Isabelle gives a choked laugh. “I don’t know why you and Sienna are so obsessed with the idea of me having babies. You first, Cordie. You first.”
For a second, it looks like they might start tussling right here in the dining room. Muriel leans over and touches Cordelia’s shoulder and that is all it takes for her to get her game face back in place. She spares us a glance. “You have my blessing. Next time you decide to take a vacation, get permission first.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Gaeton rises easily to his feet and gives me a hand up. I don’t need it, but I like that he offered. I like it even more than he doesn’t drop the contact immediately. We turn to Isabelle as a unit.
Before I can say a single goddamn thing, one of our men bursts into the room. He checks his stride so he’s not quite running, but there’s no hiding how frazzled he looks. He hurries around the table and murmurs in Muriel’s ear. She leans down to whisper to Cordelia, and the woman’s face goes still. “She’s early. Yes, let her in. Give us a few minutes and we’ll meet her in my office.” She stands and gives a bright smile to the table. “If you’ll excuse us for a few moments. Duty calls.” She lowers her voice. “Sienna, Isabelle, bring your men.”
Isabelle rises and moves to us. She gives a tight smile. “Thank you.”
“You have nothing to thank us for.” Gaeton slips his free arm around her shoulders and gives her a squeeze. “Let’s go see where the fire is.”
We end up in Cordelia’s study. It’s not the same one Orsino used, and something inside me relaxes at that. I know I’ll be faced with memories of him, again and again, but this is a welcome reprieve. Or it would be if I knew what we’re walking into.
Cordelia sits on a chair that aspires to be a throne, Muriel in her customary place at her right shoulder. Sienna lounges on a fainting chair, her head on David’s thick thigh, reading a book on some kind of theoretical physics, as if we weren’t just about to sit down to dinner.
Gaeton and I exchange a look and he drops to sprawl on the empty couch to the other side of Cordelia’s chair, pulling Isabelle down to tuck against his side. If shit gets heavy, he’ll use his body as a shield to protect her. I move around to stand behind the couch, close to the metal lamp that can be used as a weapon in a pinch. I’d prefer guns, but we both knew better than to show up armed to this meeting.
We don’t have to wait long.
The same frazzled man from before enters the room and stands aside to hold the door. I’m not exactly surprised to see Ursa come through the door next, but I honestly expected her to wait longer to make her move. She’s got her hair piled in a crown on her head and she’s wearing golden gown that shimmers as she walks. She looks around the room. “Good, everyone is here.” A glance at the man. “You can leave.”
Cordelia arches a brow. “Don’t give my people orders, Ursa. It’s rude.” She sounds cold and perfectly in control, the nerves I glimpsed earlier nowhere in evidence.
“I’m sorry, darling.” Ursa laughs. “I’m so used to being in charge. I’m sure you understand.”
“All the same.”
“Hmmm, yes. Of course.” Her attention lands on Isabelle and then slowly moves to Gaeton before settling on me. “I see the three of you have made things official. Congratulations.”
I tense. This is no meeting of congratulations, not when we were teetering on the brink of war before the three of us got our shit together. Not when we’re still teetering on the brink of war. This isn’t my show, though. It’s Cordelia’s, and I have to keep my fucking mouth shut and let her run this.
With that in mind, I lean down and grip both Isabelle and Gaeton’s shoulders. I might have the control to stay silent, but if Gaeton lets her rile him, this will be all over.
Ursa clocks the move and her red lips curl. “Cute.”
“Ursa.” Cordelia doesn’t shift, doesn’t seem to so much as breathe. “I intended to save this for an official meeting, but since you’re here, now is as good a time as any.”
“You want me to cease and desist with our little border skirmish.”
Border skirmish?
The gall of this woman. I might be impressed if she wasn’t threatening the very people I care most about in this world.
“It’s a waste of time and resources. You must know you can’t win.”
Again, Ursa’s gaze glances on the three of us. “A woman can dream.” She flicks fingertips with nails as red as her lips. “Ah well, not every plan comes to fruition. I am willing to, as you put it, cease and desist. For a price.”