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It was as though he had been knocked from his feet, for he stumbled back, his hands outstretched to steady himself. His eyes were wide and staring, his head shaking from side to side although he continued to watch her as though he could not comprehend the truth.
“No,” he whispered, still a few steps away from her. “No, it cannot be. It cannot be you.”
Daisy swallowed hard, hating how he recoiled from her but knowing full well that this was as much of a shock to him as it was to her.
“Lord Templeton has involved you?” he asked, his voice growing a little stronger now. “You are the one who is drawing close to Lord Fitzherbert and Lord Stevenson?”
Still mute, Daisy nodded. She could well understand his sense of shock and dismay, but a part of her began to smolder with a slight resentment. Surely he could understand why she had been so eager to involve herself in this affair? Surely he would realize her reasons for wishing to do such a thing? After all, it was not as though he did not know of her reasons for seeing justice. He knew full well the agony that had tormented her.
“I cannot quite comprehend this,” Lord Watt muttered, as she watched him closely. “Lord Templeton wants me to work alongside you to discover the truth then.”
“He does,” Daisy answered, a strength in her voice that she did not quite feel. “I know about The King’s League, Lord Watt. My father told me of it. I have longed to know who took my father’s life but no one has yet been brought to justice.” Her hands curled into fists in her lap, her chin lifting a notch. “I am determined to discover the truth, and Lord Templeton is willing to aid me in this matter.”
“There is no need for you to do so,” Lord Watt interrupted, with a flare of anger in his voice. “There are plenty gentlemen within the League that are more than capable of—”
“And where were they these last two years?” Daisy interrupted, her anger and pain flaring and burning through her, her voice growing louder with the intensity of what she felt. “What was it they did to help bring the people responsible to justice?”
Lord Watt closed his eyes, shook his head, and ran one hand through his hair. Looking at her again, he took two small steps closer to her, clearly unwilling to argue. “You are quite right,” he answered, surprising her with his acknowledgement. “I cannot explain further than to say there was a matter of greater importance that was thrust upon us most unexpectedly.” He held up one hand, stemming the protest that was about to fall from her lips. “I know that you will wonder what it might be that could be of greater magnitude than the death of your father, but believe me when I say that it was so disruptive that it could not be subdued easily. I am sorry for it, of course.” Sighing again, he surprised her still further by coming to sit down next to her, his shoulders slumped. “I should not have suggested that there was no need for you to be involved, Miss Williams. I was quite taken aback by your presence, that is all.”
She nodded, her throat constricting tightly. Of course, she wanted to understand his reasons. She wanted to express such an understanding to him, but such was her conflicting emotions that she could say very little indeed. Her heart ached, her mind was heavy, and yet there was a sense of relief that permeated through both. Relief that Lord Watt had accepted her, that he was willing to work alongside her so that the truth might be discovered. Relief that he knew for certain that she had no specific interest in Lord Fitzherbert or Lord Stevenson at all.
Silence flooded the air between them, but this time there was no awkwardness there, no tension. Instead, there was a simple sense of understanding, of certainty. It helped her to draw in deep breaths, filling her lungs with air and allowing her heart to return to its normal rhythm.
“You have a deeper acquaintance with both Lord Fitzherbert and Lord Stevenson than I, that is for certain,” Lord Watt muttered, breaking the quiet. “I have not even introduced myself to them as yet.”
Looking toward him, Daisy felt her breath hitch as she became aware of his nearness. There was something about him that drew her towards him still, but she knew she had to set such feelings aside. There was no time for them at present.
“Lord Fitzherbert has been eager to seek me out, yes,” she admitted, a faint touch of color in her cheeks. “Lord Stevenson is less jovial than the former and does not seem to have any particular inclination towards any young lady, I confess.”
Lord Watt let out a long and heavy sigh, leaning forward and rubbing one hand over his forehead. “Then I suppose I ought to encourage you to continue seeking out the favor of Lord Fitzherbert,” he muttered, clearly disinclined towards the idea. “That way, you might be able to discover something of note.”
Daisy shook her head, her anxiety suddenly blossoming. “I do not know what it is that I am meant to discover, nor how I am to go about it,” she confessed, a little brokenly. “Lord Templeton did not give me any specific explanations as to what I was to do next, once I had gained the interest of Lord Fitzherbert or Lord Stevenson. I find it very difficult indeed to pay so much attention to someone who may have been involved in my father’s death and to know that I must continue to do so is more than a little troubling.” She saw the question in Lord Watt’s face and held up one hand before he could ask it. “Not that I have any intention of giving up,” she stated, quite firmly. “I am quite singular in my determinations, Lord Watt.”
“As you have always been,” he murmured, with a faint hint of tenderness in his voice. “Then it seems that we are, whether we wish it or not, Miss Williams, set to be working together in this matter.” Sitting back, he let out a sharp laugh. “Little wonder that Lord Templeton did not want me to know whom it was he had involved in this situation,” he said, with a wry shake of his head. “He knew very well that I would have refused to meet with you, I think.”
“Oh?” Turning her head, she looked at him directly, feeling as though the wall he had built between them was beginning to be torn down.
Lord Watt nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. “He told me of the rumor that you had passed away,” he stated, his voice suddenly hoarse. “I di
d not want to believe it, of course, but everything in me told me that it was true. When I discovered it was not so, you cannot know the relief that flooded me – as well…” Trailing off, he shrugged and glanced away. “I felt a good many things, Miss Williams. Lord Templeton was aware of our prior connection, of course, but I do not think that he knew the depth of my feelings. Else he would not have spoken of your death so bluntly.”
Daisy held her breath, hearing what he was saying but not quite certain what he meant. Did he mean that he had once had feelings for her, or that those feelings still remained? If it was the former, then she could well understand and would accept that. If it was the latter, then what did that mean for them? Was there even a flicker of hope that the future they had once hoped for might still remain?
Was it something she still wanted?
Lord Watt cleared his throat gruffly, making her start with surprise. Perhaps he realized he had said too much, had given too much of himself away.
“So,” he said, a little more determinedly. “As regards Lord Fitzherbert and Lord Stevenson… I would continue with what you have been doing thus far. Continue to speak to them, to dance with them and the like. If you can move things further with Lord Fitzherbert, then you should attempt to do that.”
A nervous shudder ran through her. “To what end?”
A shrug lifted one shoulder. “If he shows an interest in you, then he may consider courtship.” His shoulder dropped. “Dinner parties and the like. A chance to look around his home.”
She swallowed hard, feeling suddenly nervous. “I might have to search his house?”
A glimmer of a grin crossed his face but was gone in a moment when he saw her frown. “Not his entire house, no,” he said, with a wryness to his voice that chased away some of her anxiety. “But I will help you in this, of course.”
Her frown deepened. “How can you do so? You do not even know Lord Fitzherbert.”
