The Duke and I (10 page)

 "You do remember my brothers?" Anthony queried politely. "Benedict and Colin. Benedict I'm sure you recall from Eton. He was the one who dogged our footsteps for three months when he first arrived."

 "Not true!" Benedict said with a laugh.

 "I don't know if you've met Colin, actually," Anthony continued. "He was probably too young to have crossed your path."

 "Pleased to meet you," Colin said jovially.

 Simon noted the rascally glint in the young man's green eyes and couldn't help but smile in return.

 "Anthony here has said such insulting things about you," Colin continued, his grin growing quite wicked, "that I know we're sure to be great friends."

 Anthony rolled his eyes. "I'm certain you can understand why my mother is convinced that Colin will be the first of her

children to drive her to insanity."

 Colin said, "I pride myself on it, actually."

 "Mother, thankfully, has had a brief respite from Colin's tender charms," Anthony continued. "He is actually just returned from a grand tour of the Continent."

 "Just this evening," Colin said with a boyish grin. He had a devil-may-care youthful look about him. Simon decided he

couldn't be much older than Daphne.

 "I have just returned from travels as well," Simon said.

 "Yes, except yours spanned the globe, I hear," Colin said. "I should love to hear about them someday."

 Simon nodded politely. "Certainly."

 "Have you met Daphne?" Benedict inquired. "She's the only Bridgerton in attendance who's unaccounted for."

 Simon was pondering how best to answer that question when Colin let out a snort, and said, "Oh, Daphne's accounted for. Miserable, but accounted for."

 Simon followed his gaze across the ballroom, where Daphne was standing next to what had to be her mother, looking, just as Colin had promised, as miserable as could be.

 And then it occurred to him—Daphne was one of those dreaded unmarried young ladies beingparaded about by her mother. She'd seemed far too sensible and forthright to be such a creature, and yet of course that was what she had to be. She couldn't have been more than twenty, and as her name was still Bridgerton she was clearly a maiden. And since she had a mother— well, of course she'd be trapped into an endless round of introductions.

 She looked every bit as pained by the experience as Simon had been. Somehow that made him feel a good deal better.

 "One of us should save her," Benedict mused. "Nah," Colin said, grinning. "Mother's only had her over there with

Macclesfield for ten minutes."

 "Macclesfield?" Simon asked.

 "The earl," Benedict replied.

 "Castleford's son."

 "Ten minutes?" Anthony asked. "Poor Macclesfield." Simon shot him a curious look. "Not that Daphne is such a chore," Anthony quickly added, "but when Mother gets it in her head to, ah..."

 "Pursue," Benedict filled in helpfully.

 "—a gentleman," Anthony continued with a nod of thanks toward his brother, "She can be, ah..."

 "Relentless," Colin said.

 Anthony smiled weakly. "Yes. Exactly."

 Simon looked back over toward the trio in question. Sure enough, Daphne looked miserable, Macclesfield was scanning the room, presumably looking for the nearest exit, and Lady Bridgerton's eyes held a gleam so ambitious that Simon cringed in sympathy for the young earl.

 "We should save Daphne," Anthony said.

 "We really should," Benedict added.

 "And Macclesfield," Anthony said.

 "Oh, certainly," Benedict added.

 But Simon noticed that no one was leaping into action.

 "All talk, aren't you?" Colin chortled.

 "I don't see
you
marching over there to save her," Anthony shot back.

 "Hell no. But I never said we should.
You,
on the other hand ..."

 "What the devil is going on?" Simon finally asked.The three Bridgerton brothers looked at him with identical guilty expressions.

 "We
should
save Daff," Benedict said.

 "We really should," Anthony added.

 "What my brothers are too lily-livered to tell you," Colin said derisively, "is that they are terrified of my mother."

 "It's true," Anthony said with a helpless shrug.

 Benedict nodded. "I freely admit it."

 Simon thought he'd never seen a more ludicrous sight. These were the Bridgerton brothers, after all. Tall, handsome, athletic, with every miss in the nation setting her cap after them, and here they were, completely cowed by a mere slip of a woman.

 Of course, it
was
their mother. Simon supposed one had to make allowances for that.

 "If I save Daff," Anthony explained, "Mother might get me into her clutches, and then I'm done for."

 Simon choked on laughter as his mind filled with a vision of Anthony being led around by his mother, moving from unmarried lady to unmarried lady.

 "Now you see why I avoid these functions like the plague," Anthony said grimly. "I'm attacked from both directions. If the debutantes and their mothers don't find me,
my
mother makes certain I find
them.
"

 "Say!" Benedict exclaimed. "Why don't
you
save her, Hastings?"

 Simon took one look at Lady Bridgerton (who at that point had her hand firmly wrapped around Macclesfield's forearm) and decided he'd rather be branded an eternal coward. "Since we haven't been introduced, I'm sure it would be most improper," he improvised.

 "I'm sure it wouldn't," Anthony returned. "You're a duke."

 "So?"

 "So?" Anthony echoed. "Mother would forgive any impropriety if it meant gaining an audience for Daphne with a duke."

 "Now look here," Simon said hotly, "I'm not some sacrificial lamb to be slaughtered on the altar of your mother."

 "You have spent a lot of time in Africa, haven't you?" Colin quipped.

 Simon ignored him. "Besides, your sister said—"

 All three Bridgerton heads swung round in his direction. Simon immediately realized he'd blundered. Badly.

 "You've met Daphne?" Anthony queried, his voice just a touch too polite for Simon's comfort.

 Before Simon could even reply, Benedict leaned in ever-so-slightly closer, and asked, "Why didn't you mention this?"

 "Yes," Colin said, his mouth utterly serious for the first time that evening. "Why?"

 Simon glanced from brother to brother and it became perfectly clear why Daphne must still be unmarried. This belligerent trio would scare off all but the most determined—or stupid—of suitors.

 Which would probably explain Nigel Berbrooke.

 "Actually," Simon said, "I bumped into her in the hall as I was making my way into the ballroom. It was" —he glanced rather pointedly at the Bridgertons—"rather obvious that she was a member of your family, so I introduced myself."

 Anthony turned to Benedict. "Must have been when she was fleeing Berbrooke."

 Benedict turned to Colin. "What did happen to Berbrooke? Do you know?"

 Colin shrugged. "Haven't the faintest. Probably left to nurse his broken heart."
Or broken head,
Simon thought acerbically.

 "Well, that explains everything, I'm sure," Anthony said, losing his overbearing big-brother expression and looking once again like a fellow rake and best friend.

 "Except," Benedict said suspiciously, "why he didn't mention it."

 "Because I didn't have the chance," Simon bit off, about ready to throw his arms up in exasperation. "In case you hadn't noticed, Anthony, you have a ridiculous number of siblings, and it takes a ridiculous amount of time to be introduced to all of them."

 "There are only two of us present," Colin pointed out.

 "I'm going home," Simon announced. "The three of you are mad."

 Benedict, who had seemed to be the most protective of the brothers, suddenly grinned. "You don't have a sister, do you?"

 "No, thank God."

 "If you ever have a daughter, you'll understand."

 Simon was rather certain he would never have a daughter, but he kept his mouth shut.

 "It can be a trial," Anthony said.

 "Although Daff is better than most," Benedict put in. "She doesn't have that many suitors, actually."

 Simon couldn't imagine why not.

 "I'm not really sure why," Anthony mused. "I think she's a perfectly nice girl."

 Simon decided this wasn't the time to mention that he'd been one inch away from easing her up against the wall, pressing his hips against hers, and kissing her senseless. If he hadn't discovered that she was a Bridgerton, frankly, he might have done exactly that.

 "Daff's the best," Benedict agreed.

 Colin nodded. "Capital girl. Really good sport."

 There was an awkward pause, and then Simon said, "Well, good sport or not, I'm not going over there to save her, because she told me quite specifically that your mother forbade her ever to be seen in my presence.

 "Mother said
that?" 
Colin asked. "You must really have a black reputation."

 "A good portion of it undeserved," Simon muttered, not entirely certain why he was defending himself.

 "That's too bad," Colin murmured. "I'd thought to ask you to take me 'round."

 Simon foresaw a long and terrifyingly roguish future for the boy.

 Anthony's fist found its way to the small of Simon's back, and he started to propel him forward. "I'm sure Mother will

change her mind given the proper encouragement. Let's go."

 Simon had no choice but to walk toward Daphne. The alternative required making a really big scene, and Simon had long since learned that he didn't do well with scenes. Besides, if he'd been in Anthony's position, he probably would have done the exact same thing.

 And after an evening with the Featherington sisters and the like, Daphne didn't sound half-bad.

 "Mother!" Anthony called out in a jovial voice as they approached the viscountess. "I haven't seen you all evening."

 Simon noticed that Lady Bridgerton's blue eyes lit upwhen she saw her son approaching. Ambitious Mama or not, Lady Bridgerton clearly loved her children.

 "Anthony!" she said in return. "How nice to see you. Daphne and I were just chatting with Lord Macclesfield."

 Anthony sent Lord Macclesfield a commiserating look. "Yes, I see."

 Simon caught Daphne's eye for a moment and gave his head the tiniest shake. She responded with an even tinier nod,

sensible girl that she was.

 "And who is this?" Lady Bridgerton inquired, her eyes lighting upon Simon's face.

 "The new Duke of Hastings," Anthony replied. "Surely you remember him from my days at Eton and Oxford."

 "Of course," Lady Bridgerton said politely.

 Macclesfield, who had been keeping scrupulously quiet, quickly located the first lull in the conversation, and burst in with, "I think I see my father."

 Anthony shot the young earl an amused and knowing glance. "Then by all means, go to him."

 The young earl did, with alacrity.

 "I thought he detested his father," Lady Bridgerton said with a confused expression.

 "He does," Daphne said baldly.

 Simon choked down a laugh. Daphne raised her brows, silently daring him to comment.

 "Well, he had a terrible reputation, anyway," Lady Bridgerton said.

 "There seems to be quite a bit of that in the air these days," Simon murmured.

 Daphne's eyes widened, and this time Simon got to raise
his
brows, silently daring
her
to comment.

 She didn't, of course, but her mother gave him a sharp look, and Simon had the distinct impression that shewas trying to decide whether his
newly
acquired dukedom made up for his bad reputation.

 "I don't believe I had the chance to make your acquaintance before I left the country, Lady Bridgerton," Simon said smoothly, "but I am very pleased to do so now."

 "As am I." She motioned to Daphne. "My daughter Daphne."

 Simon took Daphne's gloved hand and laid a scrupulously polite kiss on her knuckles. "I am honored to officially make your acquaintance, Miss Bridgerton."

 "Officially?" Lady Bridgerton queried. Daphne opened her mouth, but Simon cut in before she could say anything. "I already told your brother about our
brief meeting
earlier this evening."

 Lady Bridgerton's head turned rather sharply in Daphne's direction. "You were introduced to the duke earlier this evening? Why did you not say anything?"

 Daphne smiled tightly. "We were rather occupied with the earl. And before that, with Lord Westborough. And before

that, with—"

 "I see your point, Daphne," Lady Bridgerton ground out.