Two days had passed since Daphne had run away from Daniel on the bridge in Hyde Park, but the pain in her chest could not be tempered. Love, it seemed, could render a person helpless.

Seduction proved simple.

Love was a baffling conundrum of emotions, something far too complicated to define. To save the man she loved, she’d let him go. It seemed the only logical course of action. So why did she want to curl up into a ball and die?

A sudden rap on the door brought Betsy, who rushed into the parlour in an excited frenzy.

“Quick, where’s your pelisse?” Betsy rummaged through the garments on the coat stand. “That pretty green one that enhances the colour of your eyes.”

“It’s in the bedchamber.” Daphne didn’t have the heart to ask why. “Borrow it if you wish, but it will be far too long on you.”

“I’m not the one in need of it.” Betsy raced over to the window. “Mr Thorpe’s carriage is waiting outside, and it will be too cold to travel without one.”

“Mr Thorpe!” Daphne jumped off the chair as though the pad had caught fire. She hurried to the window and noted the black conveyance parked across the road. “What does he want?” Her heart lurched at the prospect of seeing Daniel again.

“Mr Thorpe isn’t here. The carriage is for you.”

“Betsy, you’re not making any sense.”

Mr Bostock appeared at the parlour door and cleared his throat. “Mr Thorpe would like to know if you’d be interested in taking a tour of Rainham Hall?”

“Rainham Hall?” Daphne’s stomach performed a flip. She’d love nothing more than to see the house where his parents had celebrated their love. “Will Mr Thorpe be joining me?”

“Mr Thorpe is already there. Murphy will drive you to meet him.”

“How far is it?” Oh, it was foolish to even think of meeting Daniel when the wound to her heart was still fresh, so raw. But her inquisitive mind insisted she go. Nothing could be worse than the pain she felt already.

Bostock frowned.

“Will I be returning this evening?” Daphne clarified.

“That I can’t say.”

“Best take a change of clothes,” Betsy said. “Just in case.”

Before Daphne’s mind could catch up with her movements, she was sitting in Thorpe’s carriage and rattling along the road on her way to Rainham Hall. Murphy had informed her the journey would take a little over two hours, and they would be heading west out of London towards High Wycombe.

She spent the journey wondering about Daniel’s motives for bringing her to a place he’d always avoided. How had he fared in the two days since their last meeting? Did he in any way feel the same overwhelming sense of despair?

Rainham Hall sat nestled at the foot of a hill, amid a vibrant canopy of green fields. A small wood to the north offered protection from the wind sweeping down into the valley. The drive up to the house took her through a tunnel of trees. The sun shone. The birds sang. Love filled her heart as she recalled what the place had meant to Daniel’s parents.

Murphy drew the carriage to a halt outside the large oak front door. Daphne held her breath while she waited for Daniel to appear and was surprised when a woman in a plain grey dress exited the house.

Murphy climbed down from his box seat and helped Daphne alight.

“I’m Mrs Barton, the housekeeper.” The middle-aged woman stood before Daphne and curtsied. “We’ve been expecting you. You’ll find the master down by the fountain.” She pointed to a gravel path on the left. “Follow the path across the lawn and past the pagoda. It will be clear where you need to go.”

“Thank you, Mrs Barton.”

“I told the master you’d be hungry after your journey, but he insists on speaking to you before you sit down to eat.”

Food was the last thing on her mind. Daphne put her hand to her stomach. “I can wait a little longer.”

Mrs Barton smiled. “There’s no rush. As it’s such a nice day, I can make a basket if you’d prefer. Come and find me once you’ve made a decision.” The woman inclined her head and went inside.

Nerves held Daphne immobile for a moment. Then the urge to see Daniel took hold, and she hurried along the path.

While the grounds lacked the grandeur of Elton Park, there was something intimate about the space, something warm and welcoming that soothed the soul. If Daphne owned such a special place, she would never leave.

The pagoda was more a circular Roman-inspired temple. From there, she could see the elaborate fountain made up of statues of bare-breasted women cradling cherubs. She saw him then. Seated on a bench.

Daphne’s heart fluttered up to her throat.

It took a tremendous effort not to pick up her skirt and run. But she was not sure why he’d called her to the house, and could not presume it was good news.

Hearing her approach, he jumped to his feet. Even though she could remember every line on his face, nothing her mind conjured compared to how wonderful it was to see him in the flesh.

“You came.” He stepped forward and took hold of her hands by way of a greeting. “I wasn’t sure you would.”

“Regardless what I told you in Hyde Park, I am always available should you need me.” She wanted to kiss him, to take him in her arms, hold him tight and never let go.

“I’ve made a mess of things,” he said solemnly. “With you. With this house. I turned my back on everything that mattered. This house was once filled with love. One only has to walk through the gardens to see the evidence of it.”

“I feel nothing but love as I stand here admiring the spectacular view,” she said softly, her gaze fixed on him.

A smile touched his lips. “My mother’s inability to cope with the pain of loss turned it into a house of despair. A place where I was encouraged to strive to be that which I am not.”

Daphne wanted to understand him. “Do you speak of her need to prove your legitimacy?”

He seemed shocked at the depth of her knowledge. “One cannot fight the truth. My parents were not married. No amount of cajoling and persuading will ever change that. My father’s family follow a rigid set of rules. Other than a striking similarity to the man my mother insists is my father, there is no proof to support her claim.”

“Is that why you stay away? Why you spend your life solving other people’s problems, finding other people’s proof?”

He shrugged. “Perhaps. But I am only just learning to process thoughts I’ve long since buried.”

Daphne scanned the breathtaking panorama and inhaled the smell of freshly cut grass. “Do you think you might stay here from time to time? A spell in the country is like a rejuvenating tonic. And it’s so beautiful here, so clean and quiet.”

“That all depends.”

“On what?” Her heart was beating so fast it echoed in her ears.

“On you.” Daniel stepped closer. “Stay here with me. I can’t do this alone. I can’t do this without you.”

Tears welled in her eyes. To build a life with this man was the only thing she wanted. “What of your work in London? Will you not take another case?”

“I could not give up my work completely.” He smiled. “I have decided to become a farmer. Someone has to help find the lost lambs.”

She doubted she could love him any more than she did at that moment. “I’m sure there are terrible crimes committed in rural areas. I hear the locals are still trying to determine who left mud in the pew last Sunday.”

Daniel laughed, but then his smile faded. “I have loved you from the moment I met you. I once asked you to marry me without giving the matter much thought, but I’ll not make that mistake again.”

Daphne inhaled sharply.

“So now I am asking you to be my wife,” he continued. “To lie with me at night, to be my constant companion. I am asking you to love me and in return know that I will love, honour and protect you until the day I die.”

Joy burst forth in a torrent of tears. She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

“Does that mean you accept?” he said dragging his mouth away.

“Of course I accept.” She kissed him once again just for good measure, told him she loved him ten times or more. “It will mean mastering a new weapon, though I doubt a scythe is as deadly as a blade.”

“You once told me your weapon of choice is your mouth. I’d consider mastering that before moving on to anything else.” A wicked grin formed on his lips. “I’m more than happy to offer myself as your tutor.”

“And are your hands not said to be your greatest asset? If we work together I feel we shall make an excellent team.”