But just because Rebecca had made a hard bargain, Daphne didn’t have to.
“If you won’t fix this, and salvage your marriage, then you’re dead to me,” her mother said coldly. “No daughter of mine would accept such a spectacular failure. Don’t bother setting foot in our home ever again. You’re not welcome there.”
Daphne had thought she was numb to Rebecca’s insults by now, but that one still stung.
“Don’t worry. I won’t be back,” she assured her mother. It had never been much of a home to her, anyway. All she’d learned from her mother was pettiness, and cruelty, and a toxic, all-consuming ambition.
Rebecca stared at her daughter for a long moment in disbelief, the way you might stare at a painting or a piece of jewelry, wondering why on earth you had paid so dearly for it.
Then she sighed and walked away without a backward glance.
Daphne sank onto the love seat and closed her eyes before her legs could give out beneath her. It felt like she’d run a marathon in the last five minutes.
When she heard footsteps, Daphne looked up sharply—but it wasn’t her mother, coming back to apologize. It was Nina.
Nina took a hesitant step forward. “I wasn’t sure you’d still be here.”
“When I set my life on fire, I like to stick around and watch it go up in flames,” Daphne said laconically.
Nina almost smiled at that, but her eyes still seemed troubled. “Are you okay? That conversation was, um…”
“You heard that?” Daphne couldn’t even muster up a shred of embarrassment. So what if Nina, with her two loving parents and happy home life, had finally seen what a vicious wolf pack Daphne’s family was?
“Your mom was pretty harsh. I’m sure she didn’t mean it,” Nina rushed to add, in an attempt at magnanimity. “She’s just in shock.”
“She meant it, I can assure you.”
Nina glanced at Daphne’s wedding gown, which still hung from a hook on the wall, its fabric cascading down in gorgeous satin layers. She looked at Daphne, who nodded permission, then stepped forward to trace the delicate lace overlay. “Daphne, this is beautiful.”
“I know,” Daphne agreed. “It’s too bad no one will ever see it.”
“Can’t it hang in a museum, at least?”
“A relic from a wedding that didn’t happen? Are you kidding?” Daphne sighed. “Maybe I’ll give it to the Dickens Museum in London; they could use it for the Miss Havisham exhibit.”
One corner of Nina’s mouth curled upward. “It’s a good sign that you can joke about it.”
“Joking seems to be all I can do at the moment.” Daphne kicked her feet out from beneath the hem of the bridesmaid dress. Her toenails in her peep-toe shoes were painted the softest shade of pink. “Speaking of dresses, I’m glad you wore the one I recommended.”
“I did learn not to question you on fashion.”
When Nina glanced at the chair opposite her, Daphne sighed. “You might as well sit down.”
It was a reluctant invitation, but Nina sat. “I can’t believe Teddy and Beatrice are taking over your wedding.”
“I hope Beatrice knows how lucky she is.” Daphne sniffed. “I have exquisite taste. All she has to do is show up! I’ve already planned and thought of everything.”
“No one has ever denied that you have exquisite taste,” Nina agreed. “Maybe you have a future as an event planner?”
“Maybe,” Daphne said vaguely. Nina wasn’t all that far off the mark.
Nina bit her lip, still clearly anxious. “About what happened earlier. I wanted to apologize—”
Daphne cut her off. “You were right. Not that I enjoyed being blackmailed, but Jefferson and I should never have gotten engaged.”
A part of her wondered whether it changed things for Nina and Jamie, that Jefferson was newly single again, but she didn’t want to ask.
Nina hesitated. “Are you and Ethan…”
“I broke up with Jefferson for myself, not for Ethan. Not everything is about a man,” Daphne said tersely.
“Of course not. Sorry,” Nina agreed, chastened.
Daphne heaved a breath. “It’s okay. I just…I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I need to get away from it all, you know? I’m leaving the country for a while.”
“So am I, actually,” Nina told her.
“Really? Where?”
“Oxford.”
“Oh, that program through the English department? Congratulations, Nina.” Daphne tried not to sound jealous. She had always wanted to apply to something like that—if she’d gotten to be a student.
“Where are you headed?” Nina asked.
“France. I could use a fresh start.”
“I know the feeling.”
They were silent for a moment, both caught off guard by the sincerity of this conversation, sifting through the strange constellation of their thoughts. Daphne drummed her fingers over the armrest of the love seat.
“Nina, I owe you an apology, too. The night of the League of Kings banquet, when I saw you and Jefferson together—”
“I shouldn’t have kissed him!” Nina interrupted. “I knew you were together, and I let it happen anyway. I never meant to hurt you, I swear. It just sort of…happened.”
Daphne should have been angry, but she knew better than anyone how easily a kiss could just happen.
“Trust me,” she heard herself say, “if you knew what I did that night, you wouldn’t be apologizing for a little kiss.”
Nina’s expression grew solemn. “This is about Jeff, isn’t it?”
“I told him…” Daphne couldn’t bear to say it aloud. Even now, knowing that Nina was the one who’d blackmailed her—was equally capable of hurting people for what she thought was a good reason—Daphne still didn’t want to admit this.
“I told him a very cruel lie,” she finished softly
Nina didn’t seem all that surprised. She’d probably already realized that Daphne had done something drastic to keep her hold on Jeff, when he’d been about to leave her for Nina.
Daphne hated, suddenly, that the two of them had been at each other’s throats like this for so long. Was Jefferson really worth it? Was any man worth it?
“I’m sorry,” Daphne said again, her voice breaking.
Nina’s reply was unexpectedly gentle. “Daphne, whatever you said that night, it’s between you and Jeff. The forgiveness you want isn’t mine to give.”