Page 96 of A Problem Princess

“Your Highness and Your Grace.” He clapped his hands together with a beaming smile. “Welcome to Westminster Palace.”

“Thank you.” Danielle sniffed in false pique at the guard’s earlier failure to recognize them.

Cordelia feigned the haughty superiority that ran in royal blood and ignored him.

“I deeply apologize for any confusion and inconvenience. The palace didn’t send word that they would be inviting special guests,” he explained deferentially. “So we don’t have separate seating arranged for you at this time. But if you would please come with me, I’ll make you comfortable while you wait for it to be set up. Then I will personally seat you inside the hall myself, if I may do the honor.”

Cordelia nodded, then pointed at the floor at her feet. She hated behaving this way! But she had to present what most people expected—royal rudeness. “My cloak.”

The usher apologized for the oversight and picked up the pile of cloth. Folding it over his arm, he gestured politely toward the interior corridor that ran beside the great hall and the series of offices and anterooms leading from it.

Playing her part, Cordelia walked as regally as possible in the direction he indicated, not waiting for Danielle, who trailed after a step behind.

“The Office of the Exchequer,” he announced as he guided them toward an oak-paneled door. “Today, it’s serving as our ready room.”

He opened the door with a flourish. Cordelia swept past him and into the room.

She froze. “Marie.”

The comtesse startled. Her shocked face paled, and she stared at Cordelia as if she were seeing a ghost. But then, Cordelia considered, shewasseeing exactly that.

“Cordelia, y-you’re…alive.” She shrank against the clerk’s desk behind her. “But that—that’s impossible! The men said they’d killed you…”

Cordelia frowned. “What men?”

“The men at the town house.” The comtesse blinked hard, then shook her head to clear it. “The guards—the ones who found your tiara. We believed you’d been kidnapped and killed because I knew you’d never part with it otherwise.”

More proof that Marie saw her only as a princess and not the true woman within. Proof that Marie didn’t know her at all.

“Oh, thank God they were wrong!”

Recovering herself with a wide smile, Marie hurried across the room and threw her arms around Cordelia. The comtesse pulled her tightly against her and rested her cheek against Cordelia’s, pausing a moment to catch back her breath, calm herself, and not give way to her emotions.

“I’m all right,” Cordelia assured her.

“We were all so certain you were dead,” Marie whispered. “So certain…”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you,” Cordelia said, but her teasing fell flat. No matter. She was inside Parliament. Soon, she would play her part, just as Clayton wanted.

The comtesse stepped away and dropped an assessing look over her from tiara to toes. It wasn’t approval of her appearance that Cordelia read on her face. It was annoyance. “You tried so very hard to look like a proper princess, didn’t you? But no matter. What’s done is done.”

Before Cordelia could reply, Marie linked their arms and led her through the front reception area toward the exchequer’s main office in the back of the suite of rooms. Danielle followed respectfully at a distance.

The usher bowed and left to head back to his original post, his duty to the ladies now over.

“But why are youhere, Cordelia?” Marie frowned. “Why didn’t you go to the palace and see your uncle?”

Because the men of the Armory have most likely already surrounded him. Because I have to stop him before anyone else is hurt. Because Clayton protected me…“Because I came directly here for his address.”

“You shouldn’t be here.” Marie opened the inner door and led Cordelia inside. Then she paused and hissed in a low voice, “You’ll ruin everything.”

Marie slammed shut the door and threw the lock. Then she leaned back against it so Cordelia couldn’t open it and escape.

“What are you doing?” Cordelia demanded. From the other side, Danielle began to knock at the door, then tried the handle. “Open the door.”

“No.” Fury burned in her old friend’s eyes.

Cordelia lifted her chin and pointed at the door. “Open that door this instant and let the Duchess of Hampton inside. I order you!”