Aspire - Kanthony's continuation story

Chapter 15 - Charades

"No, it is obviously Lady Featherington!" Margaret Dorset yelped and surprised them all by guessing the right answer. Then she hurried happily to pick a card from the deck. "Oh no, this is almost like blasphemy...!" She exclaimed in shock. Kate sighed with an amused grin, as this woman proved once again that she was clearly not especially clever. Now she had already given away her character, although the displeased face she pulled as she sat down poshly in the chair did bear a remarkable resemblance to Queen Charlotte herself. Gregory, who was too young to join the gentlemen, was the first one to shout out the Queen's name, so he took a card and began to wave his hand in the air like he was painting.

"Benedict Bridgerton, of course!" Lady Danbury shouted in the forefront. She got up as arduously as Daphne had and read the name on the card. Then she looked at Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth, took a deep sigh, looked at them again and rolled her eyes while massaging her head like she was suffering from a terrible headache.

"Mama, you are our mama! I mean – Lady Violet!" Francesca yelled and everyone laughed.

"I do not look at my children like that...!" Violet protested, but laughed as well.

"Yes, you do!" Daphne and Eloise shouted almost in unison. The game went on for a few more rounds, until almost every member of the ton had been presented and Daphne was unsurprisingly declared as the winner. She guessed right so many times that in the end she was passing on her acting turns to others, as she was tired from constantly struggling to get up from her seat.

"I believe it is getting rather late and I have blissfully exhausted myself from all the excitement..." Daphne finally grinned and hurled herself up one more time from the sofa, before planting a kiss on the still seated Kate's forehead. "Thank you for a wonderful evening and for letting us stay here tonight, I would not have wanted to suffer the carriage ride home..." She smiled fondly.

"Of course, this house has been your home for much longer than it has been mine." Kate smiled warmly back at her. "Do you want me to escort you to your rooms?"

"No, stay here with your guests! Like you said, I have lived in this house for quite many years, so I am quite certain I can make it back to the guestrooms." Daphne smirked. "And besides, I still need to find Simon." She stated, made a remarkably graceful curtsy considering her very pregnant condition and left the drawing room. She had only climbed the first set of stairs when she ran into Prince Friedrich, who was coming down from the smoking room located on the top floor. "Your Highness!" She quickly curtsied, again.

"Oh! Daphn – Duchess." He stuttered and bowed back at her. Daphne smiled at him kindly and there was a long silence during which none of them said a word. "I..." The prince began, but cleared his throat to stop him from perhaps saying what he really had wanted to. "It is a delightful party your brother and his wife have arranged." He lied instead.

"Yes, most certainly." Daphne smiled broadly. "I hope you have enjoyed yourself as well. I did not see you on the dancefloor?"

"Neither did I see you." Friedrich smirked and grabbed a hold of the railing as to steady himself, or rather his racing thoughts. "I mean... Of course you did not take to the dancefloor, in your current condition..." He muttered awkwardly. Daphne cast a heartening smile at him and the prince's face grew even more troubled. "I believe... Or I rather take it, that you are happy with your life with the duke?" He asked quite bluntly.

"Well, of course. Most happy indeed." Daphne replied with a slightly abashed smile.

"Good, I would be terribly sorry if you had regretted your... Choice." Friedrich replied.

"I have not." Daphne said, her friendly smile slowly fading from her lips. "Your Highness –"

"Prince Friedrich, please." He interrupted.