Chapter 199

“They’re beautiful,” Rosie whispers, her voice reverent as she sorts through the pages of Daphne’s designs.

“I can make you one too,” Daphne says, peeling her eyes from Jesse and leaning forward to smile at the girl before her, just on the cusp of her teenage years.

Rosie squeaks with pleasure and hope, her hands flying up to clasp against her chest. “Really!?”

“Yes, of course!” Daphne replies, laughing.

“What about me!?” Bella gasps, not wanting to be left out.

“You too, Bella,” Daphne replies, laughing a little and focusing on the younger girl at her side. Bella grins up at her, well pleased.

“But not Seraphina,” Rose murmurs, looking back down at the drawings. “She’ll just get cake all over it.”

“It’s true, isn’t it, Fifs,” Jesse says quite seriously, looking down at the baby of the family, who is at most four. The baby grins up at her favorite sibling. “I don’t know why we dress you at all, considering your fabric-to-food ratio.”

Seraphina giggles, and smacks Jesse lazily on the chest, turning her head away towards the TV where Rose’s dance game is still running.

“So, your mom’s asleep?” Daphne asks quietly, a little dismayed.

“Yeah, but don’t worry,” Jesse says, reaching out around Seraphina and deftly scooping the designs back into the portfolio before deftly closing it. Rosie immediately runs back to her game, starting it over, and Bella leans against Daphne’s side, nuzzling close. “I can give it to her. With as little chocolate sauce on it as possible.”

“But not none?” Daphne asks, a grin starting.

“Never none,” Jesse replies, shaking his head and laughing lightly as he lifts his eyes to meet Daphne’s. “Not in this house.”

The two take a moment, staring at each other and smiling, before Daphne sighs and looks around. “Man, it’s really nice here. So…cozy and busy. I almost wish I’d stayed here, instead of the palace.”

“You’ve only been here for five minutes. It’s very charming for five minutes. And then someone bites you.” He gives Chase another playful kick, sending the boy toppling over and laughing again.

Daphne laughs, turning her eyes back to Jesse. “No one’s going to bite me here. I’ve promised them dresses.”

“Don’t be too sure of that,” Jesse murmurs, resting his head back against the couch, his eyes dropping a little to Daphne’s neck.

And Daphne, despite herself, drops her gaze to the floor, a faint blush marking her cheeks.

“Do you know,” Jesse says after a long quiet moment, his voice shifting now to speak out to all the children, demanding their attention. “I bet that Aunt Ella didn’t even feed Daphne before she left this morning.”

The children all gasp dramatically as one, pretending to be scandalized, immediately in on the game.

“Bad auntie!” Chase declares.

“Inhospitable!” Caleb calls from the chair, showing off his vocabulary as he drops his phone and gives up the ruse of being too cool to play.

“Oh Daphne, you poor thing,” Rose murmurs, pressing a sincere hand to her heart.

Daphne bursts into laugher, looking around at all of them in shock, not getting it yet.

“We have to fix this,” Jesse says, nodding sagely and holding up one hand in the air. All the children go tense, and Daphne looks around at all of them, fascinated and baffled. “Best to-go breakfast gets…ten minutes later to bedtime tonight!”

The children gasp, delighted at the prize.

“In three…!” Jesse calls, holding up three fingers and starting to count them down. “Two…!”

But he never gets to one, because Chase shrieks and leaps for the kitchen and then the rest of them are off after him, shouting, calling him a cheater, pushing and shoving each other aside to get through the kitchen door first.

Daphne bursts with laugher as she spins to watch them go, truly delighted. Jesse, beside her, laughs too.

“Bribery,” he sighs, and she turns back to him. “The only efficient way to get them to leave you the hell alone for a second.”

“Oh, come on, Jess,” Daphne says on a sigh, leaning her head against the edge of the couch and gazing at him, just a bit. “It’s very clear that you don’t want to be away from them, not for a single minute.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” he murmurs, studying her face quietly. “Maybe just for one minute alone with our honored early-morning guest.”

Jesse lifts a hand then in the space between them. But then hesitates and quickly lowers it, tucking it tight beneath his leg like he wants to keep it from escaping. Daphne lifts her own hand, brushing the loose strand of hair out of her face, tucking it back behind her ear.

“Home today?” he asks quietly. “To see mom?”

“Mmhmm,” she replies, giving a smile. “I’m excited. It will be good to see her.”

“I’m sorry,” Jesse murmurs, frowning a touch, “that it looks like we stole you away for most of your winter break, now that we all have to go back to the Academy early.”

“I wouldn’t give up a minute of it,” Daphne replies, grinning, meaning it. “It’s been wonderful.”

“I’m tempted to beg you to stay, you know,” Jesse murmurs. He slowly looses a long breath. “Even if it’s unfair to your mother…I’d keep you, if I could.”

“Don’t beg,” Daphne murmurs, taking a deep breath and staring at him, unblinking.

“You’re not in charge, Daphne,” he whispers. “I’ll beg if I want to.”

“Not proper, for a Duke to beg.”

He smirks. “Depends on what he’s begging for. And whether it’s worth falling to his knees.”

She laughs a little. “Surely, one more day with me isn’t worth such disgrace.”

“Don’t undersell yourself, Daph. You’re worth a great deal more trouble than that.”

Silence reigns between them as the pair just stare at each other for what feels like a long, long time.

But god, what a silence. Daphne feels that if she had her sewing sheers in her hand she could cut the silence up into bits and sew it into an elaborate cloak, sell it for millions. But she wouldn’t – she’d keep it whole and just wrap herself in it when she’s alone. In the stillness, the peace.

It’s all ruined, of course, a moment later when the kitchen door bursts open. Daphne nearly jumps out of her skin as another blush rises to her cheeks. God, when did she start blushing so much for no reason?

“Unfair, Chase!” Bella calls out, chasing her older brother, her voice thick with tears. “Jesse, he stole all the syrup!”

“It’s my syrup!” Chase bites back over his shoulder, rushing into the room with a sopping wet paper bag in his hands. “Mom bought it for me –“

“Ooookay,” Jesse says, instantly getting to his knees when he sees the impending disaster before him, grabbing the roll of paper towels at his side – which Daphne suspects he always keeps by his side in this house – and reaching for the dripping bag. Chase gives it to him and Jesse instantly begins to wrap it up.

“Daphne didn’t even get to see it,” Chase moans, his shoulders slumping as his breakfast offering disappears into layers and layers of absorbent white paper.

“But I can smell it,” Daphne says, her eyebrows going up as she nods, not lying at all as the thick scent of maple fills the room. “And it is…a valiant effort. Thank you so much, Chase.”

The little boy beams at her, well mollified.

At Jesse’s bidding, the other four children ring around, holding out their offerings, which range from the very practical – Caleb’s croissant and after-dinner mint – to the daringly creative – Bella’s banana-flavored yogurt with a lollypop instead of a spoon.

But Daphne’s heart tightens when she sees the last one, held out in Seraphina’s tiny hands.

Just a very small, shallow desert dish, wrapped in a cloth napkin and filled with red and white jellybeans.

“Well, they’re all delicious options,” Daphne says, beaming around at all of the kids, “but this one, I think, will keep me full all day.” Softly, she closes her hands around Seraphina’s breakfast, accepting it, and the little girl gives a squeal of delight before throwing herself into Jesse’s arms.

He laughs, catching his sister and giving her a big hug. “Well done, Fifs,” he murmurs, giving her a kiss. “Ten more minutes before lights out, you lucky thing.”

The other kids moan good-heartedly about the loss, taking their makeshift breakfasts with them as they go back to whatever they were doing before Daphne came in.

“That was so cute,” Daphne sighs, grinning at Jesse even as she glances to the door, knowing that she has to go. “But, um,” she looks down at the bowl and the cloth napkin in her hand. “I guess I can just…put the jelly beans in my pocket?” She moves to spill them out in her hand.

“No no,” Jesse says, reaching out a hand to stop her. Daphne looks up at him in shock. “That’s your bowl now. Your napkin too.”

“What!?”

Jesse bursts into a grin. “It’s part of the breakfast. Just take it, Daph, it’s fine.”

“Jesse,” she laughs, shaking her head. “I can’t just take your bowl.”

“Oh no, you have to,” he says quite seriously, his eyebrows going up. “You’ll break her heart if you don’t.” He nods down at Seraphina, who likewise nods seriously, like it’s a very real possibility.

“Break ma heart,” Sera murmurs.

Daphne can’t resist that – no one could. So she just smiles and ties the napkin in a knot, holding the whole package in her fist as she gets to her feet. “You’ll make sure your mom gets that?” she asks, nodding towards the portfolio.

“I promise,” Jesse says, standing with her, taking Seraphina with him, balanced on his hip. The little girl rests her head on her favorite brother’s chest, perfectly content, gazing happily at Daphne as she does.

“You’re the best,” Daphne says with a sigh, glancing around the room at all the kids. “I wish I could stay – but I’ll see you in a few days anyway.”

Jesse nods happily to her and then walks her to the door. He frowns, though, when he pulls it open for her and sees the cab waiting there. “Rafe didn’t send you in a car?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Rafe didn’t know I left,” Daphne says, looking up at Jesse and giving a casual shrug.