Page 1 of My Ruthless Duke

Chapter 1

“Have you seen my Mama?”

Cordelia Farrington felt as if she were undertaking an impossible task. Though given that she was hunting down a woman so predisposed to theatrics, she ought not to be having such a difficult time. Normally, her mother, the Dowager Marchioness of Salisbury, had the sort of voice that could fill theaters with its resonance.

Except for tonight. The older woman being silent was a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it meant that she had likely not yet gotten herself into trouble. On the other hand, she could not be located, which could mean she was being scandalous behind a closed door somewhere. Cordelia’s nerves could not handle either option.

Marina Marner, Cordelia’s dear friend, clutched her wine glass and looked around herself. “She was just here a moment ago…”

“That is what I was afraid of.” Cordelia sighed.

“I saw her at the refreshments table, but now… surely, she cannot have gotten too far?”

If only that were true.

“Alas, she is a slippery woman, Marina; do not underestimate her,” Cordelia answered.

At least Marina had the decency to cover her mouth with the back of her hand instead of openly laughing at Cordelia. “Cordelia, dearest, relax. She cannot be into anything terrible in such a short amount of time!”

Cordelia’s head whipped around; her search momentarily paused as her eyes widened. “Do not jinx me!”

Marina pushed at her shoulders, urging her to continue. She spoke with a laugh, for she knew too well just how embarrassing Cordelia’s mother could be from time to time. Given the quality of the wine served tonight, Cordelia’s concern was well-founded. “Then you better hurry.”

At the last ball she had attended with her mother, the woman had taken it upon herself to declare the quartet inept and chose to host a one-woman opera show. Loudly and sorely off-key. Lavinia had spent the entire afternoon moping around their house, lamenting the loss of her husband and complaining that her life was not supposed to be the way that it was. Motherliked to blame all their woes and misfortunes on the premature loss of her husband. Though Cordelia personally did not see how missing a shoe or misplacing a teacup could have anything to do with her father’s death.

It was Cordelia’s fourth unsuccessful season in the marriage mart, so her mother’s embarrassing behavior was unlikely to be the reason she did not take a husband for another summer—but that did not mean that the humiliation would be any easier to endure.

Slowly, casually, Cordelia wove through the socializing bodies without paying much attention to whom she passed or to whatever gossip they were sharing with one another. Such things were of very little interest to her on a good day and even less so now.

Her mother was wearing a blue dress; she could remember that much. But nearly everybody, including herself, had chosen to wear some shade of blue this evening. The hour was growing late, and whatever the Blithe family had planned for their grand end-of-ball celebration was bound to begin at any moment.

Glass shattered on the opposite side of the ballroom, and Cordelia’s heart plummeted into her stomach. “Not again.”

Every possible worst-case scenario of her mother being an irritating lush ran through her mind at double speed as Cordelia gathered her skirts in her hands and started for the commotion as quickly as she possibly could. She wove through the people while attempting to make her slight frame smaller so thatshe would not draw unwanted attention to herself. There was nothing that she hated more than being the center of attention.

I suppose I have to thank Mama for that.

In her haste, she did not account for those around her—nor the man who stepped into her path. Cordelia stumbled, her ankle threatening to roll as her knees buckled. The man gasped, nearly fumbling his wine glass all down his shirt, and had to drop it entirely. His arm caught her about the waist, steadying her.

“I am so sorry, my lord!” Cordelia gushed, attempting to smooth down her dress and bend to grab the wine goblet—and the man did the same, causing their foreheads to bump together painfully. She recoiled, pressing the heel of her palm into her forehead and hissing in discomfort.

“It would seem that clumsiness is not a thing that one grows out of, after all,” the man said kindly, a smile in his voice.

Only then did she realize that she knew him, fortunate indeed. “Matthew?” Cordelia squinted through one eye, ensuring that she was not seeing things. He stood, holding out his hand to help her up with a grin. “Oh, Cousin! I thought that you were still in the country! I had no idea that we were to expect you this Season! What happy news!”

“It would be, but it seems that just as in childhood, our bumbling is worse around one another.” He laughed, putting her more at ease about the faux pas.

“It would seem so! Though, I do not know how many times I can possibly apologize for the accident that ended in you breaking your arm.”

“The ground came out of nowhere; I still maintain that.” Matthew grinned and placed his empty goblet on a passing footman’s tray. “Where are you off to in such a hurry, might I ask? If it can wait, I would be sorely tempted to test fate by asking you to dance.”

Cordelia could not help but laugh. “Sir, I fear your feet shall never recover from being trampled!”

Her cousin was such a kind man. It would bring her joy to dance with him, and she knew it. Were her mother somebody else, were they in a less influential setting, then perhaps she could have allowed herself to be a touch more indulgent. Cordelia answered with a sigh. “How about we leave this for a different time? I am my mother’s keeper this evening, it would seem.”

“How do you mean?”

It was a perfectly logical question to ask her, and yet she found herself hesitating. How was she supposed to explain the shift in her mother’s behavior? Before their father passed, they were a beloved and well-respected couple. How was she supposed to tell him that her mother was falling into a drinking stupor? The habit was bad enough, but actually voicing it out loud? She was not sure she could do that.

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