Page 55 of Road Trip With a Rogue
“Not yet. But we will be,” Vaughan said.
Letty’s forehead wrinkled. “Is this true?”
“Of course it is.” Vaughan’s other hand stroked Daisy’s cheek in a gentle caress. “I’ve been in love with her for years. It’s just taken me this long to convince her to accept me.”
Letty looked as if she was about to expire. She gaped at Daisy as if seeing her for the first time. “Years?” she croaked. “You’ve been asking her for years? And she refused you?”
Daisy lifted her brows, as if she was the sort of cool, irresistible female who refused offers from gorgeous, wealthy dukes like Vaughan on a weekly basis.
“Years,” she lied firmly.
“Luckily, I’m very stubborn,” Vaughan drawled. “Andverypersuasive.” There was no mistaking the amused innuendo in his deep voice.
Letty’s mouth dropped open in a perfect littleO, and Daisy would have relished the sight if her own reputation wasn’t being comprehensively shredded by this little charade.
Vaughan’s hand tightened on her waist as he gave her a little squeeze. “Now, if you’ll excuse us—”
“Do you need a witness?” Letty blurted out. Her eyes shone at the prospect of playing a key role in what she obviously believed to be the scandal of the century. She was doubtless cataloguing every single detail to recount it to anyone who would listen when she got back to London. “I’d be more than happy to—”
“That won’t be necessary, Lady Richardson,” Vaughan said firmly, cutting her off. “My nephew and his wife have kindly agreed, and we’re not having any other guests.”
He pressed Daisy’s waist and pulled her gently to one side so that the doorway was clear. “I’m sure you’re desperate to get to your room and rest after your journey. You look a little tired. We won’t detain you any longer.”
Letty looked as though she’d happily stay forever, but she must have realized that she’d been neatly dismissed, as well as deftly insulted, and gave a little shrug.
“Yes. Of course. In that case, please accept my congratulations.” She bobbed another curtsey and swept past them with a final disdainful glance at Daisy’s outfit.
“Perhaps when you’re a duchess you’ll give some thought about improving your wardrobe, Dorothea,” she said snidely. “Do let me know if you’d ever like some pointers.”
She sailed past them before Daisy could say that she’d rather leap naked into a vat of boiling oil than go shopping with the likes of her.
Daisy waited until the sound of Letty’s footsteps had disappeared behind her before she stepped out of Vaughan’s hold and whirled around to face him. She’d thought she’d been angry before, when he’d revealed his role in the elopement, butthiswas beyond the pale. Blood seemed to pulse in her throat and swish in her ears.
“What the bloody hell was that?” she hissed, almost incandescent with fury. “Letty’s the worst gossip in the whole of England, and you just told her we’re about to bemarried!”
She turned and stormed toward the stables, certain that he would follow. “She’s going to be charging back to London as fast as she possibly can to share that delicious piece of news.”
Vaughan caught her shoulder and swung her back round to face him.
“I was trying to save your reputation!” he countered crossly. “What else would you have had me say? That you’re my mistress? That we’re having a torrid affair?”
“Yes!” Daisy fumed. “That would have been better. Everyone knows I don’t give a fig about getting married,and nobody in thetonwill be surprised to hear that I’ve become your mistress. They’ve been expecting me to do something like that for years. I’ve heard the whispers. They say I’m just like my flighty mother, a slave to my passionate nature, a scandal waiting to happen.”
He reached for her again, but she stepped back, away from his touch, and took a deep inhale, trying to calm her hectic breathing and her pounding heart.
“Now everyone’s going to think we’ve married in secret, even if we don’t announce it to the world. Letty’s more efficient at spreading news than a full-page advertisement inThe Times!”
Vaughan shook his head, but she wasn’t finished.
“I don’t care if I’m ruined. I’m not marrying you. You’re going to go straight back to London and tell everyone that we’ve broken off our engagement.”
“And what good will that do? I’ll be branded a wicked cad who seduced then abandoned you—and get hounded by your brothers who’ll probably shoot me before asking for an explanation—or, worse, I’ll be seen as an object of pity and scorn because everyone thinks you’ve jilted me at the altar. Neither of those options particularly appeal to me, Hamilton.”
He raked his hand through his hair. “And what about you? If you return to London unwed, you’ll be branded a harlot. You’ll be blacklisted from society.”
“I can lay low until all the fuss has died down,” Daisy muttered. “Tess will let me stay at Wansford Hall. And when everyone’s forgotten about me and moved on to another scandal, I’ll quietly move back and start working for King and Company again. I can live above the office. Tess bought the building years ago.”
“What about your father?” Vaughan demanded. “Or have you forgotten about him? Because I’m sure he’llhave something to say about his daughter disgracing the family name.”