h please.” Grace waved. “You want to go whether she’s there or not.”
“Why are we seeking out the countess again?” Cordelia’s stomach clenched. “She threatened to ruin us. Do we really want to give her the venue to do so?”
Minnie joined them, her features set in a deep frown. “Are we discussing the countess? She doesn’t need you to be present to ruin you, Corde. In fact, it would be easier for her to just start a rumor when we’re not in attendance.”
That was true. “She strikes me as a woman with a fair bit of gall. She’d prefer a large public display.”
“Fair point.” Diana nodded. “I simply want to test her. Is she going to call us out publicly? If she doesn’t then I say we can relax and go about our lives.” Diana took her hand. “But I’ll go without you three. No need for you to suffer as well.”
Cordelia shook her head. She couldn’t do that to Diana. “No. I’ll come with you.” Then she turned to Grace who was staring at the fish. “Grace?”
Her sister didn’t look up. “Must we all be ruined on the same night?”
“Grace,” she and Diana said in the same moment.
“Fine.” Grace sighed. “I’ll come.” Then she glanced over at Minnie. “Can you and Darlington escort us? You are married now. If I’m going to be ruined, I’d prefer Mother not be in attendance.”
Minnie gave a stiff nod. “Of course. Who better to understand what the countess is doing than my husband? But Mother may go anyway. You know how she is about these things.”
Diana brushed her forehead with her hand. “If the countess chooses to ruin us then Mother will find out no matter what.”
Cordelia winced. Once upon a time, Darlington had been engaged to the now Countess of Abernath. The relationship had ended so badly that Darlington hadn’t pursued another woman for years until he met Minnie. The Countess harbored some deep anger that she directed toward anyone that Darlington cared about. “Have you factored into this plan the fact that the countess is likely stark-raving mad?”
Diana straightened. “She doesn’t frighten me.”
“That makes one of us,” Grace mumbled.
Darlington and Malice entered the room again and crossed over to where the ladies stood. Tendrils of energy zipped through Cordelia as Malice approached. She looked down, carefully studying the carpet until he disappeared from her peripheral view.
“What are we discussing?” Darlington asked with a smile as he placed his arm about his new bride.
Minnie gave him a tight smile. “A ball my cousins are hoping we can escort them to.”
Darlington’s eyes narrowed. “Of course we can, but I’m curious to know why everyone looks as though we’re going to a funeral instead of a ball.”
Cordelia sucked in a breath. They’d been caught. She took a step back, not sure she wanted to participate in this conversation. The day had been full of drama as it was. But as she moved she bumped into a solid mass behind her. “Oh. I’m sorry.” She spun, already suspicious about who was positioned at her back. But her skirts tangled in her legs and her foot knocked some boot and then she tumbled to the side.
A squeak erupted from her lips just as a large hand caught her in midair. As quickly as she’d been falling, she was righted again.
“You make a habit of falling in my presence,” Malice rumbled, his hand still firmly holding her rib cage.
She tried to pull away, discreetly of course, but his hand was far stronger than her small attempt to move. And besides, something about his large hand was rather comforting as they discussed Lady Abernath. “You make a habit of tripping me.”
He gave a low chuckle, the sound echoing through her.
“Don’t make him feel bad for catching you,” Grace clucked. “You’ve always been unsteady on your feet. It’s your vision.”
Cordelia’s nails dug into her palm. Cordelia had never, in her entire life, wanted to pull Grace’s hair more.
By way of answer, Malice reached up and adjusted Cordelia’s glasses on her nose, pushing them more firmly onto her face. “These things are too big for your tiny nose.”
Cordelia shrugged. “I should likely get a new pair.”
“We’ve gotten off topic,” Daring cut in. “The ball?”
Diana sniffed. “If you must know, Countess Abernath will be there.”
Darlington didn’t answer for several seconds. “I told you that we’d take care of the countess. You don’t need to attend.”