A Scandalous Bundle by Ava Stone

Author:Ava Stone [Stone, Ava]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ava Stone

Chapter 3

Where was Livvie? Cordie had to suffer through an awful minuet with Brookfield, and then she couldn’t spot her friend or Kelfield anywhere. So she strolled the perimeter, past couples dancing, matrons gossiping, and friends clustered together laughing and talking with each other. At one point she caught Clayworth watching her, though why he was doing so she couldn’t imagine. Though she tipped her nose further in the air, his eyes never left her. Infuriating man!

“Cordelia Avery!” came a familiar voice behind her.

Cordie turned and was instantly embraced by an old friend. Henrietta Scutchings, a fair haired young matron, smiled sweetly.

“Hen, I didn’t know you were in Town.”

Henrietta quickly linked her arm with Cordie’s and led her towards group of women. “I insisted that Edward return me to London when I heard Lady Staveley was hosting this ball.”

She was quickly surrounded by a number of other young matrons, all discussing the unseasonably warm summer. Cordie realized as she looked around her that each of the women present had all come out the same year she and Olivia had. She was the only one left unmarried. Why had that not bothered her before now? Heavens, what if her mother was right? Cordie pushed that thought away almost as quickly as it entered her mind. She refused to believe her mother was right about anything.

“You were at the Prestwick house party, weren’t you?” May Lismore asked.

The house party where Livvie met Kelfield. The reason for their rather quick marriage. The crowd around them quieted when Cordie nodded.

Henrietta nearly squealed with delight. “Oh, Cordelia, do tell. What precisely happened with Olivia and the duke? I’m dying to know.”

Cordie frowned. They didn’t honestly think she’d talk behind her dearest friend’s back, did they? In the first place, she would never do such a thing. Besides, Livvie was going through a hard enough time as it was. She would never add to it. “They fell in love. Isn’t it obvious?”

May pursed her lips, obviously annoyed with the answer. “I heard they fell into something, but I don’t know that I’d call it love,” she replied cattily.

Cordie’s back stiffened and she leveled the matron with her iciest stare. “Well, as I was there, and you were not, I suppose you’ll have to take my word for it. They fell quickly in love and Kelfield, who is quite an impatient man by the way, did not want to wait for the banns. And when one is as powerful as His Grace, one doesn’t have to. I think it’s wildly romantic.”

“I suppose she must have forgotten she still had a fiancé,” Henrietta whispered loud enough for the entire group to hear.

Well there was that. But Livvie hadn’t gone out of her way to fall in love with the duke. It had just happened. “I’m certain Major Moore would want her to be happy.”

The women all tittered behind their fans at her and Cordie thrust out her chin defiantly. At one time she and Livvie would have considered each of these women to be friends.

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