performance.”
He felt some of her ebullience leave the slim body under his hands. She sighed. “I don’t see why you should both be so cross, when no one except ourselves and Toinette knows who I am. And it’s past midnight, so I can disappear and no one will ever be any the wiser. Besides, I didn’t notice anyone salivating over me.”
“That, I suspect, is your only saving grace,” Leo said aridly. “If you had calculated the effect you had, you would be quite insufferable.”
Cordelia turned aside and stared fiercely out of the window. She was accustomed to being scolded for her high spirits, but not in this fashion, and certainly not by Christian. “Maybe it was a mistake,” she conceded, her voice a little muffled. “So, can we stop talking about it now, please? I have something much more important to discuss.”
“Something private?” Leo inquired with a raised eyebrow.
Cordelia turned back to face him, regarding him intently, her eyes glowing turquoise through the slits in her black silk mask. “I would like to take you into our confidence, my lord. I … I think perhaps you might be able to help us.”
“Oh.” The eyebrow almost disappeared into his scalp.
“Cordelia, I don’t think—” Christian began hesitantly.
“Viscount Kierston will help us,” Cordelia interrupted. “You will, won’t you?” She laid a hand on his forearm, on the bare flesh exposed by the toga. Despite her preoccupation, her eyes darted upward, an almost startled expression in them as her fingers crossed over his warm skin. Leo pulled his arm from her.
“Go and change your clothes,” he said, keeping his voice level only with an enormous effort. “I refuse to discuss anything with you in that outfit.”
“But you’ll both stay here and wait for me?” she asked urgently. “I won’t be many minutes.”
“Christian and I will further our acquaintance in your absence,” he responded coolly.
“Very well.” She whirled to the door. “Christian, you can explain the situation with Poligny while I’m gone. And then I’ll tell you both of my plan when I come back.”
The viscount shook his head as she vanished. “I find I need a glass of champagne to restore my equilibrium.” He strode to the bellpull hanging beside the door and summoned a footman.
“Cordelia does sometimes have that effect,” Christian ventured with a timid smile. “She’s so full of energy and ideas, she often throws me off balance.”
Leo’s smile was a trifle rueful, but he didn’t respond. He gave orders to the footman who’d appeared instantly, then said, “So, put me in the picture, Christian.”
Cordelia flew upstairs to the small chamber she occupied when the court was in residence at the Belvedere Palace. It was nowhere near as elegant or spacious as her apartments in the Schonbrunn, although not as cramped as those in the ancient Hofburg Palace, but the court was accustomed to moving from one palace to another according to the empress’s ceremonial obligations, and Cordelia was at home in any one of them.
She hauled on the bellpull and ran to the armoire, tugging the tunic over her head as she did so.
“My goodness gracious me! Whatever are you wearing, girl?” Mathilde appeared in the doorway within minutes of the summons. She’d been Cordelia’s nurse and now performed the duties of abigail even as she continued to scold, caress, comfort, and doctor as if Cordelia was still her nurseling.
“Whatever would your uncle say? And the empress?” She closed the door swiftly at her back as if prying eyes might be in the corridor.
“Oh, don’t you start, Mathilde.” Cordelia emerged fromthe tunic and tossed it to the floor. “Only Toinette knew who I was, and she thought it a famous joke. But I have to change now.” She tugged at the waistband of her britches while examining the contents of the armoire. “I shall have the seamstress make me up a gown of sackcloth with a neck that goes up to my ears! That
He felt some of her ebullience leave the slim body under his hands. She sighed. “I don’t see why you should both be so cross, when no one except ourselves and Toinette knows who I am. And it’s past midnight, so I can disappear and no one will ever be any the wiser. Besides, I didn’t notice anyone salivating over me.”
“That, I suspect, is your only saving grace,” Leo said aridly. “If you had calculated the effect you had, you would be quite insufferable.”
Cordelia turned aside and stared fiercely out of the window. She was accustomed to being scolded for her high spirits, but not in this fashion, and certainly not by Christian. “Maybe it was a mistake,” she conceded, her voice a little muffled. “So, can we stop talking about it now, please? I have something much more important to discuss.”
“Something private?” Leo inquired with a raised eyebrow.
Cordelia turned back to face him, regarding him intently, her eyes glowing turquoise through the slits in her black silk mask. “I would like to take you into our confidence, my lord. I … I think perhaps you might be able to help us.”
“Oh.” The eyebrow almost disappeared into his scalp.
“Cordelia, I don’t think—” Christian began hesitantly.
“Viscount Kierston will help us,” Cordelia interrupted. “You will, won’t you?” She laid a hand on his forearm, on the bare flesh exposed by the toga. Despite her preoccupation, her eyes darted upward, an almost startled expression in them as her fingers crossed over his warm skin. Leo pulled his arm from her.
“Go and change your clothes,” he said, keeping his voice level only with an enormous effort. “I refuse to discuss anything with you in that outfit.”
“But you’ll both stay here and wait for me?” she asked urgently. “I won’t be many minutes.”
“Christian and I will further our acquaintance in your absence,” he responded coolly.
“Very well.” She whirled to the door. “Christian, you can explain the situation with Poligny while I’m gone. And then I’ll tell you both of my plan when I come back.”
The viscount shook his head as she vanished. “I find I need a glass of champagne to restore my equilibrium.” He strode to the bellpull hanging beside the door and summoned a footman.
“Cordelia does sometimes have that effect,” Christian ventured with a timid smile. “She’s so full of energy and ideas, she often throws me off balance.”
Leo’s smile was a trifle rueful, but he didn’t respond. He gave orders to the footman who’d appeared instantly, then said, “So, put me in the picture, Christian.”
Cordelia flew upstairs to the small chamber she occupied when the court was in residence at the Belvedere Palace. It was nowhere near as elegant or spacious as her apartments in the Schonbrunn, although not as cramped as those in the ancient Hofburg Palace, but the court was accustomed to moving from one palace to another according to the empress’s ceremonial obligations, and Cordelia was at home in any one of them.
She hauled on the bellpull and ran to the armoire, tugging the tunic over her head as she did so.
“My goodness gracious me! Whatever are you wearing, girl?” Mathilde appeared in the doorway within minutes of the summons. She’d been Cordelia’s nurse and now performed the duties of abigail even as she continued to scold, caress, comfort, and doctor as if Cordelia was still her nurseling.
“Whatever would your uncle say? And the empress?” She closed the door swiftly at her back as if prying eyes might be in the corridor.
“Oh, don’t you start, Mathilde.” Cordelia emerged fromthe tunic and tossed it to the floor. “Only Toinette knew who I was, and she thought it a famous joke. But I have to change now.” She tugged at the waistband of her britches while examining the contents of the armoire. “I shall have the seamstress make me up a gown of sackcloth with a neck that goes up to my ears! That
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