Simon tells Daphne his mind hasn’t changed, but she says it must for her sake. She tells him they were seen by Cressida Cowper. If he doesn’t marry her, she’ll be ruined. He repeats that he cannot. It’s because he regards her so highly that he can’t marry her. He tells her he can’t give her children. It’s her dream to be a mother, to have a house full of love like the one she’s always known. She deserves that, but he can’t provide it for her. He can’t ask her to sacrifice it. For her own sake, she must let her brother finish the duel. Anthony calls for them to resume before someone else sees them. Daphne says there’s no need as she is to marry Simon.”
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- The Race Against Time: Realizing that her brother and her suitor are about to kill each other over her reputation, Daphne
gallops into the clearing just as they prepare to fire. Her presence shatters the rigid formality of the duel. - The Choice of Agency: Daphne refuses to be a passive observer of her own ruin. She confronts Simon directly in front of Anthony, forcing him to admit the truth of what happened in the garden.
- The Ultimatum: When Simon still refuses to marry her—claiming he “cannot” give her children—Daphne realizes she must choose between social ruin or a marriage based on a lie. She chooses the marriage, not just to save her reputation, but to save Simon’s life.
- Breaking the Stand-off: By stepping between their pistols, she forces both men to lower their weapons. She reminds Anthony that his “protection” is actually causing more harm, and she challenges Simon to face his feelings instead of choosing the easy way out (death).