Page 96 of A Scandal for the Beastly Earl

"You're still green."

"It's a fashionable colour this season."

"Arabella..."

"Lucien, please. Can we just... not discuss this right now? We have to meet the Duchess for the morning ride in an hour, and I need to make myself presentable."

He caught her hand, pulling her into his arms. "You're always presentable."

"I look like death."

"Beautiful death."

"That's morbid."

"That's romantic. I'm getting better at it."

Despite her misery, she smiled. "You are. It's disturbing."

"Julian's been coaching me."

"That explains the morbidity."

He kissed her forehead, then her nose, then her lips—gentle, undemanding kisses that made her melt against him.

"Better?" he murmured.

"Much better," she admitted.

"Good. Now, tell me what's really wrong."

"Beyond the mysterious morning illness?"

"Beyond that."

She sighed, moving to sit on the bed. "Lady Worthington mentioned yesterday that Cassandra is here."

"What?" The warmth in his voice vanished instantly. "Cassandra is at this house gathering?"

"Apparently she arrived late last night. Uninvited, but the Duchess couldn't turn her away without causing a scene."

"We're leaving."

"We can't leave."

"Watch me."

"Lucien, if we flee every time Cassandra appears, we'll never stop running."

"I'm comfortable with that."

"I'm not." She stood, squaring her shoulders. "We faced her once and won. We can do it again."

"The last time she tried to destroy us with innuendo about Matilda."

"And failed."

"She'll try something worse this time."