in her face, and then stalked out.

Calmly, as if nothing untoward had happened, Lady Garrison poured for everyone and roped Sir Julian into passing the cups and cake. Daisy tried to distance herself from Gloriana’s fury, for she could do absolutely nothing about it, and instead pondered what to say if she found herself obliged to answer Lady Garrison’s question about how she’d come to love Sir Julian.

Why had he spouted that nonsense about love at first sight? She’d had no choice but to temper it with reality, so he could easily protest afterward that he’d been stricken by temporary madness.

No one would believe she’d fallen in love with him. She’d agreed to feign contentment. She should claim she was marrying him for purely mercenary reasons—money, status, acceptance, and so on. That was precisely what people would assume anyway.

Even better, she could appear somewhat unsure about marrying him, for that would help prepare for the inevitable rupture without insulting anyone.

Daisy took a deep breath. She refused to let Gloriana’s anger upset her, nor the inevitable gloating when the engagement was broken. Why not enjoy what she could of this situation? The tea was first-rate Bohea, the rock buns superb . . . Oh!

“Lady Garrison, could you prevail upon your cook to give me her recipe for rock buns?” she blurted.