loudly, startling Daisy.
And then she saw why. Joe had entered the room, his cap doffed respectfully. “Pardon me, missus.”
“Get out,” Mona barked, and waved her hand toward the door.
“Can you not see we’re busy?” Cassandra added.
Joe’s face fell, and Daisy couldn’t help blurting out: “He’s here to tell us something important, Stepmother. He never comes in unless he needs help.”
“Shut up, girl,” Mona said. “Whatever it is, we’ll take care of it later.”
Girl .
Mona always called her that.
Joe, his face ashen with distress, hunched his shoulders and limped out the door again, not making eye contact with Daisy, even though she wished he would with all her heart.
Daisy hated her stepmother more than ever.
Mona immediately swept round the table, lowered herself upon the sofa in its new location, and patted the cushion next to her. “Do sit, Lumley. I must tell you about the drawbridge. It sags. You’ll begin work on it tomorrow.”
She raked her bold gaze over his tight, if a bit torn, buckskin breeches.
He stared at her. Then slowly came forward. But he didn’t sit.
Daisy could hardly breathe.
Mona opened her mouth to speak again, but the viscount cut her off.
“I won’t stand by and allow you to treat your servants and stepdaughter so cruelly.” He exuded all the cold hauteur one would expect of a viscount.
“Yes,” huffed Perdita. “She treats me like the veriest toad. Why, just yesterday—”
“Not you,” Lumley interrupted her.
Perdita’s mouth hung open for an appalling second, exposing a row of yellow teeth, and then shut. “Then whom?”
Daisy wanted to swat her for being so stupid!
“Your stepsister Daisy, ” the viscount explained to Perdita, his patience running thin, judging by the dangerous edge to his voice.
“You misunderstand me.” Mona paused to indulge in a light yawn. “I have only Daisy’s best interests at heart.” She threw her arm over the back of the sofa and stared off into the distance, her overlarge bosom thrust out rudely.
“I think not,” the viscount said. “And your lack of compassion to an elderly servant is equally reprehensible.”
Mona turned and glared at him.
He glared right back.
“Mine is a family that doesn’t tolerate cruelty.” He addressed Mona in a low, threatening voice that sent tingles down Daisy’s spine. “Have a care if you want to be received into it with any consideration for your own comforts. For soon your stepdaughter will be my wife, and I won’t tolerate your viciousness.”
Perdita whimpered.
Mona frowned at her. “Listen to him, and you’ll lose the upper hand.”
“Oh, right,” said Perdita.
Daisy had to restrain an exasperated sigh. Perdita would never have the upper hand with anything, even if it were handed to her, much less the upper hand over someone as intimidating as the viscount.
He turned to Daisy, his eyes still snapping with fury. Mona’s was such a nasty soul. But there was also something else in his gaze Daisy couldn’t name. Perhaps it was a bit more comprehension of her situation than she’d let on in the letter to his grandmother.
There was no particular kindness in his eyes, she noted. Simply a better grasp of the magnitude of her problem.
“Miss Montgomery,” he addressed her, “shall we go visit your servant and attend to his needs?”
“I’d love to.” Daisy put her hand through his arm and, despite everything, felt a tiny bit happy and hopeful for the first time in a long time. The viscount might not be what she’d expected, but things were already changing. Just as she’d felt in her bones they would.
CHAPTER SIX
It had been a momentous day. Daisy had kissed the viscount. Twice . And now she was pretending to be engaged to him. He’d also captured an escaped lamb, who’d been bleating for its mother high on a rocky hillock Joe couldn’t possibly climb. It was a minor feat of heroism for which she’d longed to kiss Lord Lumley again
And then she saw why. Joe had entered the room, his cap doffed respectfully. “Pardon me, missus.”
“Get out,” Mona barked, and waved her hand toward the door.
“Can you not see we’re busy?” Cassandra added.
Joe’s face fell, and Daisy couldn’t help blurting out: “He’s here to tell us something important, Stepmother. He never comes in unless he needs help.”
“Shut up, girl,” Mona said. “Whatever it is, we’ll take care of it later.”
Girl .
Mona always called her that.
Joe, his face ashen with distress, hunched his shoulders and limped out the door again, not making eye contact with Daisy, even though she wished he would with all her heart.
Daisy hated her stepmother more than ever.
Mona immediately swept round the table, lowered herself upon the sofa in its new location, and patted the cushion next to her. “Do sit, Lumley. I must tell you about the drawbridge. It sags. You’ll begin work on it tomorrow.”
She raked her bold gaze over his tight, if a bit torn, buckskin breeches.
He stared at her. Then slowly came forward. But he didn’t sit.
Daisy could hardly breathe.
Mona opened her mouth to speak again, but the viscount cut her off.
“I won’t stand by and allow you to treat your servants and stepdaughter so cruelly.” He exuded all the cold hauteur one would expect of a viscount.
“Yes,” huffed Perdita. “She treats me like the veriest toad. Why, just yesterday—”
“Not you,” Lumley interrupted her.
Perdita’s mouth hung open for an appalling second, exposing a row of yellow teeth, and then shut. “Then whom?”
Daisy wanted to swat her for being so stupid!
“Your stepsister Daisy, ” the viscount explained to Perdita, his patience running thin, judging by the dangerous edge to his voice.
“You misunderstand me.” Mona paused to indulge in a light yawn. “I have only Daisy’s best interests at heart.” She threw her arm over the back of the sofa and stared off into the distance, her overlarge bosom thrust out rudely.
“I think not,” the viscount said. “And your lack of compassion to an elderly servant is equally reprehensible.”
Mona turned and glared at him.
He glared right back.
“Mine is a family that doesn’t tolerate cruelty.” He addressed Mona in a low, threatening voice that sent tingles down Daisy’s spine. “Have a care if you want to be received into it with any consideration for your own comforts. For soon your stepdaughter will be my wife, and I won’t tolerate your viciousness.”
Perdita whimpered.
Mona frowned at her. “Listen to him, and you’ll lose the upper hand.”
“Oh, right,” said Perdita.
Daisy had to restrain an exasperated sigh. Perdita would never have the upper hand with anything, even if it were handed to her, much less the upper hand over someone as intimidating as the viscount.
He turned to Daisy, his eyes still snapping with fury. Mona’s was such a nasty soul. But there was also something else in his gaze Daisy couldn’t name. Perhaps it was a bit more comprehension of her situation than she’d let on in the letter to his grandmother.
There was no particular kindness in his eyes, she noted. Simply a better grasp of the magnitude of her problem.
“Miss Montgomery,” he addressed her, “shall we go visit your servant and attend to his needs?”
“I’d love to.” Daisy put her hand through his arm and, despite everything, felt a tiny bit happy and hopeful for the first time in a long time. The viscount might not be what she’d expected, but things were already changing. Just as she’d felt in her bones they would.
CHAPTER SIX
It had been a momentous day. Daisy had kissed the viscount. Twice . And now she was pretending to be engaged to him. He’d also captured an escaped lamb, who’d been bleating for its mother high on a rocky hillock Joe couldn’t possibly climb. It was a minor feat of heroism for which she’d longed to kiss Lord Lumley again
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