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“I take it that doesn’t please you?” her grandmother asked.
“No, it does not,” Daphne replied. “He informed me that he intends to call upon me three times, in hopes that I change my mind.”
“About what?”
“He wishes for me to accept his offer of marriage.” She turned her attention back to the butler. “Will you show Mr. Huxley in?”
Barrow tipped his head in response and left.
“That was most kind of you,” her grandmother acknowledged.
“I couldn’t very well turn him away,” Daphne said.
Mr. Huxley stepped into the room with a bright smile on his face. “Good afternoon, Miss Locke.” He shifted his gaze towards her grandmother. “Lady Frances, it is a pleasure to see you.”
“Likewise,” her grandmother responded. “I would be remiss if I did not ask about your father.”
“He is doing well,” Mr. Huxley said. “Perhaps on my next visit I can convince him to join me.”
A strained smile came to her grandmother’s lips. “That would be wonderful.”
“I shall see to it.” Mr. Huxley walked closer to Daphne and gestured towards a chair. “May I sit?”
Daphne nodded. “Of course,” she said. “Would you care for some tea?”
“I would,” he replied as he sat down.
She moved to sit on the edge of her seat and reached for the teapot. She poured cups for each of them and handed them out.
Mr. Huxley accepted his and took a sip. “Thank you,” he replied as he brought the cup and saucer down to his lap.
“You are welcome,” she said.
No one spoke as they drank their tea, and the silence threatened to become awkward, so Daphne spoke up. “How are you faring today, Mr. Huxley?”
“I am well.” Mr. Huxley gave her a curious look. “I heard that you went out to the mine and helped hand out supplies to the coal workers.”
“I did.”
Daphne expected a rebuke from him, but to her surprise, he said, “I think that is admirable.”
“You do?”
“The workers had a terrible tragedy befall them, and I am sure that they appreciated any act of kindness that came their way,” Mr. Huxley said.
“I am surprised that you did not help with the recovery effort,” Daphne boldly remarked.
Mr. Huxley grew solemn. “I would have, but I unfortunately did not hear about the collapse until much later.”
“Why is that?”
“I was traveling to the next town to look at a potential property for the bank,” he revealed.
“Oh,” she replied as she brought the teacup up to her lips.
Mr. Huxley leaned forward and placed his teacup onto the tray. “You didn’t think I would be so heartless as not to help those poor workers?”
Daphne pursed her lips together, unsure of how to respond. She didn’t dare admit that she did find him rather heartless when it came to the colliery.
