Page 7 of Miss Ellis Unleashed

Daisy winced as Pinkerton continued to praise her over the top of her head to his good friend Fredrickson, whose only interest was the movement of Pinkerton’s mouth. The pair had taken to singling her out at balls for conversation of late. Making her a party to their scandalous romance.

She hated this sort of behavior though, the false flattery grated, as did the continued demonizing of other women and her former friend, Miss Justine Dawes.

Since their friendship had ended a month ago, several male acquaintances kept attempting to suggest a rivalry existed between her and Miss Dawes. There was no rivalry on Daisy’s side, only disappointment in her old friend’s past silly behavior. Justine’s sudden defection had taken her by surprise. She would not speak to Daisy now, or even make eye contact. Her attempts to avoid Daisy—and Gabby, too—were getting ridiculous.

Getting swept up in the pursuit of a husband was the only thing Daisy could accuse Justine of. She’d been desperate to make a match this season, more so than she’d ever let on, and had kept her pursuit of a gentleman that their friend Gabby had been interested in, as well, a secret. But Daisy also suspected Justine had been goaded to such behavior by her older sister, to make it a competition between them all as to who would marry first and best.

In the end, neither Justine nor Gabby had made a match with the particular gentleman they had favored, and only Gabby had gone on to make a grand match, and with a scandalous duke, no less. Someone Justine had spoken harshly about quite often.

Making a match was still very much on every debutant’s mind, as the season had reached the midpoint, and it was occasionally on Daisy’s, too. Even with a little more to offer in terms of a dowry than she’d assumed, Daisy had hoped to meet a man who she could love, and who could love her back without hesitation. She was anxiously waiting to meet him…but it would be neither of the men talking over the top of her head tonight.

She’d never felt so conflicted about what she wanted.

Everything had changed in the last month.

She excused herself but in a few steps, was confronted by another wide manly chest. She glanced up.

Mr. Ferris, a recently persistent caller at her home, was a young man she’d only met this season.

He smiled and slightly lowered himself so he did not tower over her so much. “Good evening, Miss Ellis, and may I say you look utterly bored tonight.”

“I was,” she admitted, laughing in relief that his comment wasn’t a compliment. “Finally, a gentleman who speaks with some honesty.”

The man grinned. “If it’s honesty you seek, Miss Ellis, I’m just the man for the job. I have always regretted we have had so little chance to speak plainly, with so many servants constantly hovering about you at your home.”

Daisy nodded. “As have I,” she admitted, holding his gaze. Her servants refused to be dismissed whenever she had a gentleman come to call.

The man’s smile grew wider. “I’m glad we’re of the same mind. I trust we can dispense with the proprieties that only get in the way of a good time. Meet me in the library in five minutes, where we might improve our acquaintance by leaps and bounds.”

Daisy’s heart fluttered, but after a moment, she realized it was not with any sort of thrill at his invitation—because it had not been one. It was a demand to attend him. Now.

Daisy had thought herself free of bossy men, and a sense of foreboding crashed over her. Without the proprieties of polite society, many men turn into pigs. Private meetings with gentlemen were guaranteed to ruin a lady.

The other gents who called on her at home, who once hid from Throsby for a great lark, likely assumed that she was an easier target for seduction now, even with the housekeeper or footman in the room.

She wasn’t so easily led astray as all that.

She was not some silly widgeon easily taken advantage of, as Throsby claimed!

When and if she married, it would be a considered decision on her part. Not the result of ruin.

Daisy glanced over her shoulder, only to be reminded that her nemesis was no longer there behind her and watching what she did.

She pasted a smile on her face as she regarded the latest man to disappoint her, and sighed. “I have promised a dance to Lord Abelton, and I could never disappoint him.”

Lord Abelton was a jolly sort of fellow, utterly charming and disinterested in her for anything but dancing. He was a close friend of Throsby’s, but she did not hold that against him. He used to smirk at Throsby whenever he said something dull, which made Daisy like the young lord more. He seemed a decent man, albeit a disinterested one.

Mr. Ferris had not been friends with Throsby at all, which was why Daisy had previously encouraged him to call. Ferris had expressed great delight upon hearing the guardianship had ended though, and he was transparently glad Throsby was out of her life once and for all.

She should have realized Ferris was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, merely biding his time and manners to get her alone for what he wanted women for. Just as Throsby had warned her he might.

Mr. Ferris’eyes narrowed briefly, then he spun about to face the ballroom, watching the passing dancers. But his expression seemed strained now. He was annoyed with her.

“I’ll wait,” he said eventually.

Wait. Impatiently, no doubt, too. She groaned under her breath at the pickle she was in. She had thought Ferris was truly interested in her mind but, clearly, his ran to other parts of her body first.

Mr. Ferris would, unfortunately for him, be waiting all night long for Daisy to join him in the library. She could not afford to become embroiled in a scandal. And she did not believe Mr. Ferris considered a marriage between them when he’d demanded she meet him in the library.