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The long wait until that evening would surely drive her batty. She could hardly wait, especially since she was so close. Her gown hung in her room so it didn’t wrinkle and her shoes had been polished until they shined. All she needed now was her accessories—her mother’s sapphire diadem and the matching necklace to be exact. She strolled to her brother’s study and knocked on the door. It was closed, which was rare these days. He was less irritable and more inviting. She hoped she wasn’t interrupting.
“Come in,” Daniel, the Earl of Hampstead, yelled.
She cracked the door opened and peeked inside. He wasn’t alone. The Viscount of Goodland was there. Callie remembered him. He’d been quite charming, but distant at the Christmastide party. Her brother had warned her against him. So of course she’d had to seek him out. How else was she to discern what was so terrible about him? To this day she didn’t understand what it was about the viscount her brother had found unworthy. He’d been kind and polite. His laughter often filled the room when he was there, and he’d been the perfect gentleman. Much to Callie’s chagrin. She’d been hoping for a reprobate after the way her brother had ordered her to stay away from him. Something Daniel hadn’t bothered to enforce either. He hadn’t seemed to truly care if the viscount was paying Callie any attention. Which made her wonder why Daniel had reacted so harshly when they had first arrived.
While she would have liked to learn more about the viscount, she’d set those wishes aside. He was as handsome as she remembered, but there was something different. The cheery expression she’d seen so often during Christmas wasn’t there. A darkness clouded his eyes that didn’t seem all that new. Had she overlooked it before, or had he just hidden it well?
“What do you need?” Daniel asked her.
“It’s about mother’s jewels…” She had discussed it with her brother before, but she wanted to make sure he remembered.
“They’ll be delivered later today. I have them being brought from the manor house. I’m sorry they’re not here already, but there was an emergency that required the estate manager’s attention.”
“All right,” she said. “Then I suppose I’ll leave you alone with his lordship.” Callie nodded at Lord Goodland. “And I’ll talk with you later once they’ve arrived.”
Daniel smiled. “Relax, Sister dear, he said. All will go well today and tonight.”
“I hope so,” she said. “Thank you.” She nodded at them both. “Until later.”
She closed the door and let out a slow breath. Callie wasn’t certain if the viscount would be at her come out ball. She hoped he would be. There was something about him that bothered her and she wanted to unravel his secrets. The more she thought about it she believed he had hidden his darkness when she’d last seen him and didn’t know why he wasn’t now. Was this his way of putting a wall between them? Why? She hadn’t thrown herself at him. Callie barely knew the man.
Well, there was no way of knowing what was happening inside Lord Goodland’s mind. She wouldn’t worry about it. She definitely had a lot more things that required her attention than him. The ball would be wonderful. She’d ensure it. If it didn’t go as planned… Well, she’d weather that storm too. If anything, Callie was resourceful.
With her task completed for now she went in search of her sister-in-law. She wanted to go over the particulars for the ball one last time. Iris being who she was, had planned everything to the last detail, but Callie was still nervous. She found Iris in her sitting room going over a list.
“Is that for the ball tonight?” she asked.
Iris glanced up. “Hmm?” She shook her head lightly. A blond curl fell loose from her chignon. “Oh, yes. I am just making sure I haven’t forgotten anything.”
“You?” Callie lifted a brow. “Forget something? Not likely.”
Iris laughed. “I know I can be…exacting.”
“That’s one way of putting it,” Callie said, then laughed. “It’s part of what makes you so wonderful. Thank you for planning this.”
“It’s been my pleasure,” Iris said. “I love this. Choosing all the little things that make an evening so spectacular.” She patted the seat next to her on the blue settee. “Come join me. I bet you’re nervous and could use a distraction.”
Iris had come to know Callie so well. Something she appreciated a lot. It was nice to have another female to discuss everything with. “I would like that.”
“Daniel tells me your jewels were delayed.” Iris glanced back at her list. “I hate when things don’t fall into place as they should. He ensures me they’ll be here…”
“I know,” Callie replied. “It makes me anxious too. We’ll just have to trust him.” Everything had to be perfect… Even if the jewels she had decided to wear at her debut ball didn’t arrive it would be all right. She would still have her ball and it would be a wonderful night.
Iris sighed. “He hasn’t let me down yet. At least not since we married…”
What Iris didn’t say was that there was a time she couldn’t rely on Daniel. Callie was glad that he was no longer acting like a foolish arse with Iris. “He has never let me down.” Which was the truth. “I doubt he’ll start now.”
“I suppose that is true,” Iris said. “Now back to these lists.”
Callie and Iris spend the morning going over all the details and fine tuning anything that required it. The ball was getting closer and closer, and along with it Callie’s anxiety heightened. She had so many expectations, and she hoped they were met.
Callie didn’t believe in bad omens. She wasn’t about to start now that her ball to launch into society had finally arrived. She couldn’t help thinking—a disappointing debut ball would set a bad precedent…
