The matron, who insisted Daphne call her Lavinia, frowned. “I am telling you that boy is the son of the Marquess of Pulborough.”

Helena put her arm around her great-aunt and guided her into the seat. “While Mr Thorpe has the manners of a gentleman, he is not the son of a marquess.”

Daphne’s heart went out to the elderly matron. At the ripe old age of eighty, one was bound to get confused when their head was brimming with memories.

“Mr Thorpe is my colleague,” Daphne said, sitting in the seat opposite. “We work together in London.” Granted, Thorpe was a fictitious name used for business, but the idea that Daniel could claim such a connection was preposterous.

“Work?” Lavinia looked aghast. “That boy has no need to work. What about the estate Tobias bought the boy’s mother?”

The boy? After witnessing Daniel’s impressive form first hand, he was a man in every sense of the word.

Helena glanced at Daphne and raised a frustrated brow. “Aunt, we have no idea who Tobias is?”

Lavinia sighed. “Tobias is the boy’s father. They have the same brooding look, the same olive skin and dark hair. All the girls swooned when Tobias entered the room.”

Daphne glanced over her shoulder at Daniel Thorpe, relieved to find him in the company of Lucas Dempsey. The men had been talking for half an hour. Mr Dempsey’s charismatic charm obviously worked on gentlemen, too, as an uncharacteristic chuckle escaped from Daniel’s lips.

“I’m sure Mr Thorpe will be pleased to know you hold him in such high regard.” Helena patted the lady’s hand affectionately.

“Everyone loved Tobias,” Lavinia said with an air of melancholy. “Such a good man. Such a tragedy. And the boy lives in London, you say?”

Daphne nodded. “Yes, we rode up together yesterday.” While Daniel used numerous houses in the city, she had no idea which one he considered his permanent residence.

“And he’s not married?” Lavinia asked a lot of questions.

“No, he’s not married.” Daphne could not imagine Daniel with a wife and family. A jealous pang filled her chest at the thought. Like a vine, the feeling grew and twisted around her heart.

“Didn’t Sarah look beautiful in her new gown?” Helena said in a bid to change the subject.

Lavinia frowned. “Who’s Sarah?”

Helena breathed deeply, and whispered, “Anthony’s wife.”

“Oh, for the life of me I have no idea why but I thought her name was Susanna.” Lavinia shook her head and chuckled. “You shall have to keep reminding me, dear.”

Lucas’ hearty laugh captured their attention, and they turned to find Daniel laughing too. His dark eyes were alight with amusement. Lord, he was handsome when he wasn’t frowning.

“Finally,” Lavinia said. “I thought I’d never see that boy smile. If anyone can pull him from his black mood, it’s Lucas. I know I’m not supposed to have my favourites, but I do like a man with spirit. Tobias had spirit. Heavens, that man could raise the temperature in an ice house with one glance.”

“Lucas prefers the country air to the grime of the city,” Helena said, attempting to steer the conversation away from Lavinia’s fanciful musings. “Green fields and large gardens bring out the child in him.”

Lavinia nodded. “As it does to us all. A spell in the country will soothe any man’s soul.” She turned to Daphne. “Despite living in London, I assume the boy still owns the country estate?”

Daphne wasn’t sure how to answer without offending the matron. Perhaps pleading ignorance was the best policy.

“Mr Thorpe—”

“Of course, Rainham Hall is not nearly as vast as Pulborough Hall,” Lavinia continued. “But it has a certain charm that encapsulates the theme of love. The garden boasts lavish fountains and statues of nymphs and satyrs.”

“It sounds wonderful,” Helena said.

Rainham Hall?

Was that not the place Mr Bostock mentioned when Daniel had asked to go home?

Good Lord. Daniel Thorpe couldn’t possibly be related to a marquess. He despised the aristocracy.

“I’m confused,” Daphne said, intrigued to hear more. “If you believe Mr Thorpe is the son of the Marquess of Pulborough, then what reason can there be for him not inheriting? Why would he own Rainham Hall and not Pulborough, the family seat?”

Lavinia leant forward. “It’s the scandal, my dear. The boy confirmed his identity when he told me his father had died before he was born. The likeness is uncanny. It cannot be a coincidence.”

Daphne knew Daniel’s parents were dead and that a guardian had paid for his education. “Mr Thorpe has never mentioned anything about a scandal.”

“As with any gossip,” Helena began, “it is wise not to give the tale too much merit.”

“Oh, this isn’t gossip.” Lavinia’s eyes widened. It was evident the matron enjoyed talking about the past. “Most people my age remember the tragedy.”

Tragedy? Daphne’s heart ached before she’d even heard the sad recount. “What happened?”

“Tobias was supposed to marry the daughter of the Earl of Holden, but he fell in love with Maria, the daughter of his father’s man of business.”

“Love considers not one’s fortune or position,” Helena said, appearing much more interested too. Her gaze drifted to her husband. “Love is blind to all prejudices.”

Lavinia nodded. “Of course, the union was forbidden by his father and Maria loved Tobias too dearly to see him lose everything. For months, she rejected his suit. But as the great poets say love finds a way.”

The matron waved to the maid who was passing with a tea trolley. Daphne and Helena sat patiently waiting to hear the rest of the story.

“Talking gives me a croaky voice if I don’t moisten the cords,” Lavinia continued. They waited another minute or so while she sipped the beverage.

“And so were Tobias and Maria able to be together?” Daphne asked, her impatience getting the better of her. She recalled Daniel’s comment that his parents loved each other dearly. Yet there was a sad end to this story. Was that why love was so important to him?

Lavinia placed her cup and saucer on the side table. “Tobias bought Maria and her father a small manor house. He visited them often. When he inherited, he offered marriage, and she accepted. Maria would have been happy to elope, but Tobias had a point to prove. So a lavish wedding was arranged.”

“I suspect those in society made derogatory remarks about the lady he chose to marry,” Helena said with a hint of bitterness.

“There were some who were happy to make an exception for a love match. Some whose black hearts sought to cause the couple nothing but pain.”

“And did they marry?” Helena said.

Daphne knew the answer. Thomas had told her Daniel was illegitimate. He’d just never mentioned he shared a bloodline with a marquess.

Lavinia put her hand to her chest. “Two days before the … the wedding, Tobias fell off his horse and broke his neck.” Her expression turned sour. “And that pathetic excuse for a brother inherited everything. He’s dead now, of course, and his wastrel son took the title.”

“So Maria was with child when Tobias died,” Helena clarified. She placed her hand on her slightly swollen stomach and rubbed gently. “How dreadfully sad.”

Lavinia gestured to Daniel. “And there stands the man who would have made a far better marquess.”

Daphne glanced at Daniel who was still engaged in an animated conversation with Lucas Dempsey. The story had to be true. Why else would he despise the aristocracy? Why else would he create a new persona, one who possessed power and strength, the ability to ruin men overnight?

Just when Daphne thought the story could not get any worse, Lavinia said, “Of course, the family denied Tobias was the child’s father. There was nothing they could do about the house he’d bestowed. They spread false rumours about Maria’s many lovers. Painted her as a harlot.”

“Society can be cruel.” Once more Helena’s eyes drifted to Mr Dempsey. “It does not take much to ruin a fragile reputation.”

“And what happened to Maria?” Based on Daniel’s often cold countenance, Daphne suspected things had not ended well.

“Maria spent years trying to prove the paternal connection. She never married. When a lady loves a man like Tobias, no other could ever compare. Maria died when the boy was young. I’m not sure what happened after that.”

Daphne had an idea what happened. The dark, brooding Daniel Thorpe was born. The boy had grown into a man, set to wreak havoc on the landed gentry and pompous peers. He took power from the privileged. He sought justice for those incapable of doing so for themselves. And so he used his disguise: no fixed place of abode, a false name, altered his physical appearance, all in the hope of doing what? Protecting his true identity, or running away from it?

If only Tobias had eloped with his love, married her before their child was born. Why were men so terribly foolish and stubborn?

With a wistful sigh, Lavinia stared at the floor, her mind lost in memories of the past. Daphne’s thoughts were drawn to the schoolboy who no doubt bore the brunt of his parents’ misfortune. Helena’s glum face only brightened when Mr Dempsey approached, took her hand and brought it to his lips.

“Aunt. Mrs Chambers.” He inclined his head, his captivating blue eyes settling on Daphne. “How do you find Elton Park, Mrs Chambers?”

“It is everything a grand house should be and more,” Daphne replied, grateful for the distraction. “Your great-grandfather built it, I hear.”

Mr Dempsey nodded. “While the house boasts many elegant features, the gardens give it a sense of grandeur. Thorpe is planning a walk outdoors this evening. There’s a picturesque spot by the lake that’s not to be missed.”

Daphne smiled. “I shall bear that in mind should the gentleman invite me to walk with him.”

“Oh, I am assured he will. With the garden being so vast, no doubt he has a full evening of entertainment in mind.” Mr Dempsey leant down and whispered, “I do hope you like peacocks?” Offering a confident grin, he turned to his aunt. “Heavens, this is a wedding, not a wake. Why do you all look so miserable?”

“We were talking about the old days,” Lavinia said. “Remembering that not everyone is as lucky in love as you and your brother.”

“Well, while you’ve been sharing sad stories, Thorpe has kept me highly entertained,” Mr Dempsey said in his usual rich drawl. “Had I known he possessed such a wicked sense of humour I’d have sought his company earlier.”

Daphne turned to catch another glimpse of the man who monopolised her thoughts, but the space was empty. Daniel Thorpe was nowhere to be seen. “Indeed, Mr Thorpe is full of surprises.”