From the expression on Sarah’s face, she didn’t either. Hugh offered his blandest smile and said, “I, too, cannot dance. Lady Sarah has offered to sit with me throughout the evening.”

“But—”

“I am sure that Lord Winstead has made arrangements for tonight’s music,” Hugh continued.

“But—”

“And I so rarely have someone to keep me company on nights such as these.”

“But—”

Good God the girl was persistent. “I am afraid I simply cannot allow her to break her promise to me,” Hugh said.

“Oh, I could never do that,” Sarah said, finally playing her role. She gave Daisy a helpless shrug. “It’s a promise.”

Daisy positively rooted herself to the floor, her face twitching as it began to sink in that she had been thoroughly thwarted. “Iris . . . ,” she began.

“I will not play the pianoforte,” Iris practically cried.

“How did you know what I was going to ask you?” Daisy asked with a petulant frown.

“You have been my sister since you were born,” Iris replied testily. “Of course I knew what you were going to ask me.”

“We all had to learn how to play,” Daisy whined.

“And then we all stopped taking lessons when we took up strings.”

“What Iris is trying to say,” Sarah said, with a little glance toward Hugh before turning firmly to Daisy, “is that her skills on the pianoforte could never match yours on the violin.”

Iris let out a noise that sounded suspiciously like a choke, but by the time Hugh looked at her, she was saying, “It’s true, Daisy. You know it’s true. I would only embarrass myself.”

“Very well.” Daisy finally capitulated. “I suppose I could just perform something by myself.”

“No!” both Sarah and Iris shouted at once.

And it really was a shout. Enough people turned in their direction that Sarah was forced to plaster her face with an embarrassed smile and say, “So sorry.”

“Whyever not?” Daisy asked. “I’m happy to do so, and there is no shortage of violin solos from which to choose.”

“It is very difficult to dance to the music of a single violin,” Iris quickly said.

Hugh had no idea if this was true, but he certainly wasn’t going to question it.

“I suppose you’re right,” Daisy said. “It is really too bad. This is a family wedding, after all, and it would be so much more special to have family playing the music.”

It wasn’t just that it was the only unselfish thing she had said; it was that it was completely unselfish, and when Hugh chanced a glance at Sarah and Iris, they both wore somewhat abashed expressions on their faces.

“There will be other opportunities,” Sarah said, although she did not go so far as to offer any specifics.

“Perhaps tomorrow,” Daisy said with a little sigh.

Neither Sarah nor Iris said a word. Hugh wasn’t even sure they breathed.