noted that he was a gentleman at the ball.”
“Don’t make light of his behavior,” her mother warned, shaking her head so sternly that her fashionable chignon threatened to come undone. “He is no gentleman. Never has been and never will be. His poor parents. They must be suffering greatly.”
Daisy frowned. She’d heard the gossip about Gabriel many times before, but meeting him in person... well, he just didn’t seem to be the coward, the dissolute everyone said he was.
“Now he’s taken up with that lightskirt. That... that Cyprian!”
“What are you talking about?” Daisy asked with a shake of her head.
“His new mistress,” Julia intoned, her green eyes aglow as she related the gossip. “It was quite the on dit , all anyone spoke of last night. Weren’t you paying any attention to the whispers?”
No, she’d been too busy searching for her necklace.
“Daisy, dear,” her mother said more gently. “There’s something I must tell you about Lord Dayne. He’s a scoundrel of the lowest order. Julia, didn’t I tell you that a man with scars as prominent as his just had to be depraved?”
Julia’s golden curls bobbed prettily as she nodded. “Indeed, you did.”
“He wasted no time in resuming his life of debauchery, setting up that woman on... well, it’s time you learned that such places exist... Curzon Street.”
Daisy’s heart sank into her stomach, though she couldn’t imagine why she should care. “His mistress?”
“I hear she’s beautiful in an indecent way,” her mother continued with a blush. “Why else would he set her up so finely?”
“Are you certain?” She’d actually believed Gabriel had enjoyed their kiss. Well, she was a foolish, naive girl.
Her mother shook her head impatiently. “Many men keep mistresses, even happily married men indulge. I’m not surprised that Lord Dayne did so, but he showed a shocking lack of respect by taking up with her so openly, and a foreign girl at that, when perfectly suitable English girls are available.”
Daisy choked back a mirthless laugh. “I see.”
“I doubt you do, Daisy. You’re too young to understand the sordid depths to which some men descend.”
Oh, but she did understand. She’d kissed Gabriel with utter abandon, with womanly passion and longing, and may have allowed more had the journey lasted longer. Gabriel didn’t love her—she knew that—nor did she love him. But he had wanted to make love to her in a very real sense that extended beyond the proper bounds of courtship. An important distinction. Love led to marriage. Making love led to scandal and ruination.
“Tell her all of it,” Julia urged. “She’s better off knowing the worst.”
“There’s more?”
“Lord Dayne has informed his parents that he will never marry. Having made his fortune in who knows what sordid ventures, he is determined to enjoy life to the fullest, sans wife. Such behavior cannot be tolerated in any man of noble bloodlines. But what is his family to do? He’s independently wealthy and doesn’t care if his father cuts him off without a shilling.”
“Surely, he’ll change his mind in time.” Daisy wasn’t certain why she should rise to his defense, but this gossip about Gabriel felt wrong. “Marriage is not a prison to all men. Indeed, his own cousin is very happily married to Laurel.”
Odd, he and Graelem seemed very close. She wasn’t imagining it. Graelem did like and admire Gabriel despite his horrid reputation. Why?
“Lord Dayne has renewed his friendship with that reprobate Ian Markham, Duke of Edgeware, and everyone knows his views on marriage.”
Julia shook her head and tsked . “A shocking waste of wealth, respectability, and good title, if you ask me.”
What had happened to Gabriel? What had led him to shed his boyhood dreams and pursue a life of depravity?
“Ask Eloise, if you don’t believe me,” Julia insisted. “She’s distraught over the whole affair.”
Daisy managed a nod, though
“Don’t make light of his behavior,” her mother warned, shaking her head so sternly that her fashionable chignon threatened to come undone. “He is no gentleman. Never has been and never will be. His poor parents. They must be suffering greatly.”
Daisy frowned. She’d heard the gossip about Gabriel many times before, but meeting him in person... well, he just didn’t seem to be the coward, the dissolute everyone said he was.
“Now he’s taken up with that lightskirt. That... that Cyprian!”
“What are you talking about?” Daisy asked with a shake of her head.
“His new mistress,” Julia intoned, her green eyes aglow as she related the gossip. “It was quite the on dit , all anyone spoke of last night. Weren’t you paying any attention to the whispers?”
No, she’d been too busy searching for her necklace.
“Daisy, dear,” her mother said more gently. “There’s something I must tell you about Lord Dayne. He’s a scoundrel of the lowest order. Julia, didn’t I tell you that a man with scars as prominent as his just had to be depraved?”
Julia’s golden curls bobbed prettily as she nodded. “Indeed, you did.”
“He wasted no time in resuming his life of debauchery, setting up that woman on... well, it’s time you learned that such places exist... Curzon Street.”
Daisy’s heart sank into her stomach, though she couldn’t imagine why she should care. “His mistress?”
“I hear she’s beautiful in an indecent way,” her mother continued with a blush. “Why else would he set her up so finely?”
“Are you certain?” She’d actually believed Gabriel had enjoyed their kiss. Well, she was a foolish, naive girl.
Her mother shook her head impatiently. “Many men keep mistresses, even happily married men indulge. I’m not surprised that Lord Dayne did so, but he showed a shocking lack of respect by taking up with her so openly, and a foreign girl at that, when perfectly suitable English girls are available.”
Daisy choked back a mirthless laugh. “I see.”
“I doubt you do, Daisy. You’re too young to understand the sordid depths to which some men descend.”
Oh, but she did understand. She’d kissed Gabriel with utter abandon, with womanly passion and longing, and may have allowed more had the journey lasted longer. Gabriel didn’t love her—she knew that—nor did she love him. But he had wanted to make love to her in a very real sense that extended beyond the proper bounds of courtship. An important distinction. Love led to marriage. Making love led to scandal and ruination.
“Tell her all of it,” Julia urged. “She’s better off knowing the worst.”
“There’s more?”
“Lord Dayne has informed his parents that he will never marry. Having made his fortune in who knows what sordid ventures, he is determined to enjoy life to the fullest, sans wife. Such behavior cannot be tolerated in any man of noble bloodlines. But what is his family to do? He’s independently wealthy and doesn’t care if his father cuts him off without a shilling.”
“Surely, he’ll change his mind in time.” Daisy wasn’t certain why she should rise to his defense, but this gossip about Gabriel felt wrong. “Marriage is not a prison to all men. Indeed, his own cousin is very happily married to Laurel.”
Odd, he and Graelem seemed very close. She wasn’t imagining it. Graelem did like and admire Gabriel despite his horrid reputation. Why?
“Lord Dayne has renewed his friendship with that reprobate Ian Markham, Duke of Edgeware, and everyone knows his views on marriage.”
Julia shook her head and tsked . “A shocking waste of wealth, respectability, and good title, if you ask me.”
What had happened to Gabriel? What had led him to shed his boyhood dreams and pursue a life of depravity?
“Ask Eloise, if you don’t believe me,” Julia insisted. “She’s distraught over the whole affair.”
Daisy managed a nod, though
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