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Lady Daphne had not heard what her brother and the young lady whose hands were in his had just said to one another, but upon seeing hie knew no bounds

She stonation Her hands went to her hips as she strode forward, stopped, and stoed accents, “Well! And so my brother has taken to the role of duke, has he, and is so far above all others that he forgets his duty? Is this the duke, the all-incoardless who he leaves floundering? So, I have found you!”

The duke, who rarely became flustered, appeared momentarily stunned, which pleased his sister as she folded her arms across her chest and made a show of just how she felt at that moment

Daphne gazed at the young woirl appeared to be young, far too young for her libertine brother Just as he doing? This orse, so irl was startled by her entrance, and well she should be Where was her duenna?

“Daffy!” her brother said as he apparently had found his voice “What are you doing here?”

This outraged her ladyship to the point of spluttering incoherently “What a a finger at him, much as she had when they had been youths “How dare you! Let me tell you that I have spent the most dreadful days of my life on your infamous errand Dutifully, obediently, I went to Easton to meet and care for your ward Did you keep your promise? Did you come? No, and what must I find?” She stopped there to recoup, and she could see the young lady eyeing her with keen interest at this point, but she was heedless of the girl’s presence Her nerves were frazzled beyond logical consideration She ardless of an audience

He frowned “I do beg your pardon, Daffy, did you not get my letter?”

“Your letter? What do I care for your letter? We have a situation, I tell you, and one I have been at pains to scotch”

“What are you saying?” he puzzled at her, but as he reached to touch her shoulder she yanked away from any contact

“Do not touch me, you dreadful, dreadful boy You er brother and have ill-used me”

“Daffy … do be calm and tell me—”

“Be cal her with keen interest “He does that well, does he not?”

The young wo to say on the ain looked her up and down before turning back to her brother “Well, your ward has run away!” She eyed him, satisfied with the shock that froze his features “That’s right There I ith this squire berating me as apparently she has run off with his son, and God alone knohere they have gone I thought they must have eloped, but he says they are like brother and sister, so as to be done? Did you arrive to help ood time, while scandal threatens at the door”

She turned to the young woman, who looked ashen, and felt a moment’s sympathy “Oh, I am sorry I know you must be loath to lose my brother, but I feel I must steal him from you for a moment or two”