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The woman turned red and stammered her thanks as Daniel patted her shoulder and strode out the door.

For the first time since his childhood had beaten it out of him, Daniel felt hope.

And it was pointing towards Blackthorn Estate.

CHAPTER 34

Daniel half expected the faithful butler of Blackthorn Estate to throw him out the moment he stepped foot on the front porch. To his surprise, the man even ushered him inside despite the sharp disapproval in his gaze.

Fantastic. Now, I am even judged by the servants.

But it was just like Evie to inspire loyalty simply with her kindness alone, whereas Daniel preferred to pay his staff handsomely for it.

He was led into the drawing room, and to his surprise, he found Alice seated on the sofa, with Colin standing behind her, his hand placed protectively on her shoulder. His old friend glared coldly at him, while the new Duchess of Blackthorn simply gave him a slight smile.

“Took you long enough, Duke,” she said softly.

“Darling, why are we even bothering to show him in?” Colin grunted.

Alice simply reached up to pat the hand on her shoulder as if she was reassuring an indignant, little boy and not her grown man of a husband.

“Do not be difficult, dearest.” She smiled up at him. “Youpromised.”

Daniel did not know what kind of promise she had managed to extract from his friend, nor did he care to find out. All he wanted was to find Evie and grovel at her feet if need be.

“You can be angry at me,” he told Colin. “You can hit me again if that will make you feel better. You can stop talking to me and disregard our friendship for the rest of our lives, but you will not stop me from talking to Evie.”

“Oh, so now you want to talk to her?” Colin snapped.

Daniel looked at him pointedly. “It was your fine suggestion that I stay away from her if I recall correctly.”

“For her own good!” his friend fumed. “Seeing as how much you have hurt her?—”

“Colin.”

All it took was one word from Alice and he reined himself in. Love truly worked wonders, even on a man as defiantly stubborn as Colin Fitzroy.

“I have sent Thomas Salsbury and his sister away,” Daniel told them harshly. “I have shut down the printing press that colluded with her to spew that vile gossip about Evie.”

Alice smiled serenely. “Somehow, I knew you had a hand in these recent happenings.”

“I have taken care ofeverything,” he admitted. “All except one.”

Colin glared at him and raised his eyebrow. “The annulment?”

“Colin!” his wife warned him.

“An annulment so soon would ruin Evie’s reputation,” Daniel told him coldly. “I could not risk that. Besides, the last time we spoke, she did not care for one.”

“She does not know what she wants!” Colin roared.

“And you clearly do not know what your sister wants,” Daniel responded just as fiercely. He turned his gaze to Alice, who chose to stay quiet during all of this, save for her warnings to her husband. “Am I correct, Duchess?”

The young Duchess smiled at him and casually sipped her tea. “I have always thought it so vexing when men think they can make decisions for us women.”

With a few well-placed words, she had effectively chastised both of them for daring to do whattheythought was good for Evie without taking her opinions into consideration. Alice Fitzroy was going to be quite the formidable Duchess, indeed.

Just like Evie was going to be.