was a beautiful woman who thought of herself first, last, and always. Unfortunately, her little boy suffered for it. “You know that you have a home here for as long as you wish. Papa has told you so, many times.”
“Be that as it may, I’m a grown woman and not a charity case. I need to be in my own home, taking care of my own husband. Giving him children.”
Daisy struggled to remain calm. “You already have a child.”
Julia frowned. “And I’m young, healthy, and able to have more.”
In truth, she had been a good wife to Harrison Farthingale, he being the sort of person suited to her temperament. Daisy’s uncle had enjoyed doting on his wife as much as Julia enjoyed being doted upon. Now, she had no man to pamper her. To Julia, that was a serious problem requiring immediate remedy. Having mourned husband number one for the requisite respectable length of time—and she truly had mourned him, Daisy had to admit—she was ready to move on to securing husband number two. “I wasn’t about to waste my time with you and Lumley Hornby when Lord Malinor was so... so eager to gain my attention.”
“Lord Malinor?” And thank you so much for thinking me a waste of time .
“He’s quite important in the Ministry of Finance.”
Lots of shillings jingling in his pockets, Daisy imagined. “You might have warned me. I wouldn’t have followed that muggins out of the ballroom.”
“Stop calling poor Lumley that,” her mother chided. “He’s a very accomplished young man. And stop blaming Julia for your mistakes. I suppose you’ll also blame her for your jaunt with Lord Gabriel Dayne.”
Daisy pursed her lips.
“Oh, yes. I know you spent a shocking amount of time in his company. Don’t try to deny it.”
“I wouldn’t call our time together shocking,” Daisy said with an exasperated shake of her head. Except, of course, during the carriage ride.
Oh, worth a lifetime of punishment for that ride!
And that kiss.
Was it possible for a man to kiss a woman like that and not be in love with her? Or did Gabriel kiss all his women, outside of his family, of course, that way? Had she misinterpreted the significance of the moment? Had there even been “a moment” between them? All questions to jot down and ask her older sisters as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
She studied her mother’s expression, then Julia’s. No, she couldn’t ask them. She’d sooner read Lady Forsythia’s ridiculous book. Reforming a rakehell, indeed!
“I expected better of you, Daisy. I worked so hard to mold you into a proper young lady. Is this how you repay me? By traipsing about with that inconsiderate dissolute?”
She wasn’t sorry. No, not one bit.
“Don’t give me that impertinent look. You and Lord Dayne were seen dancing together! Your very first dance at a ball! Oh, why did it have to be with him?”
“Because he was the first man to ask me? What is so shocking about that?”
Her mother sank back in her chair. “Julia, please tell me where I went wrong with this child. What did I do to turn her out so badly?”
“I’m not the village idiot, Mother. Nor am I some wanton female... er...” Well, she had been a tad out of control when responding to Gabriel’s kiss, but that didn’t count. Did it? “I won’t deny that I made some mistakes last night. Minor errors, and no irreparable harm was done. As for Lord Dayne, he graciously helped me with a problem.”
“You should have come to me with your problems.”
“Yes, of course, and I will in future. However, since I couldn’t find either you or Father in the crush at Lord Hornby’s, I had no choice but to rely on a friend.”
Her mother clasped a hand to her heart in a gesture Daisy considered both cheap and theatrical. She and Julia must have practiced their histrionics together. “You are never to consider that man a friend! He is never to be trusted!”
“Very well, I’ll be politely cool to him from now on. However, I would like it
“Be that as it may, I’m a grown woman and not a charity case. I need to be in my own home, taking care of my own husband. Giving him children.”
Daisy struggled to remain calm. “You already have a child.”
Julia frowned. “And I’m young, healthy, and able to have more.”
In truth, she had been a good wife to Harrison Farthingale, he being the sort of person suited to her temperament. Daisy’s uncle had enjoyed doting on his wife as much as Julia enjoyed being doted upon. Now, she had no man to pamper her. To Julia, that was a serious problem requiring immediate remedy. Having mourned husband number one for the requisite respectable length of time—and she truly had mourned him, Daisy had to admit—she was ready to move on to securing husband number two. “I wasn’t about to waste my time with you and Lumley Hornby when Lord Malinor was so... so eager to gain my attention.”
“Lord Malinor?” And thank you so much for thinking me a waste of time .
“He’s quite important in the Ministry of Finance.”
Lots of shillings jingling in his pockets, Daisy imagined. “You might have warned me. I wouldn’t have followed that muggins out of the ballroom.”
“Stop calling poor Lumley that,” her mother chided. “He’s a very accomplished young man. And stop blaming Julia for your mistakes. I suppose you’ll also blame her for your jaunt with Lord Gabriel Dayne.”
Daisy pursed her lips.
“Oh, yes. I know you spent a shocking amount of time in his company. Don’t try to deny it.”
“I wouldn’t call our time together shocking,” Daisy said with an exasperated shake of her head. Except, of course, during the carriage ride.
Oh, worth a lifetime of punishment for that ride!
And that kiss.
Was it possible for a man to kiss a woman like that and not be in love with her? Or did Gabriel kiss all his women, outside of his family, of course, that way? Had she misinterpreted the significance of the moment? Had there even been “a moment” between them? All questions to jot down and ask her older sisters as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
She studied her mother’s expression, then Julia’s. No, she couldn’t ask them. She’d sooner read Lady Forsythia’s ridiculous book. Reforming a rakehell, indeed!
“I expected better of you, Daisy. I worked so hard to mold you into a proper young lady. Is this how you repay me? By traipsing about with that inconsiderate dissolute?”
She wasn’t sorry. No, not one bit.
“Don’t give me that impertinent look. You and Lord Dayne were seen dancing together! Your very first dance at a ball! Oh, why did it have to be with him?”
“Because he was the first man to ask me? What is so shocking about that?”
Her mother sank back in her chair. “Julia, please tell me where I went wrong with this child. What did I do to turn her out so badly?”
“I’m not the village idiot, Mother. Nor am I some wanton female... er...” Well, she had been a tad out of control when responding to Gabriel’s kiss, but that didn’t count. Did it? “I won’t deny that I made some mistakes last night. Minor errors, and no irreparable harm was done. As for Lord Dayne, he graciously helped me with a problem.”
“You should have come to me with your problems.”
“Yes, of course, and I will in future. However, since I couldn’t find either you or Father in the crush at Lord Hornby’s, I had no choice but to rely on a friend.”
Her mother clasped a hand to her heart in a gesture Daisy considered both cheap and theatrical. She and Julia must have practiced their histrionics together. “You are never to consider that man a friend! He is never to be trusted!”
“Very well, I’ll be politely cool to him from now on. However, I would like it
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