Page 9 of A Temporary Bride for the Duke

I should not have told Harry to go off on his own and find Mr. Oswalt. I should have made sure the lad was safe and…

“Edmund?” his aunt called again. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Harry,” Edmund replied bleakly, his heart pounding with fear. “He’s gone.”

Chapter Three

Daisy walked beside Lydia and her family as they wove through the crowds at Vauxhall Gardens. She was trying her best to escape the thoughts in her head through distraction, but it was barely working.

What am I to do? However shall I earn five thousand pounds and repay my father’s debt?

Her eyes swept around the multitudes, and when she did not find Lord Dulforth among the mix, she allowed herself to take a nice, long exhale.

At least the Baron kept his word. He has left me alone and is not here to ruin this…

“Ladies and gentlemen!”

Daisy was startled out of her reverie when a man holding a megaphone up to his mouth passed by them, shouting, “Makeyour way toward the viewing grounds. The balloon will be released momentarily.”

Lydia squealed with excitement and clutched Daisy’s hand.

“Come along! We cannot be towards the back of the crowd.”

“It does not matter where we stand,” Daisy countered. “The balloon is big enough that…”

“Eh!” Lydia gave another jubilant whoop as the gatherers surged forward, sweeping the ladies right along with them. “We are going to see a balloon lift-off today. A real balloon! Can you imagine?”

Lydia’s enthusiastic chirping was echoed by all the other ladies and gentlemen surrounding them. Daisy wished she could share a shred of their ebullience. But all she could think of was her father, recuperating from the blow to the head he’d received while hisfriendheld his debt overherhead.

Where am I going to get the money?

There was nothing worth selling that her father hadn’t already sold. All her mother’s jewels were replaced by paste or had been removed from the house years ago. The servants hadn’t been paid for months. The house was indentured to the Earldom and could not be sold. It was falling apart around their ears.

She had nothing and no one, and yet, there was still some distance to fall. If Dulforth made good on his threat to tell the gossips about their woes, Daisy and her father would be shunned from Society. What little social capital they had left would be obliterated.

She was very sure they would not survive such a calamity.

She heard her name whispered from somewhere behind her, where a group of ladies were standing and gossiping. She tensed but could not help but overhear them tittering about her father’s drunken fight with Lord Chambers.

“No wonder she has no suitors,” one of them said.

“Of course she doesn’t. Who would take her with no dowry? She’s a mousy thing with nothing to recommend her.” That second voice sounded particularly vicious.

Daisy stiffened, wondering what she’d ever done to these people to deserve their ire. Her vision blurred with tears, and she turned away, blinking rapidly as she tried to wish them away. She would not let these women see that they had hurt her feelings.

Lydia suddenly glared at the group. “Would you kindly hush? We are trying to watch the show.”

The women looked shocked that Lydia would address them in such a manner. Lydia opened her mouth probably tosay something even more cutting, but Daisy shook her head frantically, digging her fingers into Lydia’s arm.

“Don’t,” she said quietly before tugging her arm. “Come, let us move away from here. The air has a foul smell to it.”

Lydia’s lip twitched, and she nodded, sliding her arm through Daisy’s and leading her away. As they strolled through the crowds, they came upon Lord Dulforth, who was stalking towards them.

No!

Daisy’s eyes flitted from one end of the garden to the other.

We can either turn back and deal with those horrible young ladies and their whispering, or we can face the Baron.