Romancing Her Rival - Joanna Barker Page 0,25

cascading awkwardly down her neck as hair pins stuck out in odd places.

She knew it, of course. Her jaw was set like stone, and she barely turned her head to acknowledge whatever Mr. Chesley was saying to her.

Then he saw Mr. Chesley’s taunting grin, and the red stain creeping over Daphne’s cheeks. What had the man said? It was all Cole could do to stop himself from pulling the man from dance and delivering a well-deserved facer.

Daphne found her place in line and clasped her hands tightly before her. She took a shuddering breath and forced her chin up. He caught her eye, but she only shook her head and looked away—though not before a tear escaped down her cheek. She dashed it away with one hand.

Blast this dance and blast Mr. Chesley. He could endure any amount of scorn from Society, but Daphne did not deserve any of it.

Cole moved without thinking. He crossed to Daphne and took her hand, pulling her from the line of dancers. Her bewildered eyes met his, but she did not protest as he led her from the dance floor and through the crowd. They’d likely disrupted the dance behind them, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. A few onlookers cast them curious glances, but he did not stop until they reached the edge of the room. He turned to face her, hands on her elbows.

“What do you need?” he asked quietly.

She swallowed. “I need to fix…” She waved a hand at her hair, the last pins clinging desperately.

“The retiring room?”

“No.” She shook her head fervently. “Somewhere quiet.”

Cole nodded, glanced around, and then led her to a nearby doorway. He held her hand, and he could feel her warmth even through their gloves. They went down a well-lit corridor, Cole peeking into open doorways. Finally, he found an abandoned music room with a pianoforte near the window and a harp in the corner. A low fire flickered in the grate, the only light in the room. Daphne followed him inside, and he closed the door behind them.

She immediately went to a nearby table and began pulling the dangling pins from her hair. “Blast and bother,” she murmured, her voice unstable.

He wanted to ask what that cad Mr. Chesley had said to her, but could guess well enough without making her repeat it. “Are you all right, Daphne?” he settled for instead.

Daphne dropped another pin on the table, her curls shielding her face. Then she looked back at him—and his heart cracked. Tears fell fast down her face, spilling over her cheeks like an overfilled teacup. She wiped at them, taking a shuddering breath that he knew was hiding a sob.

Again, he did not hesitate. He took her shoulders, turning her and bringing her into his arms in one movement. He thought for a second she might pull away, but then she leaned into him, clinging to his jacket and pressing her face into his cravat.

Her hair—loose around her shoulders—smelled like rosewater, and the soft tresses tickled his cheek. Cole tried not to breathe, as if that would help anything, but there was nothing he could do about her small figure pressed to his, the heat of her back against his fingertips.

Devil take it.

He’d thought he could pretend he did not feel what he felt. That she would be just a friend, albeit one he’d felt drawn to since he was old enough to realize what that warmth in his chest meant. But he was a fool. He could never think of Daphne Windham as a friend. She would always be the girl—and now the woman—who never left his mind, who tormented him with expressions he could not interpret and the flash of her eyes.

“I am sorry,” Daphne said into his chest, her muffled voice calling him back to reality. “I am being ridiculous, I know. It is just my hair.”

Cole’s throat tightened as he pictured Mr. Chesley’s hard smile. “It is not, and we both know it.”

Daphne sniffed. “Why is it some people cannot help but be cruel?”

“I daresay it is the only way they can think themselves superior in comparison. They must put others down before they can claw to the top.”

“The top of what?” She shook her head. “Why should status and wealth mean more than kindness and decency?”

He sighed. “I wish I knew.”

They stood in the quiet another minute, until Daphne suddenly stiffened and pulled away. She glanced at the closed door, pushing back the curls from her face. He