“Marcus’s appearance theday before had been discussed, dissected, analyzed, and—by LadySarah Pleinsworth, Honoria’s cousin and one of her closest friends—rendered into poetry.“He came in the rain,” Sarah intoned. “The day had been plain.”Honoria nearly spit out her tea.“It was muddy, this lane—”Cecily Royle smiled slyly over her teacup. “Have youconsidered free verse?”“—our heroine, in pain—”“I was cold,” Honoria put in.Iris Smythe-Smith, another of Honoria’s cousins, looked up withher signature dry expression. “I am in pain,” she stated.“Specifically, my ears.”Honoria shot Iris a look that said clearly, Be polite. Iris justshrugged.“—her distress, she did feign—”“Not true!” Honoria protested.“You can’t interfere with genius,” Iris said sweetly.“—her schemes, not in vain—”“This poem is devolving rapidly,” Honoria stated.“I am beginning to enjoy it,” said Cecily.“—her existence, a bane . . .”Honoria let out a snort. “Oh, come now!”“I think she’s doing an admirable job,” Iris said, “given thelimitations of the rhyming structure.” She looked over at Sarah, whohad gone quite suddenly silent. Iris cocked her head to the side; sodid Honoria and Sarah.Sarah’s lips were parted, and her left hand was still outstretchedwith great drama, but she appeared to have run out of words.“Cane?” Cecily suggested. “Main?”“Insane?” offered Iris.“Any moment now,” Honoria said tartly, “if I’m trapped heremuch longer with you lot.”

“Iris was interrupted by a resounding crash. Or not exactly acrash. More like a splintering sound. With a few pops. And twangs.“What was that?” Iris asked.“I don’t know.” Honoria craned her neck. “It sounded like—”“Oh, Honoria!” they heard Daisy shriek. “Your violin!”“What?” Honoria walked slowly toward the commotion, notquite able to put two and two together.“Oh, my heavens,” Iris said abruptly, her hand coming to hermouth. She lay a restraining hand on Honoria, as if to say—It’sbetter if you don’t look.“What is going on? I—” Honoria’s jaw went slack.“Lady Honoria!” Lady Danbury barked. “So sorry about yourviolin.”Honoria only blinked, staring down at the mangled remains ofher instrument. “What? How . . . ?”Lady Danbury shook her head with what Honoria suspectedwas exaggerated regret. “I have no idea. The cane, you know. Imust have knocked it off the table.”Honoria felt her mouth opening and closing, but no sound wasemerging. Her violin didn’t look as if it had been knocked off atable. Honestly, Honoria was at a loss as to how it could have gotinto such a state. It was absolutely wrecked. Every string hadsnapped, pieces of wood were completely detached, and the chinrest was nowhere to be seen.Clearly, it had been trampled by an elephant.”

“Honoria couldn’t help but watch her make her way over toDaisy, and Mr. Bridgerton said, “Don’t worry, she’s mostlyharmless.”“My cousin Daisy?” she asked dubiously.“No,” he replied, momentarily nonplussed. “Lady Danbury.”Honoria looked past him to Daisy and Lady Danbury. “Is shedeaf?”“Your cousin Daisy?”“No, Lady Danbury.”“I don’t believe so.”“Oh.” Honoria winced. “That’s too bad. She might be by thetime Daisy is through with her.“That’s not going to end well,” he murmured.Honoria could do nothing but shake her head and murmur,“No.”“Is your cousin fond of her toes?”Honoria blinked in confusion. “I believe so, yes.”“She’ll want to watch that cane, then.”Honoria looked back just in time to see Daisy let out a smallshriek as she tried to jump back. She was not successful with thelatter; Lady Danbury’s cane had her pinned rather firmly.”

“It’s because she doesn’t have eyelashes,” Daisy said.Iris turned to her with complete calm and said, “I hate you.”“That’s a terrible thing to say, Daisy,” Honoria said, turning onher with a stern expression. It was true that Iris was extraordinarilypale, with the kind of strawberry blond hair that seemed to renderher lashes and brows almost invisible. But she’d always thought Iriswas absolutely gorgeous, almost ethereal-looking.“If she didn’t have eyelashes, she’d be dead,” Sarah said.Honoria turned to her, unable to believe the direction of theconversation. Well, no, that was not completely accurate. Shebelieved it (unfortunately). She just didn’t understand it.“Well, it’s true,” Sarah said defensively. “Or at the very least,blind. Lashes keep all the dust from our eyes.”“Why are we having this conversation?” Honoria wonderedaloud.Daisy immediately answered, “It’s because Sarah said shedidn’t think Iris could look venomous, and then I said—"“I know,” Honoria cut in, and then, when she realized Daisy stillhad her mouth open, looking as if she was only waiting for the rightmoment to complete her sentence, she said it again. “I know. It wasa hypothetical question.”“It still had a perfectly valid answer,” Daisy said with a sniff.”

“I may not like performing in musicales, but I love rehearsing with the three ofyou.”Her three cousins stared at her, momentarily nonplussed.“Don’t you realize how lucky we are?” Honoria said. And then,when no one leapt to agree, she added, “To have each other?”“Couldn’t we have each other over a game of cards?” Iris suggested.”

“They all turned to the dark-haired woman standing quietly to the side and slightly behind Aunt Charlotte. She was, in a word, gorgeous. Everything about her was perfection, from her shiny hair to her milky-white skin. Her face was heart-shaped, her lips full and pink, and her eyelashes were so long that Honoria thought they musttouch her brows if she opened her eyes too wide.“Well,” Honoria murmured to Iris, “at least no one will be looking at us.”