A Simple Case of Seduction

Daphne walked towards him wearing an emerald-green pelisse that matched the colour of her eyes to perfection. A few ebony curls framed her face though the rest of her hair was hidden beneath her bonnet. His gaze fell to the velvet reticule, and he wondered if she carried a weapon, imagined running his hand under her skirt to see if she had one strapped to her thigh.

“Daniel,” she smiled as his name left her lips. Had they been alone in her private parlour, he would have taken her in his arms and kissed her. “I trust things went well with Lord Gibson.”

“Gibson was more than happy to accept your written statement,” he said bringing her gloved hand to his lips and brushing a kiss over her knuckles. “I promised to take it to him within the next few days.”

“I’ll have it finished this evening.” She gestured to the path. “Shall we walk?”

A sense of foreboding settled over him. He cast her a sidelong glance as she threaded her arm through his. The shadows beneath her eyes suggested a lack of sleep. Her tightly drawn lips were a sign of anxiety.

“Have you spoken to Mr Bostock this morning?” she continued. “I assume you’ve heard the news.”

Daniel nodded. “He came to tell me that he plans to wed Betsy.” The conversation had been awkward. Bostock’s incessant mumbling had made it difficult to understand his meaning. “I got the sense he thinks he’s abandoning me. But I’m happy he’s found love.”

“Well, you’ve worked together for so long perhaps he’s scared of change.” She stared at the row of trees lining the walkway. “Will he still assist on your cases?”

“We’ve not spoken at length about it. But I’m to meet a prospective client later this afternoon and so no doubt we’ll discuss it then.” Taking another case was the only way to settle his mind. In truth, he felt nothing like himself. An uncomfortable feeling lingered in his chest, one of uncertainty and fear.

“You plan to take another case so quickly?” There was a hesitance in her voice that worried him.

“A man must work,” was his only defence.

Daphne sighed. “But you do not need to work, at least not like this. Why pay a man to manage your estate when you’re capable of running it yourself?”

He’d been expecting to have a conversation about Rainham Hall. “What is this really about?” He stopped walking and turned to face her. “Why are we meeting in the park and not at the modiste shop?”

She bit down on her bottom lip, struggled to hold his gaze. “Because I am not strong enough to fight my feelings for you when we are alone together. If we were in my parlour you would try to kiss away my fears, but you would only succeed in suppressing them.”

His heart pounded as his mind tried to ascertain her meaning. “Why would you want to fight your feelings?”

“You cannot know the pain I felt when I saw you lying on the wharf.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “I thought you were dead, Daniel.”

“But I have explained why I felt the deception was necessary.”

“Can you not imagine how it felt to witness such a thing?” She swallowed deeply. “Do I need to tell you how much you mean to me? Do I need to tell you that I love you so much I spend every minute wondering how I’ll cope if I lose you?”

He stepped closer. “Daphne, there is nothing to fear for I have no intention of ever letting you go.”

“But you insist on working these dangerous streets.” Her voice was fractured. “Putting yourself in life-threatening situations.”

“We both do,” he shrugged, not knowing where the conversation was leading.

“There is no comparison. The cases you take are nothing like mine. You storm a building full of smugglers while I search for the person who stole a hat pin. You risk your life every day.”

“But this is who I am.” He placed his hand on his chest. “You’ve always known that.”

“No,” she insisted. “It’s what you do, Daniel, not who you are.”

For a man with a logical mind, he was struggling to understand what she was saying. “What is your point, Daphne?”

There was a tense moment of silence.

“I can’t be the one who sits at home waiting, hoping you’re still alive.” A tear trickled down her cheek, and he wiped it away with his thumb. “I can’t live my life always fearing the worst.”

“Are you saying you don’t want me?”

“I have never wanted anything more in my entire life.”

Damnation. Why were women so confounding?