Page 129 of Reign

Rebecca stared at her. In that moment Daphne saw pasther mother’s flinty beauty, as if the glamorous mirage she presented to the world had evaporated like smoke, and her real self—tired, brittle, defeated—was revealed to the naked eye.

Daphne knew her mother hadn’t married for happiness,or for love. Rebecca had been a runway model, living on cigarettes and free clothes, when she met Peter Deighton, the future Baronet Margrave. He had a title, lowly as it was, and she’d thrown her lot in with him at once. How disappointed she must have been when she realized just how unimportant his baronetcy was in the vast tangle of the aristocracy, and how little money he actually had.

She had traded her life away, and for what? Their titles were gone. She was a plain Mrs.Deighton now, and all her hopes were pinned on Daphne.

But just because Rebecca had made a hard bargain, Daphne didn’t have to.

“If you won’t fix this, and salvage your marriage, then you’re dead to me,” her mother said coldly. “No daughter of mine would accept such a spectacular failure. Don’t bother setting foot in our home ever again. You’re not welcome there.”

Daphne had thought she was numb to Rebecca’s insults by now, but that one still stung.

“Don’t worry. I won’t be back,” she assured her mother. It had never been much of a home to her, anyway. All she’d learned from her mother was pettiness, and cruelty, and a toxic, all-consuming ambition.

Rebecca stared at her daughter for a long moment in disbelief, the way you might stare at a painting or a piece of jewelry, wondering why on earth you had paid so dearly for it.

Then she sighed and walked away without a backward glance.

Daphne sank onto the love seat and closed her eyes beforeher legs could give out beneath her. It felt like she’d run a marathon in the last five minutes.

When she heard footsteps, Daphne looked up sharply—but it wasn’t her mother, coming back to apologize. It was Nina.

Nina took a hesitant step forward. “I wasn’t sure you’d still be here.”

“When I set my life on fire, I like to stick around and watch it go up in flames,” Daphne said laconically.

Nina almost smiled at that, but her eyes still seemed troubled. “Are you okay? That conversation was, um…”

“You heard that?” Daphne couldn’t even muster up a shred of embarrassment. So what if Nina, with her two loving parents and happy home life, had finally seen what a vicious wolf pack Daphne’s family was?

“Your mom was pretty harsh. I’m sure she didn’t mean it,” Nina rushed to add, in an attempt at magnanimity. “She’s just in shock.”

“She meant it, I can assure you.”

Nina glanced at Daphne’s wedding gown, which still hung from a hook on the wall, its fabric cascading down in gorgeous satin layers. She looked at Daphne, who nodded permission, then stepped forward to trace the delicate lace overlay. “Daphne, this is beautiful.”

“I know,” Daphne agreed. “It’s too bad no one will ever see it.”

“Can’t it hang in a museum, at least?”

“A relic from a wedding that didn’t happen? Are you kidding?” Daphne sighed. “Maybe I’ll give it to the Dickens Museum in London; they could use it for the Miss Havisham exhibit.”

One corner of Nina’s mouth curled upward. “It’s a good sign that you can joke about it.”

“Joking seems to be all I can do at the moment.” Daphnekicked her feet out from beneath the hem of the bridesmaid dress. Her toenails in her peep-toe shoes were painted the softest shade of pink. “Speaking of dresses, I’m glad you wore the one I recommended.”

“I did learn not to question you on fashion.”

When Nina glanced at the chair opposite her, Daphne sighed. “You might as well sit down.”

It was a reluctant invitation, but Nina sat. “I can’t believe Teddy and Beatrice are taking over your wedding.”

“I hope Beatrice knows how lucky she is.” Daphne sniffed. “I haveexquisitetaste. All she has to do is show up! I’ve already planned and thought of everything.”

“No one has ever denied that you have exquisite taste,” Nina agreed. “Maybe you have a future as an event planner?”

“Maybe,” Daphne said vaguely. Nina wasn’t all that far off the mark.

Nina bit her lip, still clearly anxious. “About what happened earlier. I wanted to apologize—”