Page 31 of The Duke's Goddess

Countess Linsgate looked suitably stunned. “Copenhagen? I’m sure I don’t know what it’s like there right now.”

The statement had meant to ruffle her feathers enough to distract her, but more importantly, the code word Copenhagen had been used as a signal to her sisters.

“Have you been? To erm—Copenhagen?” the countess asked as if she were grasping at a question in the air around her.

“Copenhagen?” Joan repeated loudly, looking around trying to catch her sisters’ eyes. “I’ve never been toCopenhagen.” Emphasizing the word again finally caught Nobi’s attention. Joan watched as Nobi eyed Mimi and mouthedCopenhagento her. Then she sat back and waited for a moment.

Nobi approached with a smile—fake, but only Joan could tell that. Using the most mellifluous tones, her elder sister asked, “I beg your pardon, Countess, but may we borrow Joan? We need her to settle a dispute for us?”

“Of course,” the countess nodded her head. Likely only too grateful to not have to continue the discourse on Copenhagen.

Mimi took Joan’s hand and the sisters sat at the perimeter of the group, not easily overheard by others.

“Copenhagen?” Mimi asked with a lifted brow and a slight smile playing on her face. “We haven’t had to use that code word in a while.”

Joan exhaled in relief. She could always count on her sisters. “I thought I could manage the small talk, but I needed a break.”

“Happens to the best of us,” Mimi said. “A woman can only endure so many conversations about fashion and food.”

Nobi chuckled. “I happen to like those discussions.”

“Do you? Or do you just play along to get along?” Mimi challenged lightly.

“It’s a moot point. Joan needs us. What’s going on?” Nobi turned to Joan, laying a hand on her forearm. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” Now that she had her sisters’ attention, she wasn’t sure how much she wanted to disclose.

“Well, you must be feeling good about yourself?” Mimi asked Joan after taking a sip of tea.

“Why do you say that?”

Mimi tilted her head at Sally who was staring off at a wall with a family portrait, the dreamy eyes clearly not intaking the familial features of their host.

“She looks like she's in love,” Nobi said quietly.

And if anyone would know, it was Nobi. She had been pining after Chris since forever. But Joan asked anyway, “Do you really think so?”

Nobi nodded. “She has definitely changed since the ball when all the talk started.”

Joan was feeling giddy at the success of her recent efforts. “She just needs one more small nudge.”

“I don’t think so. She looks like she’s fallen—oomph.” Nobi rubbed her upper arm and glared at Mimi. “What—”

“Yes,” Mimi interrupted her sister. “What makes you think she needs another push?”

“James and I agreed that with one more little nudge, the fate of those two will be sealed.”

Nobi opened her mouth but no words came out. Instead, words from Mimi filled the silence. “We couldn’t agree more, could we Nobi?”

Nobi massaged her upper arm again. “Right,” she murmured. “I just hope you two know what you’re doing,” she added as she reached for a tea biscuit.

“Of course we do. We have a plan.”

“Ooooh,” Mimi sing-songed. “What’s the plan?”

Joan paused. She didn’t really want to tell her sisters about the tryst they had planned for Jacob and Sally. It felt like a breach of trust to share the secret plan with her sisters. Then again, her sisters were her closest allies. She should trust them above anyone else. So…why didn’t she want to in this instance?

“Come on, Joan. Tell us,” Nobi pried.

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