Page 21 of The Duke's Goddess

“We did?” Nobi asked.

“We did,” Mimi confirmed, with a nudge to Nobi’s ribs.

“James and I discussed it after we three did. Sally and Jacob make the perfect couple. If only Sally could see it.” She didn’tthink she needed to remind her sisters of their conversation, but their lack of words prompted her to fill in some gaps.

“Yes, I completely agree.” Mimi affirmed, nodding her head.

Wait. That was strange behavior from Mimi. She wascompletely agreeing?Unlikely. Nobi was normally the agreeable one. “What do you mean, Mimi?”

“Just what I said. I agree. Sometimes a person can’t see their perfect match when they’re right in front of them. And they just need a little…nudge.” Mimi poked Joan in the arm.

“Stop that.” Joan swatted at Mimi’s index finger coming in for round two. “Sally thinks she’s in love with James—”

“And she’s not?” Nobi asked.

“Of course not. The man’s a rake. She just thinks she’s in love with him because women everywhere are swooning over his obsidian locks and ocean colored eyes. And his broad shoulders aren’t deterring her either.”

Nobi and Mimi’s eyebrows shot to the ceiling. “Yes…well, those features could fell any woman,” Nobi drawled.

“Perhaps,” Joan dismissed the idea. “Many a woman might fall for James, but not me. I can withstand his charm because I know the truth about him.”

“Which is…” Mimi left the question hanging in the air.

“He doesn’t want a wife. And he never will.”

“Is that all?”

Joan narrowed her eyes at Mimi. “Is that all?” she repeated the question. “That’s enough for any gently bred lady. The man doesn’t want a wife. There’s no point in falling for him.”

“I’m not sure it works that way,” Nobi said cautiously. It was as if she was trying to say something without really saying it.

“What way?” Joan asked, needing more details.

“You don’t exactly choose who you fall for.” Nobi’s explanation did little to appease Joan.

“Of course you do,” Joan expelled a puff of air. “You choose to love someone, and then you still have to choose to love them every day.”

“That’s a different kind of love,” Nobi clarified. “I’m talking about who you fall for. You don’t get to choose that. Sometimes you just” —Nobi sighed raggedly— “see his eyes and…fall. Hypothetically, that is.”

“Anyway, that’s not the point,” Joan plowed on not wanting to delay the plan to gossip about Jacob. She knew how Nobi felt about Chris. It wasn’t the kind of love she ever expected herself to feel. It was too rare. And she was too ordinary.

“Isn’t it? Aren’t we trying to make Sally fall for Jacob?” Mimi asked.

“Yes. And it’s simple. If we can just spread some rumors of Jacob’s…prowess…and erm—desirability—then Sally will see that other women want him. She’ll be jealous and fall for him.”

The sudden silence between the sisters was exasperating. Did she really need to spell it out in more detail for them? Did she need to break down the phonetics? Surely they could see howthe plan would work. But they were just looking at each other, communicating using their eyebrows and a side pout of the lips.

“What are you two discussing?”

“Nothing,” they said together.

“So will you help me?” And then she added, “And Sally?”

“Of course we will.”

And it only took four dances, six more lemon squares (split evenly between the three), and a few drips ofon ditspilled over the rims of three glasses of lemonade to get the rumors started.

I hope Jacob asks me to dance.

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