**THE PRINCESS SERIES is part of the GOLDEN UNIVERSE, and considered a sequel to THE GOLDEN QUEEN/A BRAZEN LOVE**
♦YOU MUST HAVE READ THE GOLDEN UNIVERSE NOVELS AND THE BRAZEN NOVELS TO READ THIS SERIES! AS WELL AS BOOK ONE, PRINCESS OF CANDOR!♦
In...
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♪ Let's keep it simple, babe We can't afford to change it ♪ {Lana Del Rey—Beautiful}
The vision of Helen's surprise at the sight of Cordelia and Thomas imprinted on Cordelia's brain. The pain in the drooping of her eyes, her expression darkening as if deprived of light, the slight lowering of her shoulders, the tightening of her fists. Cordelia shivered, and not because of the breeze bracing against her.
She'd opted to take a stroll in the gardens, desperate for some air, actual air, and some distance from Thomas and Helen. She'd refused accompaniment from a chaperone, as she needed the solitude.
Of all the emotions Cordelia had noticed on Helen's face in the few short seconds before she ran away, why was one of them shock? There had been a subtle lifting of the eyebrows, as if it had surprised Helen to see Cordelia and Thomas sitting so close together, his lips pressed to Cordelia's cheek.
"What did she expect?" Cordelia huffed, kicking at a few pebbles dislodged from the pathway. "That we would have spiked tea in her room and all would be well? That we could resume our friendship and move on to express our deeper feelings?"
She'd hoped to rekindle their friendship, yes. To dismiss the tension between them and forget about her accusation that Helen was jealous—no matter how true it still was. But Cordelia hadn't anticipated that Helen would still be harboring those feelings so close to her chest, that she'd show her jealousy so openly.
Luckily, only Thomas had been in the room—no serving girls or chaperones or other members of the household. He'd caught only a glimpse of Helen, and hadn't seen the morphing expressions on her face, the evident disappointment and disgust. He'd shrugged and proceeded to finish his food while Cordelia sulked, confused why Helen kept on showing up at the most inopportune moments.
Had Cordelia not been clear enough? Did she need to spell it out for Helen again?
"I have decided on Thomas; how does she not see that with all her spying?" Cordelia snickered at the bushes, as if they were an audience of gossip-gobbling ladies, waiting to dish out piles of useless advice on how to handle this situation.
Cordelia's preference had been obvious, had it not? She spent all her waking hours with Thomas—eating with him, drinking with him, going on outings with him—and next to no time at all with Helen. Everyone else seemed to notice—a few of Lady Read's friends had whispered about Cordelia and Thomas' proximity. Lady Read had claimed they were close, that he'd been a contender at her failed season, and that he was likely trying to rekindle whatever chances he had before. Cordelia didn't deny it—not that anyone asked her—but thought that such rumors would have reached Helen, too, who was never far away when Lady Read received her guests.
So why had she seemed so confused upon arriving at breakfast? Their meeting last night hadn't changed anything. Cordelia still planned to wait for Thomas to propose again, and she'd beg for them to take Helen with them. Now, knowing that Helen's father wasn't going to deal with her, it made things easier for Cordelia. Convincing Thomas would be simple—wherever Cordelia went, Helen would too, as she was left to fend for herself and to submit to whatever Antoine decided. If he accepted Cordelia's marriage to Thomas, surely he'd overlook Helen and leave her fate up to Cordelia, allowing her to be a lady-in-waiting, replacing Clarisse.
