The Irresistible Rogue (Playful Brides #4)(38)

Daphne pressed a knuckle to her forehead. “Ooh, I knew alcohol was evil. I knew it. I cannot imagine why I thought it was a good idea to have any.”

Cass’s cornflower-blue eyes were filled with sympathy. “In moderation, it isn’t so bad. But I hear that moderation was not with you last night.”

Daphne heaved a sigh. “It wasn’t. Not a bit. Oh, Cass, I completely ruined my life last night.”

Cass gave her a slight smile. “Don’t you think it’s a bit of an exaggeration to say you ruined your entire life?”

Daphne put the back of her hand to her forehead. “Very well. Perhaps not my entire life, but a good portion of it. Certainly my plans for the future.”

Cass smoothed the bedsheets with one hand. “You mean your engagement to Lord Fitzwell?”

“Yes. Not to mention my reputation. If Lord Fitzwell tells anyone what he saw, I’ll be a disgraced spinster the rest of my life.” Daphne bit her thumbnail again.

Cass patted her knee above the blanket. “Don’t worry about that, dear. Julian had a nice long chat with Lord Fitzwell before he left.”

Daphne blinked. “Lord Fitzwell left?”

“Yes.”

“And Julian had a chat with him?” Daphne gulped.

“Julian made it quite clear that he’d better not hear a word against your character or he’d take it up with Fitzwell privately.”

Daphne breathed a sigh of relief. Julian was a crack shot. No one in his sound mind would want to face him in a duel. “I’m glad to hear that, but if I hadn’t acted so recklessly Julian wouldn’t have had to threaten poor Lord Fitzwell.”

“Don’t worry about Fitzwell. I think he was extremely—how did you say it?—judgmental last night.”

Daphne whimpered. “Were you there, too?”

Cass shook her head. “No. I heard about it afterward from Julian.”

“Was Julian there?” Daphne groaned.

“No. He heard about it from Captain Cavendish.”

“Well, Captain Cavendish certainly was there. That much I remember. I blame him for this.”

Cass shook her head. “Why?”

“Because he’s … he’s just so…”

“Kissable?”

Daphne let her head fall into her hands. She groaned again. “Lucy told you?”

“Yes, but she swore me to secrecy, I promise.”

Daphne pulled the pillow over her head and buried her face in it. “I’m ruined.”

“You’re hardly ruined, dear. You drank a bit too much and ended up in a seemingly compromising position with a handsome gentleman, your husband, I might add, in the garden under the moonlight. Many a girl has done much worse. But I’m afraid you cannot blame Captain Cavendish for your behavior last night.”

Daphne rubbed her forehead. “I know. It was all me. I’m the one who drank five glasses of champagne. I’m the one who jumped up on a bench. I’m the one who— Oh, I just wish Rafe had left when I asked him to. He refused, you know. If he hadn’t been there last night, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to fall on him and tumble about in the grass in front of Lord Fitzwell.”

Cass laughed aloud at that. “It was an unfortunate incident, to be certain, dear, but I’ve never known you to be much for rules. If I remember correctly, aren’t you the same young lady who once tried to sneak out the window at the Hillboroughs’ ball?”

Daphne lifted her eyes and blinked at her sister-in-law. “You remember that?”

“I most certainly do. You never told me. Why were you trying to sneak out that night?”

Daphne hung her head. “It’s too humiliating to tell.”

“A midnight assignation?” Cass’s eyes sparkled.

“Something like that.” Daphne sighed. “Actually, the truth is that I was sneaking out to see Rafe.”

Cass’s blond eyebrow arched at that. “Is that so?”

“Yes. That’s when word had just come about how hurt he was and I desperately wanted to see him and I—I intended to hire a hack and visit him. Oh, Cass, I’m so ashamed of myself.”

Cass patted her hand again. “You’ve little to be ashamed of, Daphne. It seems to me you’re quite in love with Captain Cavendish and you happen to be conveniently married to him. I don’t see the problem.”

“I am not in love with him!” The words were a bit too vehement even to her own ears.

Cass gave her an understanding smile. “Aren’t you?”

Daphne sniffed. “Maybe just a little, but I fully intend to rid myself of it. You don’t know what he’s done.”

“Love is not like a cold, Daphne. You cannot wait for it to go away. It seems to me Lord Fitzwell did you a favor last night, leaving here.”

Daphne groaned and flopped back against the pillows. “There I can agree with you. He obviously wasn’t right for me if a bit of champagne and some rule-breaking scared him off. Mother’s sure to be angry with me for making such a mess of things. After all of the work and planning you and she did for the party. I’m so sorry, Cass.”

“On the contrary, I believe your mother was quite relieved to see Lord Fitzwell go. I know Aunt Willie was, and I can’t say I’m particularly displeased.”