Rules for Reforming a Rake(20)
He started toward her. “I suppose I deserved that. Tell me what happened. What did Lord Hornby do to you?”
“Lumley?”
He nodded.
“Oh, him. Nothing really.”
He came to her side, his heart slamming against his chest. Nothing really? What the hell did that mean? “Look at me, Daisy.”
“No,” she said and turned away.
He placed his hands on her slender shoulders and gently turned her once again to face him. She offered little resistance. “What did he do?” he asked in softest voice, straining to subdue his anger. Of course, it wasn’t directed at her but at everyone who should have been protecting her and wasn’t, particularly her parents, who seemed more concerned with accommodating their never-ending stream of guests than guarding their precious daughter. Leaving this beautiful girl untended in such surroundings was like dropping a lamb into a pack of hungry wolves.
“Truly, Lord Dayne. He did nothing at all.”
“The name’s Gabriel. If not Lumley Hornby, then—”
“No one bothered me.”
Confused, he released her and ran a hand through his hair. “Then why are you crying?”
She hesitated a moment, obviously struggling to compose herself, and obviously about to lose the struggle. Her lips began to quiver. Her hands began to shake. Finally, she buried her face in her hands and burst into sobs. “I tried so hard... so hard to prove I was responsible. Now, I’ll be forever branded the foggy-headed Farthingale, just as you accused.”
Had he called her that?
“You were right about me and I was so wrong to resent you for it!”
He drew her close and wrapped his arms about her, surprised by the depth of her sorrow and alarmed by his sudden, overwhelming need to protect her. “Daisy, please tell me what happened.”
“I lost the family heirloom pearls. I shouldn’t have worn the necklace this evening because the clasp was broken, but Mother insisted it had been repaired. Rather than fight about it, I put on the necklace just as every Farthingale debutante has done for the last hundred years. I ought to have known better and should have said something, but didn’t. Now it’s lost and I’ve destroyed the proud family tradition!”
He held her in his embrace, knowing there was nothing he could say to cheer her spirits. Only finding the family heirloom would do. Perhaps this was his chance to make amends. He’d been too proud, too haughty to appreciate how badly he’d injured her feelings the other day. Retrieving the necklace would be the best sort of apology, better than his earlier offer of a dance. “When did you notice it was missing?”
She sniffled. “A short while ago. It fell off in the conservatory, I think. I tried to return to search for it, but didn’t get very far. I wasn’t alone in there.”
He understood.
The Hornby conservatory wasn’t the sort of place an innocent girl could handle without proper chaperone. He’d seen her attended earlier by her Aunt Julia, but apparently her aunt had found other distractions to occupy her time. He also suspected that Graelem and Eloise, despite their earlier teasing, must have believed she was still being chaperoned by her aunt or they would have taken up the slack immediately.
Daisy started to pull out of his arms, but he held her back, reluctant to let her go. She felt nice, he decided, surprised by how perfectly her slight body molded to his gruff contours. Her silky curls tickled his chin and her scent tickled his senses. She smelled of cinnamon and apples, as delicious as a Viennese dessert. “I’ll help you search.”
Her eyes widened in astonishment. “You will?”
He ran his thumb gently along her cheek to wipe away the trail of tears. “If you’ll let me.”
Leaning back to meet his gaze, she let out a long breath and cast him a dazzling smile. “Gladly. Thank you for the offer. I need all the help I can get.”
“Good. Yes, then. It’s settled.” Reluctantly, he withdrew his hand from her cheek. There was something about her admission that roused his protective instincts. Ian would have called it a dangerous sign, but it wasn’t. He’d survived to the age of twenty-seven by using his wits, by learning to defend himself against all enemies. This pretty slip of a girl wasn’t much of an enemy and hardly a danger to his bachelorhood. “Now let’s retrace your steps. Exactly where were you when you first noticed it was missing?”
“On my way back to the ballroom. But I’m certain I lost it in the conservatory. Yes, most certainly in the conservatory. You see,” she said with a little hiccup followed by a harrumph. “Lumley Hornby lured me there in order to show me his... well... his...”