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“Just what were you thinking?”
Daniel turned around, feeling mildly annoyed at having to look away from Emily, to find his friend looking at him with a steely glint in his eyes.
And why should I feel annoyed?Daniel thought to himself, feeling even more incensed with himself when he could not come up with a suitable enough explanation.
All he knew was that Lady Emily Montgomery had walked into the Hadley ball tonight and stolen his breath—along with half of the male population in attendance. If there was anyone more incensed than him with these recent turn in events, it would be her older brother.
Benedict Montgomery might be considered a rake, but Daniel was all too aware that the person his friend cherished the most was none other than his younger sister, Emily.
And if I am not mistaken, then, he is here to discuss her, the Duke thought to himself with a wry smile.
“Did the dress give the Marchioness an attack of the vapors?” he replied smoothly, trying his damnedest to give the appearance of someone who was admiring his own handiwork.
The Earl of Hardy looked taken aback for a moment before he collected himself. “She nearly had Emily take it off and change into something moreappropriatein her estimation,” he scoffed. “It was a good thing I was there, or Emily just might have agreed as well.”
Daniel had seen how the youngest Montgomery treated her older sister and found it utterly distasteful. The dress he sent could be considered an indirect way of putting Amy in her place—that was that Amy came after her sister, and if she truly intended to be successful on her own coming out, then she needed to be a more supportive sister. After all, Emily’s failure would carry over to her younger sister as well.
However, from what his friend just told him, this particular fact seemed to sail right over the Marchioness’ and her daughter’s heads.
Fools, he thought to himself.
Daniel and Benedict both glanced across the ballroom to where Emily was now conversing with a lively brunette. Benedict’s features softened at the sight.
“It is the first time I have seen Emily with a lady of her age,” he remarked softly.
“Melissa will talk her to distraction if she allows it,” Daniel smiled begrudgingly.
The Earl gave him a suspicious look. “You know her?”
“She is my cousin, twice removed.”
“First, those lessons of yours. Then, that dress,” Benedict muttered. “Now, you have foisted your cousin on Emily. What is next, Gilleton? What are you planning?”
Daniel stiffened slightly at his friend’s questions. Indeed, what was the reasoning behind all this?
“Nothing but a coincidence,” he replied smoothly. “It just so happened that Melissa came back just last week from Paris and knew absolutely no one except for me and my mother. I thought that Emily would prove to be a better companion than all these other…ladies.”
Benedict narrowed his eyes at Daniel. “That does not explain the dress. That thing must be worth a small fortune! Why did you give her a dress like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like something our paramours would wear!”
“Benedict,” the Duke replied drolly. “I haveneverdressed my paramours with something from Madame Estelle.”
“Then, why would you give it to Emily?”
Daniel was stunned for a moment. Why, indeed?
Because she has been pushed into the dark for so long, forced to wear those rags. Because she deserved to have her moment in the light more than anyone else.
But mostly, if Daniel was going to be completely honest with himself, he just wanted to do something that would make her happy and bring out the confidence that had been stamped out of her by her stepmother and half-sister.
And from the looks of it, he had succeeded spectacularly.
He had never seen Emily so light and carefree as she was tonight. It was like she had finally come out of her cocoon and spread out her wings like a beautiful, golden butterfly.
