Ines buttered her toast with precise, deliberate movents. She didn’t look up.
"He had to leave for sothing important," Ines replied calmly.
Rowan paused. "Leave? To where?"
"To the city," Ines said. "He received a letter yesterday. From his solicitor. A matter regarding... boundaries."
She looked at Rowan then. Her dark eyes held a ssage.
He is doing what you cannot.
"He will be back before the ball," Ines added. "He sends his regrets to Lady Farrington and Lady Celine."
Rowan understood imdiately. Carcel had gone to investigate. He had gone to dig into the na "Hawksley." He would have at least inford him.
"Okay," Rowan replied. He took a sip of coffee to hide his relief. "I hope he resolves it."
"Oh, Carcel is very good at resolving things," Ines said with a small smirk.
Lady Celine turned to Delaney.
"Miss Kingsley," Celine said sweetly. "Mama said you were unwell yesterday. A headache?"
"Yes," Delaney said. "A migraine. I am prone to them."
"Oh, poor thing," Celine sympathized. "I find that a cold compress of cucumber water helps. And silence. Do you have enough silence?"
"I have plenty of silence," Delaney said.
"She has too much silence," Aunt Margery interrupted, feeding Fifi a piece of sausage under the table. "That is why she thinks too much. A woman needs noise! Drama! Romance!"
Lady Farrington sniffed. "A woman needs a husband."
"Indeed," Margery agreed. "Which is why we are all here."
Breakfast was served.
It was a strange al.
On one side of the table, Lady Farrington was grilling Rowan about the Hamilton family jewels.
"And the tiara?" she asked. "The diamond one with the pearls? Is it in the vault?"
"It is safe, Lady Farrington," Rowan said politely.
"Good. Celine looks excellent in pearls. They make her skin glow."
On the other side, Ines was watching Delaney.
Ines noticed that Delaney barely touched her food. She noticed that Delaney kept glancing at the door, as if expecting a monster to walk in. And she noticed that every ti Delaney looked nervous, Rowan would shift in his chair or clear his throat to distract the table.
Interesting, Ines thought. Very interesting.
After the al, the footn cleared the plates. The coffee cups were refilled.
Rowan sat back. "Well," he said. "I suppose I should go to the study and—"
"Not so fast, brother," Ines said.
She stood up. She tapped her spoon against her glass.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Everyone looked at her.
Ines bead happily. It was a terrifying smile. It was the smile of a Duchess who was bored and had decided to make her boredom everyone else’s problem.
"We have a guest," Ines announced, gesturing to Celine. "And we have a family reunion. It is a beautiful day. Therefore, work is banned."
Rowan narrowed his eyes. "Ines..."
"By noon," Ines declared, ignoring him, "there will be a series of gas to play. In the garden."
"Gas?" Lady Farrington asked, looking horrified. "Like... tag?"
"Heaven forbid," Ines laughed. "Civilized gas. Croquet. Pall Mall. Perhaps a round of blind man’s bluff if the sherry flows freely enough."
She looked at Delaney.
"Miss Kingsley, you will join us, of course," Ines said. It wasn’t a question.
"Oh, I couldn’t," Delaney protested quickly. "I have lists to make. The nu for the ball..."
"The nu is finished," Ines said. "You recited it yesterday. Sole and pheasant. I rember. You are playing."
She looked at Celine.
"And you, Lady Celine," Ines said. "I assu you play Pall Mall?"
Celine brightened. "I love gas! I am quite competitive."
"Excellent," Ines said. She rubbed her hands together. "We shall see what everyone is made of."
She looked at Rowan.
"I hope everyone will be ready?" she challenged.
Rowan sighed. He knew his sister. She was up to sothing. She wanted to see Celine under pressure. She wanted to see Delaney outside of her "cousin" costu. She wanted chaos.
"I suppose I have no choice," Rowan said.
"None at all," Ines confird. "Twelve o’clock. The South Lawn. Wear comfortable shoes."
She looked pointedly at Delaney’s feet.
"And try not to hit anyone with a mallet," Ines added sweetly. "Unless they deserve it."
Lady Farrington looked at her daughter. "Do not sweat, Celine. It is unladylike."
"I won’t sweat, Mama," Celine promised. "I will win."
Rowan looked at Delaney across the table. He gave her a small, resigned shrug.
Delaney looked back. For the first ti that morning, a genuine spark of amusent flickered in her eyes.
Gas, she thought. Well, at least it’s sothing to make relax.
"I will be there," Delaney said.
"Splendid," Ines said. "Let the gas begin."
~ • Noon. The South Lawn. • ~
The sun was high and bright. The grass had been freshly cut, slling sharp and green.
The servants had set up the Pall Mall course. Colorful wooden hoops were stuck into the ground. Mallets and heavy wooden balls lay in a pile.
Ines stood at the starting line, holding a scorecard.
"Teams," Ines announced. "We need teams."
"I shall partner with His Grace," Lady Farrington said imdiately, stepping toward Rowan.
"Oh, no, Lady Farrington," Ines corrected. "You are a mama. You must rest and leave the gas for we young people. To encourage bonding."
She tapped her chin with a pencil.
"Rowan," Ines said. "You will partner with Lady Celine."
Rowan nodded. "A pleasure."
Celine blushed prettily. "I will try not to disappoint you, Your Grace."
"And Aunt Margery," Ines said. "You will serve as the referee. Since you are the only one Fifi will listen to."
"I shall be a fair and just judge!" Margery shouted from a garden chair, where she was already drinking lemonade.
"Which leaves..." Ines looked at Delaney.
Delaney stood in her beige dress, clutching her shawl. She looked like she wanted to blend into the hedge.
"Miss Kingsley," Ines said. "You will be on my team."
Delaney blinked. "Your team, Your Grace?"
"Yes," Ines said. "We shall be the ’Observers.’ We will crush them."
"I... I am not very good at sports," Delaney admitted.
"Nonsense," Ines said. "You have excellent posture. That is half the battle."
Rowan picked up a mallet. It was the blue one. He handed a pink one to Celine.
"Shall we?" Rowan asked.
Celine took the mallet. She took a practice swing. It was surprisingly strong.
Whoosh.
"Oh my," Rowan said, stepping back.
"I told you," Celine giggled. "I like to win."
Delaney watched them. She saw Rowan smile at Celine—a polite, courtly smile. She saw Celine beam back. They looked like a painting of a perfect couple. The Duke and the Diamond.
She felt a sharp, stinging pain in her chest that had nothing to do with her heart and everything to do with the man in the green coat.
"Focus, Miss Kingsley," Ines whispered in her ear.
Delaney jumped.
Ines was standing right next to her, holding a black mallet.
"The ga isn’t about the ball," Ines murmured, looking at her brother and Celine. "The ga is about seeing who flinches first."
Ines handed Delaney a yellow mallet.
"Here," Ines said. "Yellow is the color of cowardice, but also of the sun. Decide which one you are today."
Delaney gripped the wood handle. She looked at Rowan. He was laughing at sothing Celine said.
She looked at Ines.
"I am not a coward," Delaney said softly.
"Prove it," Ines challenged. "Hit the ball, Miss Kingsley. Aim for the heart."
"The hoop," Delaney corrected. "We aim for the hoop."
Ines smirked. "If you say so."
"Play ball!" Aunt Margery yelled. "Fifi is getting impatient!"
And with a crack of wood against wood, the ga began.
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