Chapter 13 Chapter Twelve

With most of the guests leaving the next day, the dinner was long and formal.The crystal and Sèvres china on the two long dining tables glistened in the light from the chandeliers and candelabra.Groups of servants, in full uniform of dark blue tunics trimmed with braided gold thread, mustard trousers, and black waistcoats, deftly and expertly move from guest to guest, filling their water or wine glasses, offering Quiet, unhurried and attentive service. This is a big dinner party.Unfortunately, Daisy had never felt so hungry.It's a pity she didn't have time to enjoy these fine meals, which included Scottish king salmon, piping hot roast leg of lamb, venison with sausage and sweetbread, and elaborate vegetables drizzled with cheese, butter and truffles bakeware.Desserts are large platters of fruit tarts made from blackberries, nectarines, cherries, peaches and pineapple, as well as plenty of cakes, tarts and custard.

Daisy forced herself to eat, laugh, and talk to people as naturally as possible.But it wasn't easy at all, Matthew was sitting at the same table a few tables away diagonally across from her.And whenever their eyes met, she almost choked on whatever she was chewing. She was surrounded by conversation, but she could only answer vaguely, with vivid images of what had happened hours before.Those who knew her well—her sister and friends—seemed to notice that she was behaving erratically, and even Westcliff glanced at her questioningly. In the brightly lit, stuffy room, Daisy felt hot, and a blush rushed to her cheeks.Her body had become extremely sensitive, her underwear ached, her corset was tight as hell, and her garters choked her thighs.The dull pain between her legs, and the tingling and throbbing in other unexpected places, reminded her of the afternoon she spent with Matthew every time she moved.Yet her body longed for more... more of the touch of Matthew's hands, his restless lips, the hardness of him inside her...

Feeling her cheeks heat up again, Daisy went all out to butter a slice of bread.She glanced at Matthew, who was talking to a woman to his left. Sensing Daisy's furtive attention, Matthew looked at her, his deep blue eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, and his chest heaved with deep breaths.He forced his attention back on his interlocutor, staring intently at him with an interest that bordered on admiration, causing the lady to giggle and babble endlessly. Daisy picked up a glass of diluted wine and pressed her lips, forcing herself to listen to the guest on her right talking... something about travel in the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands.However, her thoughts soon drifted back to her own affairs.

She didn't regret her decision... but she wasn't so naive as to think that all problems would be solved easily.Quite the contrary, questions remain about where they'll settle down, when Matthew will take her back to New York, and whether she'll be truly happy away from her sister and friends.Another unknown question is whether she, who is not very adapted to the real world, is qualified to be the wife of such a pragmatic man.Finally, there is another point that cannot be ignored, what kind of secret Matthew is hiding. But Daisy recalled the words he had said in a soft, quivering voice, "You've always been everything I've ever dreamed of for a woman."

Matthew was the only man who longed for the real her. (Rankington doesn't count, because his infatuation erupts a little too quickly and is likely to fade just as quickly.) At this point, Daisy reflects, her marriage to Matthew probably won't be any different than Lillian's and Westcliff's.As two people who are equally opinionated but very different in perception, Lillian and Westcliff will often argue and give in to each other... But this does not seem to weaken their marriage, in fact, it is the opposite-the relationship between them The connection seems to be getting stronger.

Look at the marriages of her friends...Annabelle and Mr. Hunter are harmonious because of their similar temperaments...Evie and Lord St. Vincent are very different personalities, but they are an integral part of each other day and night.It is impossible to judge whether all these pairings are better or worse. Perhaps, despite the rumors she had heard about the ideal perfect marriage, there might not be such a pattern at all.Perhaps every marriage is a unique creation. That's an inspiring thought. She is full of hope because of this. After a protracted dinner, Daisy excused herself from the routine of tea and small talk with the excuse of a headache.It wasn't quite an excuse, either—the lights, the noise, and the tension made her temples throb.She withdrew with a wry smile and headed for the main staircase.

But as soon as she entered the main hall, she heard her sister's voice. "Daisy, I want to talk to you." Based on Daisy's understanding of Lillian, it was enough to hear her sharp tone.Her sister was doubting, worried, and eager to speak out in detail to solve all the problems. Daisy was very tired. "Not now, please," she said, giving her sister a reassuring smile. "Can we talk about it later?" "no." "I have a headache right now." "Me too, but we still have to talk." Daisy tried not to lose her temper.After all these years of her patience and absolute support and loyalty to Lillian, it was not too much to ask Lillian to refrain from pushing her now.

"I'm going to bed," said Daisy, watching Lillian steadily to see if she dared to argue. "I don't want to explain anything, especially when you obviously don't want to hear it. Good night." Seeing Lillian's lightning-struck expression, she added more gently, "I love you." She tiptoed She tiptoed and kissed her sister's cheek, then walked up the stairs. Resisting the urge to follow Daisy upstairs, Lillian gradually became aware of someone beside her.She turned to see Annabelle and Evie, both of whom looked sympathetic. "She doesn't want to talk to me," she told them dully.

Evie, who would normally hesitate to touch her, reached out and took Lillian's arm. "I... let's go to the Orange Room," she suggested. The orange room is a place that Lillian has long loved in the main house. The four walls are made up of long glass windows, and the floor is covered with exquisite iron grilles, which can reveal the soft heat of the fireplace below.The fresh scent of orange and lemon trees fills the room, while the various tropical plants on the flower stand add to the scent of the place.The light of the torches outside made the shadows in the house flicker and dance.Finding a set of delicate tables and chairs, the three friends sat together.Lillian slumped her shoulders and said gloomily, "I think they've already done it."

"Who? Did what?" Evie asked. "Daisy and Mr. Swift," Annabelle muttered in a somewhat cheerful tone, "we presume they have had... er... sex." Evie looked confused. "Why do we think that?" "Well, you were sitting at another table just now, my dear, so you didn't see, they were at dinner..." Annabelle raised her eyebrows meaningfully, "... secretly communicated with the song." "Oh," Evie shrugged, "it's a good thing I'm not at the same table as you guys. I've never been good at seeing dark passages."

"It's obvious that they're talking about the song," said Lillian darkly. "It won't be obvious anymore if Mr. Swift jumps on the table and announces it." "Mr. Swift wouldn't do something so vulgar," said Evie decisively, "not even if he was an American." Lillian's face contorted into a vicious expression. "What's 'I'll never be happy with an emotionless industrialist all day long'? What's 'I want the four of us together all the time'? See the fuck! I can't believe Daisy Will do! How could she have thought of going to sleep with Matthew Swift when everything was going well with Lord Rankington?" "I wonder how much sleep that process will involve," Annabelle replied, her eyes twinkling. Lillian gave her a piercing stare, "If you're nasty enough to make fun of this, Annabelle—" "Daisy has never been interested in Lord Rankington," Evie interrupted hastily, trying to stop an argument. "She was just using him to annoy Mr Swift." "How do you know?" The other two asked in unison. "Well, I—I..." Evie said, spreading her hands helplessly, "I had...intentionally or unconsciously suggested last week that she try to make Mr. Swift jealous. It seems the idea has worked." Lillian's throat worked violently for a while before she could manage to speak. "Stupid ass, dumb head, idiot—" "Why, Evie?" Annabelle asked in a much more cordial tone. "Daisy and I overheard a conversation between Mr. Swift and Lord Rankington. He tried to persuade Rankington to pursue Daisy, making Mr. Swift's own desire for her apparent." "I bet he planned it," Lillian yelled. "He must have somehow known you would hear it. It's a dastardly plot, and you've fallen for it!" "I don't think so," Evie replied, staring into Lillian's purple face as she asked worriedly, "Are you going to yell at me?" Lillian shook her head and buried her face in her hands. "I'd like to scream like a banshee," she said through her fingers, "if I thought it would make things any better. But I'm pretty sure Daisy's been with That scumbag had sex, and there's probably nothing, no one, going to save her now." "She probably didn't want to be saved," Evie pointed out. "That's because she's gone completely crazy." Lillian's suppressed roar came. Annabelle nodded. "Obviously. Daisy slept with a handsome, young, rich, intelligent man who obviously loved her. God knows, how can she think?" She smiled sympathetically, placing a hand gently on the nape of her friend's neck. "My dearest," she whispered, "at one time, as you know, I thought it didn't matter whether I married a man I loved...as if it would be enough to pull our family out of our hopeless plight. But when I think about what it means to sleep with my husband ... when I think about spending my life with him, I know Simon is the only option for me." She paused, tears welling up in her eyes.Annabelle, beautiful and self-possessed, was almost on the verge of tears. "When I was sick," she went on hoarsely, "when I was afraid, when I needed anything, I knew that he would try to make it all right. Trust him with every ounce of existence I have. And when I look at our baby and realize that our two bloodlines will be united and carried on forever in her... God, how grateful I am to be married to Simon. We to choose their own husbands, Lillian, and you must allow Daisy the same freedom." Lillian shook her hand violently. "His character is not the same as our husband. He is not even as good as St. Vincent. Even if he is a cunning libertine, at least he has feelings." She paused suddenly, and then muttered: "I didn't mean to offend you, Evie." "It's okay," Evie said, her lips quivering as if she was holding back a laugh. "The point is," said Lillian exasperatedly, "that if Daisy chooses correctly, I will give her complete freedom to choose." "Honey—" Annabelle tried to carefully correct Lillian's lack of logic, but Evie cut her off softly. "I think... that Daisy has the right to make mistakes. All we can do is help her when she needs it." "How can we help her if she's in damn New York!" Lillian retorted. Evie and Annabelle didn't argue with her next, they both agreed silently that mere words would not solve such a problem, or soothe Lillian's fears.When other efforts fail, they do what friends do...sit quietly and kindly with her...let her know they care about her. A hot bath helps relieve Daisy's body aches and relaxes her weary nerves.She stayed in the steaming water until she felt limp and hot and her headache subsided.Feeling refreshed, she put on a ruffled white nightgown and began to comb her hair while two maids came in to carry the tub out. She combed her hair until her waist-length hair looked like a jet-black waterfall.She stared at the wet spring night outside the balcony door, the starless night sky was like a piece of black velvet. Daisy smiled absently at the sound of the bedroom door behind her, guessing that a maid had returned to collect a forgotten towel or dish of soap.She continued to stare outside. Suddenly she felt someone touch her shoulder lightly, and then a big warm hand slid across her chest.Shocked, she stood up and was slowly pulled back into a firm male embrace. Matthew's deep voice tickled her ears. "What are you thinking?" "Of course it's you." Daisy leaned against him, stroking the furry arm exposed by his rolled-up sleeves with her fingers, and turned her eyes to the night outside. "This room once belonged to a sister of the count," she said, "and I have heard her lover—a groom—used to climb up the balcony to see her, like Romeo." "I hope his reward is worth the risk," he said. "Would you take such a risk for me?" "If it was the only route I could find you, I would. But it doesn't seem to make sense to climb a two-story balcony when there's a good door to go through." "There's nothing romantic about coming in through the door." "Same goes for breaking your neck." "Real," said Daisy, laughing, and turned in his arms.Matthew's clothes smelled of the open air and the acrid smell of tobacco.He must have been out on the back patio with the gentlemen for a while after dinner.Indenting deeper into his arms, she smelled the starch of his shirt and the familiar scent of his clear skin. "I love to smell you," she said, "I could walk blindfolded into a room full of a hundred men and find you out at once." "Another parlor game," he said, and the two laughed together. Holding his hand, Daisy pulled him towards the bed, "Come and lie down with me." Matthew shook his head to stop her. "I can only stay for a few minutes, Westcliff and I will be leaving at dawn." He glanced hungrily at her demure dressing gown, "and if we get near that bed, I will be out of control." made love to you myself." "I don't mind," said Daisy shyly. He pulled her into his arms, holding her carefully. "You can't go this fast after the first time. You need to rest." "Then why are you here?" Daisy felt his cheek brush against the top of her head.Even with all that had happened between them, it seemed unimaginable that Matthew Swift would hold her so tenderly. "I just wanted to say goodnight to you," he whispered, "and to tell you..." Daisy looked up at him questioningly, and he couldn't resist stealing a kiss. "...you don't have to worry about me changing my mind about marrying you," he said. "Actually, it's going to be damn hard for you to get rid of me now." "Yes," said Daisy, smiling at him, "I knew you were reliable." Forcing himself to let her go, Matthew reluctantly walked towards the door.He cautiously opened a door and looked out to make sure the corridor was empty. "Matthew," she whispered. "What?" He looked over her shoulder at her. "Come back to me quickly." Whatever he saw in her face made his eyes seem to burn in the shadows. He gave her a short nod and left while he could.