Page 32 of To Steal a Lyon’s Heart (The Lyon’s Den Connected World #85)

Sam was... magnificent. He wore fine evening attire and his hair was styled, the boyish curls tamed to something suave and enticing.

She wanted to dig her fingers into his hair and ruffle it.

The black of his coat and the sapphire waistcoat made his light blue eyes shockingly bright.

Her mouth dried as both men turned to them, but Sam’s gaze was only on her.

Daisy looked away. She was not dressed for an elegant dinner.

She wore a plain dove-gray gown. Daisy wanted to dash upstairs and change, but truly, she had nothing in her wardrobe, here or at home, that would make her suitable to stand next to such a dazzling creature as Samuel Clark, Earl of Alston.

“At last,” Sam said, his gaze wandering over her until her brother cleared his throat and Sam smirked guiltily.

He knew. Her brother knew . Her stomach shriveled into a ball. She would not be able to eat a thing.

Amelia led her to the chair at Sam’s right and then took her place at Sam’s left between her brother and Graham.

Daisy tried to remember what words were used for as she sat. She was supposed to use them to communicate.

“Did you have a pleasant afternoon?” Sam asked.

Daisy nodded pitifully, her cheeks flaming.

Her mouth had never felt so dry. She had no glass of water, but she did have wine.

She reached for the glass, her clumsy fingers flicking the crystal stem away from her instead of grasping it, and the glass toppled over, red wine blooming like a grotesque flower on the snow-white cloth.

“I’m so sorry,” she cried and stood, blotting at the mess with her white napkin, staining it and her hands red. Sam put his hand on hers.

“It’s fine,” he said.

“It’s not! I ruined it!”

The room went silent, Amelia and her brother watching her with concerned frowns that only made her feel worse.

She couldn’t speak or pick up a glass, and she’d ruined the pristine white tablecloth.

She was nothing more than a child dressed like a woman—a plainly dressed woman—and yet this glorious man claimed to love her, and Daisy didn’t understand why.

If Cliffton didn’t want her, why would Sam? Soon he’d figure it out. He’d get out of this house and back to his real life. A life Daisy had no place in. She was an imposter. Tears flooded her eyes, and before she could stop herself, she was sobbing into her stained, wet napkin.

“Daisy,” Sam’s voice filled her head. Hands gripped her shoulders and drew her up from her chair. Good, she should eat in the nursery like a child. Firm hands gripped her wrists and pulled her hands away from her face.

Sam looked down at her tenderly.

“I’m sorry,” Daisy whispered.

“You’ve nothing to be sorry for.”

“I can’t marry you. I can’t ruin both you and my family.”

“Ruin? Who’s ruined?” Sam cupped her face. “Where is this coming from?”

“It’s true,” Daisy said. “Look at me.”

“I am. It’s my favorite pastime. I know what I see when I look at you, but tell me what you see.”

“I’m... I’m...” Daisy said. All her reasons seemed to echo at once in her brain in Lady Claystone’s acidic voice. “I’m too dull. I’m shy. I—I’m nothing like you.”

“I don’t want you to be like me,” Sam said. “I want you. Exactly as you are.”

“But—”

“But what?”

“I’ll let everyone down. You’ll all be disappointed in me. You’ll realize I’m not worth the trouble.”

“I could never,” Sam said. He kissed her forehead. “Whoever made you feel like this, I want to know who it was.”

“Lady Claystone,” her brother’s voice came from behind Sam.

“And Cliffton.” Lady Amelia said. “He ignored her. Abandoned her. Any woman would lose confidence in herself after such treatment.”

Daisy blinked. She’d forgotten Graham and Amelia were there. Sam took up her whole vision.

“I’m sorry, Daisy. I should have spoken out long ago,” her brother said. “I didn’t think you liked Cliffton all that much and didn’t care he never visited. I didn’t realize you were so unhappy in the arrangement itself.”

“It wasn’t that I wanted Cliffton about, but I couldn’t help but think maybe I was the reason he stayed away.”

“Cliffton never deserved you,” Amelia said.

Daisy drew in a breath. “I’ve made an utter fool of myself.”

“We all do that from time to time. It’s a human condition,” Sam said.

He stepped aside, and Daisy took in the massacre of the tablecloth.

“But it’s still ruined.”

Amelia tipped her own glass over and stood.

“It’s just a tablecloth. We can clean it up and refill our wine glasses.

Daisy, you are a remarkable and beautiful young woman.

Your presence here has brought us so much joy, and I am proud to already call you my sister.

I could not choose a better woman to marry my brother. ”

Daisy sucked in a breath. “Why did you tell them without me?”

He tucked her hair behind her ear. “I knew there was a possibility your brother might hit me, and knew that would upset you. But he didn’t.”

“I wanted to,” her brother muttered.

Daisy looked to her brother. He gave her a half smile. “If you’re worried mother and father won’t support your marriage to Alston, I’ll persuade them.”

“We’re happy for you,” Amelia said. “Love is a gift too precious to refuse.”

A footman entered, took one glance at the table, and retreated. Then a team of people came out of the side door, and within moments the table was once again pristinely set.

Sam led her back to her chair, and Daisy had no choice but to sit. He held her hand in his as he took his chair. Daisy still felt like a fool for her overreaction.

“As long as we present this as it is, mother and father will be fine with it,” her brother said. “Over the years, I know mother has grown tired of Lady Claystone’s personality herself, though you seem to have caught the brunt of her bad behavior. We can figure it out together.”

“You’re really not angry?” Daisy asked.

“At you? Never. I did want to bloody his face, but in the end, who am I to decide who you marry? I’ve never seen you so emotional or vocal as you are now, with all this out in the open.”

“I’ve never had cause to be.”

Amelia laughed. “I imagine loving my brother would drive any woman mad. Good luck to you. I’ll be here for support.”

Sam glared at his sister, but then he turned his focus back to her. “You said something I won’t be able to forget until I hear you take it back.”

Daisy bit her lip. “I don’t remember everything I said.”

He held her stare. “You said you couldn’t marry me.”

Daisy squeezed his hand. “I take it back.”

He smiled and lifted their linked hands to kiss the back of her hand. “I’d give you a real kiss, but I don’t think your brother would like it.”

“I wouldn’t,” Blakewood muttered.

“Hurrah! The celebratory engagement dinner can now commence,” Amelia shouted.

Daisy blinked. “What? This is an engagement dinner?”

“An impromptu one,” Blakewood said. “We’ll have another with mother and father. I’ve sent off another message asking them to return as soon as possible.”

Daisy sunk in her chair. “I’m not dressed for a celebration.”

Amelia looked at her gown. “You’re dressed fine.”

“But Sam is so elegant in his attire.”

Sam beamed at her.

“Sam is a peacock,” Amelia retorted.

Sam rolled his eyes. “When you’ve been lying in your own sweat and clothing for days a time, you’ll want to dress fancy too. I needed to remember I could.”

“Could what?” Daisy asked.

“Look like myself again.”

Daisy could smile at that, finally. Sam lifted his glass of wine.

“To Daisy, for being my light in the dark.”

This time Daisy’s hand was steady when she reached for her glass.