Daphne is in the lift, halfway down to the lobby, when she realizes that she's left her purse on her vanity, which is a bit of a problem when one is going to the grocery to buy some things. With a loud huff of irritation at her slip, which makes Mrs. Richman glare at her sideways, she waits impatiently for the lift to reach the lobby and for her ride companion to leave, and then Daphne pushes the button for the nineteenth floor to climb back to Frasier's.
When she rushes into the condo, there's no trace of the Crane brothers, who were at the living room just minutes earlier. They must have gone to the kitchen or to Frasier's bedroom. In any case, Daphne cares little in her hurry to grab her purse. The longer she takes to do the shopping, the later she'll finish her daily chores, and she doesn't want to miss today's episode of the soap opera she watches every afternoon. Even the other occupants of the house have got hooked to it, though they wouldn't admit it even under torture outside of their intimate circle. Daphne has teased them several times about having something to blackmail them with, though she's not truly joking, because she wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of it if the chance arouses.
There is the damned purse, on her vanity right next to her jars of cosmetics and varied trinkets. She sticks it into her bag and almost runs out of her bedroom, but then, she hears the voices of the Crane brothers, who apparently are back in the living room and unaware of her presence in the house, judging by the totally unexpected topic of their conversation.
Because for all intents and purposes, they're talking about her. And what she hears beats the daylights out of her.
"Frasier, I'm tired of waiting to tell Daphne what I feel for her. I've waited for too long already," the youngest Dr. Crane is saying in a tone of complaint. Daphne covers her mouth with her hand, in order not to gasp aloud.
"Niles, are you sure you've thought this through carefully?," Frasier asks, seemingly trying to calm his brother down and prevent him from doing something rash. Daphne is sure that she must be as pale as a ghost.
"I've been thinking this through carefully for a long while, and it's due time I take action at once, before I lose another chance. She's an incredibly beautiful woman and it's only a matter of time that someone else apart from me sees it and snatches her away right in front of my nose," Niles counters vehemently. "You remember that Rodney almost two years ago? Just wait for one more day, you suggested, offering your usual shit advice. And look how that ended! With her meeting that asshole who disrespected her and cheated on her with that Adelle! It's true that later I understood that I wouldn't have acted correctly if I had jumped at the chance like Rodney did, knowing that she'd just ended a long-term relationship with Joe, but now it's been a while since Daphne has dated someone as far as we know. I wouldn't be taking advantage of her vulnerability in this case. It's now or never, Frasier."
Oh my God. Dr. Crane is in love with me! She's frozen on the spot, all thoughts about her shopping and chores completely forgotten. She can hardly function after such revelation!
"Okay, Niles, you're right. Talk to her. You've been friends for years, that can be a great thing. Lots of romantic relationships start between friends," Frasier encourages.
"Well, I don't want to scare her, so I can't tell her about my true feelings yet. Asking her to have dinner together somewhere would be safer, don't you believe?," Niles inquires.
Daphne is almost hyperventilating.
"Yeah, it's a good idea. She loves having dinner at restaurants," Frasier agrees.
"And we might go dancing too. It was wonderful when we danced together at the Snow Ball nearly three years ago."
Daphne blushes, remembering that striking night. She hasn't ever forgotten about it either. Niles had genuinely swept her off her feet, though by that time she couldn't believe that he was interested in her, and besides he was married, so she had discarded all notions of romance with him and blamed everything that happened between them at the Snow Ball on a show they'd put on in front of Mrs. Crane's friends.
Technically he's still married, but in divorce proceedings, and everyone knows that there's no turning back for him, as he finally opened his eyes to the fact that Mrs. Crane always treated him very poorly and his love for her has withered long ago.
"Good luck, brother. I'd like so much to see you happy. Let's see if one of us Cranes is lucky in love at last," Frasier wishes.
"I'll talk to her later in the afternoon, after I finish work today. But I doubt I'll be able to focus on anything," he admits with a nervous tone. "I'm going back to the office. Thanks for listening and supporting me, Frasier. I value it a lot."
"I'm glad to help you. See you later, Niles."
"See you later, Frasier."
After that, Daphne hears the main door being opened and closed, and she's still motionless on the corner of the hallway leading from her bedroom to the living room.
And she doesn't have the slightest clue either about what she's going to do.