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instantly recognised
you as a Bridgerton and introduced myself."
"Do you think they believed you?"
"Yes," he said softly, "I rather think they did."
"Not that we have anything to hide," she added quickly.
"Of course not."
"If there is any villain in this piece it is most certainly Nigel."
"Of course."
She chewed on her lower lip. "Do you think he's still out in the hall?"
"I certainly have no intention of finding out"
There was an awkward moment of silence, and then Daphne said, "It has been some time since
you have attended a London ball, has it not? Nigel and I must have been quite a welcome."
"You were a welcome sight. He was not."
She smiled slightly at the compliment. "Aside from our little escapade, have you been enjoying
your evening?"
Simon's answer was so unequivocally in the negative that he actually snorted a laugh before
saying it.
"Really?" Daphne replied, her brows arching with curiosity. "Now
that
is interesting."
"You find my agony interesting? Remind me never to turn to you should I ever fall ill."
"Oh, please," she scoffed. "It can't have been that bad."
"Oh, it can."
"Certainly not as bad as
my
evening."
"You did look rather miserable with your mother and Macclesfield," he allowed.
"How kind of you to point it out," she muttered.
"But I still think my evening was worse."
Daphne laughed, a light musical sound that warmed Simon's bones. "What a sad pair we are,"
she said. "Surely we can manage a conversation on a topic other than our respective terrible
evenings."
Simon said nothing.
Daphne said nothing.
"Well, I can't think of anything," he said.
Daphne laughed again, this time with more gaiety, and Simon once again found himself
mesmerized by her smile.
"I give in," she gasped. "What has turned your evening into such a dreadful affair?"
"What or
whom?
"
"Whom?" she echoed, tilting her head as she looked at him. "This grows even more interesting."
"I can think of any number of adjectives to describe all of the 'whoms' I have had the pleasure of
meeting this evening, but 'interesting' is not one of them."
"Now, now," she chided, "don't be rude. I did see you chatting with my brothers, after all."
He nodded gallantly, tightening his hand slightly at her waist as they swung around in a graceful
arc. "My apologies. The Bridgertons are, of course, excluded from my insults."
"We are all relieved, I'm sure."
Simon cracked a smile at her deadpan wit. "I live to make Bridgertons happy."
"Now
that
is a statement that may come back to haunt you," she chided. "But in all seriousness,
what has you in such a dither? If your evening has gone that far downhill since our interlude with
Nigel, you're in sad straits, indeed."
"How shall I put this," he mused, "so that I do not completely offend you?"
"Oh, go right ahead," she said blithely. "I promise not to be offended."
Simon grinned wickedly. "A statement that may come back to haunt
you
."She blushed slightly.
The color was barely noticeable in the shadowy candlelight, but Simon had been watching her
closely. She didn't say anything, however, so he added, "Very well, if you must know, I have
been introduced to every single unmarried lady in the ballroom."'
A strange snorting sound came from the vicinity of her mouth. Simon had the sneaking
suspicion that she was laughing at him."I have also," he continued, "been introduced to all of
their mothers."
She gurgled. She actually gurgled.
"Bad show," he scolded. "Laughing at your dance partner."
"I'm sorry," she said, her lips tight from trying not to smile.
"No, you're not."
"All right," she admitted, "I'm not. But only because I have had to suffer the same torture for
two years. It's difficult to summon too much pity for a mere evening's worth."
"Why don't you just find someone to marry and put yourself out of your misery?"
She shot him a sharp look. "Are you asking?"
Simon felt the blood leave his face.
"I thought not." She took one look at him and let out an impatient exhale. "Oh, for goodness
sake. You can start breathing now, your grace. I was only teasing."
Simon wanted to make some sort of dry, cutting, and utterly ironic comment, but the truth was,
she has so startled him that he couldn't utter a word.
"To answer your question," she continued, her voice a touch more brittle than he was
accustomed to hearing from her, "a lady must consider her options. There is Nigel, of course, but
I think we must agree he is not a suitable candidate."
Simon shook his head.
"Earlier this year there was Lord Chalmers."
"Chalmers?" He frowned. "Isn't he—"
"On the darker side of sixty? Yes. And since I would someday like to have children, it seemed—
"
"Some men that age can still sire brats," Simon pointed out.
"It wasn't a risk I was prepared to take," she returned. "Besides—" She shuddered slightly, a
look of revulsion passing over her features. "I didn't particularly care to have children with
him.
"
Much to his annoyance, Simon found himself picturing Daphne in bed with the elderly
Chalmers. It was a disgusting image, and it left him feeling faintly furious. At whom, he didn't
know; maybe at himself for even bothering to imagine the damned thing, but—
"Before Lord Chalmers," Daphne continued, thankfully interrupting his rather unpleasant
thought process, "there were two others, both just as repulsive."
Simon looked at her thoughtfully. "Do you want to marry?"
"Well, of course." Her face registered her surprise. "Doesn't everyone?"
"I don't."
She smiled condescendingly. "You think you don't. All men think they don't. But you will."
"No," he said emphatically. "I will never marry." She gaped at him. Something in the duke's
tone of voice told her that he truly meant what he said. "What about your title?"
Simon shrugged. "What about it?"
"If you don't marry and sire an heir, it will expire. Or go to some beastly cousin."
That caused him to raise an amused brow. "And how do you know that my cousins are beastly?"
"All cousins who are next in line for a title are beastly." She cocked her head in a mischievous
manner. "Or at least they are according to the men who actually
possess
the title."
"And this is information you've gleaned from your extensive knowledge of men?" he teased.
She shot him a devastatingly superior grin. "Of course."
Simon was silent for a moment, and then he asked, "Is it worth it?"
She looked bemused by his sudden change of subject. "Is what worth it?"
He let go of her hand just long enough to wave at the crowd. "This. This endless parade of
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