Loved by a Duke (The Heart of a Duke #4)(15)

Well, except for Auric. He and Lionel had been thick as thieves with their hands in the vicar’s Sunday collection basket. Born but a few months apart, they’d been inseparable, attending Eton together, and then going off to university. Only one boy had made it out of university to see the world with a man’s eyes.

She returned her gaze to her mother. For the first time, an uncharacteristic spark flashed to life in her deadened eyes. “It is Auric.” Her throat worked with emotion. She yanked Daisy up by the hand.

Daisy grunted. “Mother—”

“Come along, Daisy. Surely you’d not be so rude as to avoid Auric.”

No. Quite the opposite. If her mother had opened her eyes and truly seen her a short while ago, she’d have noticed that she’d quite embarrassed herself before the gentleman in question. “I just spoke to him, Mama.” And teased him and was teased by him. Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest. Get control of yourself, Daisy Laurel Meadows. He’d since shifted his focus to Lady Leticia and the other golden-haired creatures he preferred.

Her mother ignored her protestations and continued dragging her along. “Surely not.”

Daisy gave a juddering nod that dislodged an errant curl. It tumbled over her brow. “Surely.”

Which apparently mattered not at all. With a single-minded purpose, her mother all but dragged Daisy through the crush of guests. She waved her free hand about. “Hullo, Your Grace?”

“Mother, please,” she squeezed out through tight lips.

“Auric?” her mother continued, ignoring Daisy as was her usual. Oh, bloody hell. Heat burned her entire body as people peered down their noses at the Marchioness of Roxbury’s bold pursuit of the sought-after duke. The ton failed to realize that this single-minded push for the Duke of Crawford was not born of a matchmaking mama, but of a mother who longed for whatever trace reminder she could steal of a beloved, long departed child.

Several inches past six-feet, Auric’s imposing frame towered over the lesser people scattered around him. The duke stiffened. He turned his focus in on her mother.

“Auric!” Mother cried again.

And for one horrifying, painfully agonizing moment she thought Auric would turn and give them both the cut direct. She could forgive the miserableness he’d cloaked himself in. She could not forgive any cruelty toward her grieving mother. Mother staggered to a halt before him. Then he smiled and the tension left Daisy’s body on a slow exhale. It may be the same empty, cool grin he offered to members of Society, but the effort was there to spare the woman hurt and embarrassment, and for that goodness, he would always own a piece of her heart. The rest of it had always been his anyway. What was the remaining sliver?

“Lady Roxbury, a pleasure,” he inclined his head, ever polite and kind to her mama. “Forgive me for not having paid a visit recently.” He may as well have finished that off with, I’ve been busy duchess-hunting.

Her mother released Daisy’s hands and raised trembling fingers to her lips. “Oh, Auric, it is so, so very wonderful to see you. We do not see enough of you. I am forever saying that.” She briefly attended Daisy. “Aren’t I, Daisy?”

Auric slid a glance over in her direction.

“Indeed.” Another handful of lies by all. By all of them. The duke for saying it was a pleasure. Mother for suggesting she said anything at all to Daisy. And her for supporting the lie. She touched gentle fingers to her mother’s forearm. “Mother, come, the duke is quite busy.”

Mother’s eyes went wide. “Do not be silly. We would never be an imposition. Not to Auric. Isn’t that true, Auric. Assure Daisy she’s merely being silly and impolite.”

Daisy curled her toes so tight the arch of her foot ached. It didn’t escape her notice that he failed to acknowledge her mother’s request. Instead, the usually laconic marchioness launched into a flurry of questions and comments, as she always did around Auric. For him, Mother somehow found a way to be the lively woman she’d once been.

With agonized embarrassment, Daisy blew back the stray strand of hair over her eye and doggedly avoided Auric’s attention, though it was difficult to ignore such a commanding figure of a man. With his intent, ice blue stare he could command the room with a single glance. She’d never before truly appreciated the masculine perfection he evinced, the— “…must dance with Daisy.”

Two pairs of eyes landed on Daisy. Her mother frowned, urging Daisy with her eyes to say something, and Auric, entirely too amused by her mother’s urgings. “That won’t be necessary. I’m certain the duke already has a partner for this set.” All the sets. There was, after all, a sea of elegant, perfectly blonde, English creatures, hoping for a duke.

Her mother glared. “Of course he will dance with you. Isn’t that right, Auric?”

He hesitated. “It would be a pleasure.” As he was nothing, if not well-mannered, he reached for Daisy’s dance card.

Daisy yanked her card close to her chest. “What are you doing?” She’d detected his slight, almost imperceptible, pause following her mother’s request.

He froze.

After Lionel, Daisy had become nothing more than a young lady Society felt sympathy for. Well, she was tired of being pitied. She would not dance with Auric because he felt badly for her nor because he’d been bullied into it.