Much to Daniel’s relief the earlier carriage had passed and there didn’t appear to be any others on the road. There was nothing he could do about the driver, however . . . except perhaps increase his wages to encourage him to keep his trap shut, he thought on a sigh.

“What are we doing?” Suzette asked uncertainly, lifting her head to peer around as he strode up the walk to the house.

Daniel didn’t answer at once. He simply continued to walk, his jaw tight.

The door still stood open from when Suzette had come out after him earlier, and he strode inside with her and then continued on into the nearest room, a parlor. Pausing just outside the patch of light cast through the door from the candles in the hall, he set Suzette on her feet, and then quickly began to straighten her gown.

“Daniel?” she asked uncertainly, not helping him, merely standing still and peering at him with wide uncertain eyes as he slid her arms into her gown and pulled it up into place to cover her breasts.

“We aren’t going to Gretna Green tonight,” he said quietly.

“Why not? I thought—”

He interrupted her by asking abruptly, “What if we found another way to pay off your father’s debts?”

Suzette blinked in surprise at the question and then shrugged. “Then I wouldn’t marry and Lisa and I would return to the country.”

Daniel frowned. “Surely you wouldn’t return to the country? You shall have to marry someday and should have your season. I thought all young women dream of their season.”

Suzette sighed, but admitted, “I suppose I used to, but after seeing and hearing how Dicky treats Christiana, I’m not as eager to marry. If I didn’t have to claim my dower to avoid this scandal, I think I’d just never marry.”

“Not every man is like Dicky,” Daniel argued at once.

“Even Dicky was not like Dicky before they married,” she said dryly. “He seemed sweet and charming when he was wooing Chrissy. What is to say every man is not like that?”

“I would never treat a woman like Dicky has apparently treated Christiana,” he assured her solemnly. “And many men wouldn’t. I’m sure your father didn’t treat you or your sisters and mother poorly.”

“No, he was always a kind and loving man . . . except for his penchant for gambling us all into ruin every year or so this last while, he was wonderful,” Suzette added dryly. “And while I am glad to hear you say you would never treat a woman as Dicky does, I’m quite sure Dicky would have said the same thing before he married Chrissy. How is a woman to know what a man is truly like before they wed?”