The guests began arriving at Wisteria Hollow well before dinner, and we were ready to charm them. Well, at least the others were. Although I’d been nothing but proper and pleasant at recent functions, developments with Cedric had made me even more uninterested in others than usual. I offered up no more than was expected of me and had once overheard a gentleman say, “That diamond girl is a lot duller than I expected.”

In another act of absentmindedness, I’d forgotten to put on rouge tonight. It seemed a minor thing, particularly since I wore so little anyway, but an already-stressed Mistress Culpepper acted as though the ruin of modern civilization was upon us. She ordered me back to my room, telling me to take the servants’ stairs in the back, lest anyone see my terrible breach of fashion.

As I moved through the kitchen, I overheard two men arguing in one of the food storage rooms. The kitchen staff was busy and barely noticed me as I lingered outside the door to eavesdrop.

“What do you mean he’s coming? He wasn’t put on the guest list!” Cedric exclaimed.

“You mean you didn’t put him on the guest list,” Jasper snapped. “I don’t know what you’re playing at, but don’t think I haven’t noticed you cutting him out of her calendar! If you’re going to ruin this deal for us, then I need to take charge and fix things.”

“He’s not a good match for her,” Cedric said. “And she doesn’t like him.”

“How could she, when she’s barely gotten a chance to talk to him? Now get out there and be a charming host, and don’t screw this up any further!”

Jasper came storming out, and I shrank off to the side before he could see me. I stepped forward when Cedric appeared.

“I assume you were talking about Warren?”

“Yes,” he growled, anger sparking in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t have anything to do with it—but don’t let it bother you. You don’t have to talk to him tonight, and if he tries to monopolize you, I’ll distract him.”

“Well, as friendly as things have been between you, I’m sure that won’t be hard,” I said.

“I’ll take care of it,” he insisted. “You just worry about getting to know Mister Adelton.”

He waited for me to get my rouge and then walked with me to the drawing room. We came to an uncomfortable halt at the doorway. Etiquette dictated a gentleman in his position—one who was my guardian, of sorts—escort me into the room. He offered his arm, and I slipped my hand through it. As soon as I did, I felt that jolt of electricity go through me. Cedric took a deep breath, equally affected.

“We can do this,” he said. “We’re both strong. We can do it.”

To my dismay, I saw Warren hadn’t come alone—his mother was with him. When he spied me from across the room, he lit up and began working his way toward me through the crowd. Cedric immediately made an abrupt turn and hurried me over to a corner where a thin man with sandy-colored hair stood sipping brandy. He was nice enough looking, though not as dashingly handsome as Cedric—but then, who could be?

“Mister Nicholas Adelton,” announced Cedric. “May I present Miss Adelaide Bailey.”

Nicholas took my hand with a smile. “Miss Bailey, the reports I heard of you don’t do you justice—which is astonishing, considering how effusive Mister Thorn was in his description.”

I smiled back. “He’s a salesman, Mister Adelton. It’s his job.”

“Most of the salesmen I’ve met sell nothing but snake oil. Something tells me that—”

He was interrupted when Warren finally made his way to us. “Adelaide! I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve seen you.”

The charm I’d started to turn on for Nicholas instantly faded. “Mister Doyle,” I said, responding formally to his use of my first name. “How nice that you could come.”

He glanced over at Nicholas. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but it’s imperative that I—”

Cedric swiftly stepped forward and moved to Warren’s side, blocking me from him. “Mister Doyle! I’m so glad you’re here.”

Warren gave him a wary look. “You are?”

“Yes. There are all sorts of rumors about the Lorandians amassing soldiers on the borders of the northwestern colonies—some even harassing the forts up there. I was hoping you could provide some insight—after all, I’ve heard that no one in town is more knowledgeable about the Lorandians than you. You stayed with them back on the continent, didn’t you? I assume you must still know something of their affairs—unless you’ve let yourself get out of date.”

“Well, I . . .” Warren grew uncertain, torn between his ardent pursuit of me and the irresistible lure of Cedric’s suggestion that Warren might be lacking in knowledge. Cedric pounced on that indecision and physically steered Warren away.

“Come, let’s get a drink and discuss it further. We don’t want to bore these two with politics.” And within moments, he had Warren halfway across the room.

Nicholas watched them with amusement. “He’s very good at his job. I imagine it’s tougher than it looks.”

“Yes,” I agreed a bit sadly.

He focused back on me. “But I imagine this is a tough job for you too. It must be like being on stage, right? Always on display, never showing weakness. Looking at you all tonight . . . it’s kind of incredible. Every detail perfect. But do you ever feel like . . . well, forgive me if this is offensive, do you ever feel like commodities for sale in some shop window?”

It took me a moment to answer. We were coming upon the third week of our social season, and no man had ever thought to ask me anything like that. “Yes,” I admitted. “All the time.”

That honesty unlocked an ease between us, and we fell into avid conversation. I saw that Cedric was right about Nicholas being candid and funny, and he seemed to appreciate those qualities in me as well. We even talked a little about his legal practice, and I could tell he was surprised that I was so informed about law and politics. Under any other circumstances, I could have easily been this man’s friend. Because despite how interesting he was, he mustered nothing more than fond feelings within me. But he was the most appealing of all the suitors I’d met so far. I shouldn’t have been surprised, considering Cedric had handpicked him. Cedric knew me that well. And as the night progressed, I tried to decide: If I couldn’t give Nicholas my love, could I give him a happy enough marriage? It would be unfair otherwise.

At dinner, Cedric contrived to have Nicholas sit beside me—with Warren far down at the other end. He would occasionally shoot me pining looks, while Viola simply glared daggers. On the other side of me was an older gentleman, grumbling about how Cape Triumph was “falling into chaos.”

“Anarchy,” he told Nicholas and me. “That’s what’s happening here. The governor needs to get control before these miscreants take over. Did you hear that those Alanzan heretics they caught last week have already escaped from jail? And where is the army? Why are more and more soldiers going to other colonies? Icori are amassing in the west—they haven’t left, no matter what those fools say. Then there’s the pirates. A royal tax ship bound for Osfrid was taken last week. The nerve.”