The duke and I julia Quinn

you
marching over there to save her," Anthony shot back. 
"Hell no. But I never said we should. 
You,
on the other hand ..." 
"What the devil is going on?" Simon finally asked. The three Bridgerton brothers looked at him 
with identical guilty expressions. 
"We 
should
save Daff," Benedict said. 
"We really should," Anthony added. 
"What my brothers are too lily-livered to tell you," Colin said derisively, "is that they are 
terrified of my mother." 
"It's true," Anthony said with a helpless shrug. 
Benedict nodded. "I freely admit it." 
Simon thought he'd never seen a more ludicrous sight. These were the Bridgerton brothers, after 
all. Tall, handsome, athletic, with every miss in the nation setting her cap after them, and here 
they were, completely cowed by a mere slip of a woman. 
Of course, it 
was
their mother. Simon supposed one had to make allowances for that. 
"If I save Daff," Anthony explained, "Mother might get me into her clutches, and then I'm done 
for." 
Simon choked on laughter as his mind filled with a vision of Anthony being led around by his 
mother, moving from unmarried lady to unmarried lady. 
"Now you see why I avoid these functions like the plague," Anthony said grimly. "I'm attacked 
from both directions. If the debutantes and their mothers don't find me, 
my
mother makes certain 
I find 
them.
" 
"Say!" Benedict exclaimed. "Why don't 
you
save her, Hastings?" 
Simon took one look at Lady Bridgerton (who at that point had her hand firmly wrapped around 
Macclesfield's forearm) and decided he'd rather be branded an eternal coward. "Since we haven't 
been introduced, I'm sure it would be most improper," he improvised. 

---

"I'm sure it wouldn't," Anthony returned. "You're a duke." 
"So?" 
"So?" Anthony echoed. "Mother would forgive any impropriety if it meant gaining an audience 
for Daphne with a duke." 
"Now look here," Simon said hotly, "I'm not some sacrificial lamb to be slaughtered on the altar 
of your mother." 
"You have spent a lot of time in Africa, haven't you?" Colin quipped. 
Simon ignored him. "Besides, your sister said—" 
All three Bridgerton heads swung round in his direction. Simon immediately realized he'd 
blundered. Badly. 
"You've met Daphne?" Anthony queried, his voice just a touch too polite for Simon's comfort. 
Before Simon could even reply, Benedict leaned in ever-so-slightly closer, and asked, "Why 
didn't you mention this?" 
"Yes," Colin said, his mouth utterly serious for the first time that evening. "Why?" 
Simon glanced from brother to brother and it became perfectly clear why Daphne must still be 
unmarried. This belligerent trio would scare off all but the most determined—or stupid—of 
suitors. 
Which would probably explain Nigel Berbrooke. 
"Actually," Simon said, "I bumped into her in the hall as I was making my way into the 
ballroom. It was" —he glanced rather pointedly at the Bridgertons—"rather obvious that she was 
a member of your family, so I introduced myself." 
Anthony turned to Benedict. "Must have been when she was fleeing Berbrooke." 
Benedict turned to Colin. "What did happen to Berbrooke? Do you know?" 
Colin shrugged. "Haven't the faintest. Probably left to nurse his broken heart." 
Or broken head,
Simon thought acerbically. 
"Well, that explains everything, I'm sure," Anthony said, losing his overbearing big-brother 
expression and looking once again like a fellow rake and best friend. 
"Except," Benedict said suspiciously, "why he didn't mention it." 

---

"Because I didn't have the chance," Simon bit off, about ready to throw his arms up in 
exasperation. "In case you hadn't noticed, Anthony, you have a ridiculous number of siblings, 
and it takes a ridiculous amount of time to be introduced to all of them." 
"There are only two of us present," Colin pointed out. 
"I'm going home," Simon announced. "The three of you are mad." 
Benedict, who had seemed to be the most protective of the brothers, suddenly grinned. "You 
don't have a sister, do you?" 
"No, thank God." 
"If you ever have a daughter, you'll understand." 
Simon was rather certain he would never have a daughter, but he kept his mouth shut. 
"It can be a trial," Anthony said. 
"Although Daff is better than most," Benedict put in. "She doesn't have that many suitors, 
actually." 
Simon couldn't imagine why not. 
"I'm not really sure why," Anthony mused. "I think she's a perfectly nice girl." 
Simon decided this wasn't the time to mention that he'd been one inch away from easing her up 
against the wall, pressing his hips against hers, and kissing her senseless. If he hadn't discovered 
that she was a Bridgerton, frankly, he might have done exactly that. 
"Daff's the best," Benedict agreed. 
Colin nodded. "Capital girl. Really good sport." 
There was an awkward pause, and then Simon said, "Well, good sport or not, I'm not going over 
there to save her, because she told me quite specifically that your mother forbade her ever to be 
seen in my presence. 
"Mother said 
that?" 
Colin asked. "You must really have a black reputation." 
"A good portion of it undeserved," Simon muttered, not entirely certain why he was defending 
himself. 
"That's too bad," Colin murmured. "I'd thought to ask you to take me 'round." 
Simon foresaw a long and terrifyingly roguish future for the boy. 

---

Anthony's fist found its way to the small of Simon's back, and he started to propel him forward. 
"I'm sure Mother will change her mind given the proper encouragement. Let's go." 
Simon had no choice but to walk toward Daphne. The alternative required making a really big 
scene, and Simon had long since learned that he didn't do well with scenes. Besides, if he'd been 
in Anthony's position, he probably would have done the exact same thing. 
And after an evening with the Featherington sisters and the like, Daphne didn't sound half-bad. 
"Mother!" Anthony called out in a jovial voice as they approached the viscountess. "I haven't 
seen you all evening." 
Simon noticed that Lady Bridgerton's blue eyes lit up when she saw her son approaching. 
Ambitious Mama or not, Lady Bridgerton clearly loved her children. 
"Anthony!" she said in return. "How nice to see you. Daphne and I were just chatting with Lord 
Macclesfield." 
Anthony sent Lord Macclesfield a commiserating look. "Yes, I see." 
Simon caught Daphne's eye for a moment and gave his head the tiniest shake. She responded 
with an even tinier nod, sensible girl that she was. 
"And who is this?" Lady Bridgerton inquired, her eyes lighting upon Simon's face. 
"The new Duke of Hastings," Anthony replied. "Surely you remember him from my days at 
Eton and Oxford." 
"Of course," Lady Bridgerton said politely. 
Macclesfield, who had been keeping scrupulously quiet, quickly located the first lull in the 
conversation, and burst in with, "I think I see my father." 
Anthony shot the young earl an amused and knowing glance. "Then by all means, go to him." 
The young earl did, with alacrity. 
"I thought he detested his father," Lady Bridgerton said with a confused expression. 
"He does," Daphne said baldly. 
Simon choked down a laugh. Daphne raised her brows, silently daring him to comment. 
"Well, he had a terrible reputation, anyway," Lady Bridgerton said. 

---

"There seems to be quite a bit of that in the air these days," Simon murmured. 
Daphne's eyes widened, and this time Simon got to raise