“Thank you for relaying the message, Haversham.”

Christiana’s words distracted Suzette from her thoughts and she glanced up as Haversham said, “Of course, my lady.”

“There!” Lisa said brightly as the butler turned to move away. “Dicky’s going to join us. That will be nice, won’t it?”

Suzette grimaced at Lisa’s feigned good cheer. The young woman was peering at their older sister almost pleadingly and Suzette knew she was asking Christiana to give Dicky a chance. The young woman obviously believed his claims from the night before that he regretted his behavior and wished to make it up to Christiana. Suzette, however, was on the fence about Dicky. Despite Daniel’s comments last night about a brush with death changing a man, she just had trouble believing he could change so much so quickly. Still, she supposed Chrissy was stuck with him as her husband and it would make life easier for her sister if he had experienced something of an epiphany and become a new man.

“Chrissy?” Lisa asked and Suzette glanced to Christiana as the other woman stood up.

“I should have asked Haversham to have a tea tray prepared and brought to us. I shall do it now,” she announced as she hurried out of the room.

Suzette watched her go, and then simply sat there staring at the open door, waiting for Daniel to appear and put her out of her misery. Why had he suddenly announced last night that they should leave it until today as originally agreed? He’d followed her home and climbed in her bedroom window to tell her yes, for heaven’s sake. At least, she’d thought he had. What if he’d really come to tell her no, but had been forestalled by her assumptions? Suzette hadn’t really given him much of a chance to explain his presence, but had assumed that was why he was there and then had thrown herself at him like some loose woman.

Truly, she’d rather attacked the man when she thought on it. She was the one who’d kissed him first in her room and then . . . well, things had got quite heated. Perhaps he hadn’t wanted to tell her that he’d come to refuse her offer after indulging in such passionate moments. That would explain why he’d merely put her off in the end, Suzette realized with alarm and suddenly stood up.

“I need to change my slippers,” she announced and then hurried from the room before anyone could question her. Really, it was a lame excuse, but was all she could come up with off the top of her head to escape. She simply couldn’t wait any longer for Daniel’s answer. The not knowing was driving her mad. Suzette intended to hunt down the man and make him tell her whether he was willing to marry her or not at once. There would be no more assumptions or delay. She simply had to know now.