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Reaching into the box, she picked up one of thepuits d’amour. She held it up, staring at it as if it might disappear.

“Where did you find them?” she asked.

“Now that is quite a story. After that footman told you that he could not find any in the city, it stayed in my mind. You seemed quite disappointed at the time.”

She blushed. “I am sorry. It is my one guilty pleasure in this world, and Iwasquite disappointed.”

“Do not apologize. I quite understand. So, I set out to look for a patisserie that might bake them. Failing in that endeavor, I then entreated a French chef of my acquaintance to make them for me. He did so, and this is the result.”

Her eyes shone even brighter, as though they were filled with sapphire mercury. “That wasverythoughtful of you. Thank you.”

“You are welcome.”

“Good morning.” They both looked up to see Daisy standing hesitantly in the doorway. “I… should I leave?”

Georgiana almost leaped at her in her haste to make sure Daisy stayed.

“Oh no, no, no, no, come in. Have a seat. Look what Robert has brought us for breakfast.” She inclined the box so that Daisy could peer inside.

Her sister’s eyes lit up. “Oh! These look delicious! I thought you could not find any.”

“I could not.” Georgiana grinned. “But His Grace did.”

Daisy clapped her hands together delightedly and smiled at Robert. “How sweet of you,” she said, taking a seat.

Georgiana sat back and offered Robert a genuine smile. “Yes, it was very thoughtful.”

CHAPTER 17

“Ithink His Grace is courting you,” Daisy teased as they climbed the stairs to their chambers after breakfast.

Her little sister had not stopped smiling at her since breakfast and it was starting to irritate Georgiana quite a bit. She was clearly reading too much into a piece of pastry.

Georgiana had to admit that it was quite an effective olive branch, but it did not change anything between them, and that is what Daisy failed to understand.

“Do not be ridiculous. He is doing nothing of the kind. People can do lovely things for each other without it meaning more.” Although she said the words to Daisy, it was more to remind herself.

They stopped at the top of the stairs because Daisy’s chambers were in the east wing, while Georgiana’s were in the west.

Daisy gave her a look that said Georgiana was being utterly asinine. “You must know that you are wrong,” she said.

Georgiana sniffed, shaking her head. “I will see you later, my dear.”

She waved at her sister and walked to her room. She was not worried that Daisy would become bored on her own.

Her sister had very quickly become fast friends with their neighbor’s daughter, Lady Ariana. Her family was of good repute, and Georgiana knew them well. Her mother, the Marchioness Lady Stark, had made Georgiana feel extremely welcome when she had first moved into the duke’s townhouse a year earlier.

Daisy and Ariana were about the same age and had debuted together that year. If Lady Ariana was not calling on Daisy, then Daisy was over at Lady Ariana’s house.

It was a relief to Georgiana because Daisy seemed to have erased Lord Newston from her mind. More importantly, Newston had made no attempts to continue courting Daisy since they had rescued her from his clutches.

Her sister was a flighty girl, and it made sense that once Newston was out of the picture, he also dropped out of Daisy’s mind. At least that was Georgiana’s profound hope.

She discarded her morning gown, curled up on the chaise longue in her petticoat and picked up a book of poems by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. She flipped through its pages, seeking one poem in particular.

“Let me see now,” she murmured to herself as she turned the pages, “ah, here it is.” She smiled triumphantly. “A Hymn to the Moon.”

She settled down to read the poem, trying to decipher its meaning as she said the words aloud to herself.