The Accidental Countess (25 page)

His brow remained arched. “Mother had that much faith in me, did she?”

“It’s not that she wanted you to marry Penelope. I don’t think she did, really. Though she hasn’t said. It’s just that she was convinced you
would
do it.”

“I see. And you didn’t believe I’d remain so steadfast?”

Daphne shook her head. Her blond curls bobbed against her cheeks. “Absolutely not.”

“What made you so certain?”

“Because I’ve been around to see her cousin Cassandra grow up, dear brother.” She gave him a sidewise catlike smile. “You’ve seen Cassandra since you’ve been back, have you not?”

“Yes. I’ve seen her,” he growled.

“Perhaps at the house party?”

Julian’s gaze snapped to his sister’s face. “How did you—”

“You mentioned Lady Worthing’s eyes, which led me to believe that Lady Worthing is in fact the Duchess of Claringdon, which then led me to believe that Miss Bunbury might well have been Lady Cassandra. Am I right?”

Julian clenched his jaw. “It seems the entire house party was an elaborate ruse to fool me.”

“I knew it! I begged Penelope to take me with her when she stopped by to visit before she left for Surrey.”

“You knew about this mad ploy and you didn’t think it absurd?”

“Oh, it’s absurd to be sure. Though I think you’d have to know the Duchess of Claringdon to truly understand. She’s a bit … unpredictable.”

“And you didn’t see fit to mention to Penelope that her cousin and friend were playacting in the country?”

Daphne plunked her hands on her hips. “And spoil the fun? I wouldn’t think of it.”

“You’re mad, too,” Julian declared, shaking his head.

“My point is that you have, in fact, seen Lady Cassandra.”

“Yes.”

“So I needn’t explain my reasoning for why I bet Mother that you’d break things off with Penelope.” Daphne smiled at him sweetly. “And I thank Lady Cassandra kindly for my five pounds.”

Julian shook his head. Yes, Daphne was no longer a cute little girl with a penchant for asking too many questions. She’d grown up to be an astute young woman who was much more thoughtful than she first appeared. Thankfully, Julian was spared more inquiry from his talkative sister when their coach pulled to a stop in front of the Hillboroughs’ town house. Julian alighted first and then turned to help Daphne from the coach.

As soon as Daphne’s slippered feet touched the ground, the siblings turned toward the front door.

Directly into the path of … Lady Moreland, Garrett Upton, and Cassandra Monroe.

Julian gritted his teeth. He glanced away but not before he caught a glimpse of her. Cassandra looked like a dream in a violet-colored gown, diamonds sparkling at her throat.

“Now this is going to be an interesting evening,” Daphne said, with a wide grin on her impish little face. “An interesting evening, indeed.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Cass nodded a brief greeting to Daphne Swift and turned away. Thankfully, Garrett was there at her elbow to guide her toward the house. Her mother was babbling on, seemingly oblivious to the other two. There was no help for it but to stand in the receiving queue next to Julian and Daphne. She could feel Julian’s eyes on the back of her neck. Or was that only wishful thinking? Perhaps he wasn’t looking at her at all, perhaps he was completely ignoring her. But she couldn’t ignore him. She closed her eyes. There it was, his cologne, the deliciously spicy mixture that always teased her senses.

Thank heavens the queue moved quickly at least. Unfortunately, Daphne Swift did not intend to allow them to maintain a solemn silence.

“It’s lovely to see you again, Lady Cassandra,” Daphne said.

Cass was forced to turn around. All of them exchanged awkward greetings. Her mother was cold and standoffish as usual.

“You, too,” Cass choked out, nodding to Daphne. “Have you had any news about your brother and Captain Cavendish?”

A flash of pain flitted across Daphne’s pretty face. “No. Nothing, I’m afraid. Isn’t that right, Julian?”

Julian’s face was a stone mask. “Nothing. Yet.”

“I do hope you hear soon and that the news is favorable,” Cass added.

“Indeed,” Cass’s mother managed to add.

Garrett and Julian exchanged narrowed-eyed glares.

“Thank you very much, Lady Moreland, Lady Cassandra,” Daphne replied.

Julian maintained his stony silence.

“My brother and I were just talking about you,” Daphne added, watching Cass’s face.

Cass’s mother’s expression was pinched, as if she’d just smelled something distasteful. Julian’s eyes flared a bit but otherwise his expression did not change. Cass could only guess that he was imagining himself stepping on his sister’s foot just then.

“Oh?” was Cass’s only reply.

“Yes. I was just commenting to Julian that you’ve grown into such a beauty since he’s been gone, Lady Cassandra.”

Julian closed his eyes briefly; if Cass hadn’t been watching so closely she might not have noticed.

“She has, hasn’t she?” Garrett chimed in with a tight smile.

“Oh, yes. I was just about to say, it’s a wonder she’s remained unattached,” Daphne added. “Isn’t it a wonder, Julian?”

“Is it?” Julian ground out, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

Cass refused to allow him to see how his words hurt her. “Not such a wonder,” she murmured.

“Yes, well, we do expect there to be an announcement quite soon,” Lady Moreland said, a slinky smile on her face. She beamed up at Garrett, looking like the cat who stole the cream. Cass wanted to shrink from embarrassment.

Thank heavens, the queue moved just then and she and Garrett and her mother greeted their hosts and moved into the ballroom without further comment. They made their way around the large room, greeting their friends and making small talk before Garrett asked her to dance. They left her mother with a group of her friends.

Cass danced, even though she felt as if her insides might explode. Jane was supposed to be here tonight to meet them, her new nonexistent chaperone, Mrs. Bunbury, in tow. Lucy was supposed to be coming, too. Cass still hadn’t forgiven Lucy but it didn’t keep Jane from trying to get the two of them together in the same room at every opportunity. What else would make Jane come out to a ball of all odious things?

Cass tried not to look at Julian, tried but couldn’t help it. It seemed that every time she heard a man’s deep laughter, she turned her head and found him, across the room, tall, handsome, his burnished gold hair and wide shoulders filling out his dapper black evening attire. It was like torture, knowing Julian was back, alive and well and no longer in an arrangement with Pen, but still elusively out of Cass’s grasp. And who was the woman he supposedly cared for? The one who loved another man? Had she changed her mind? Given Julian another chance? Would they be announcing their engagement soon? Would Cass be able to stand it if that happened?

But the worst part, the very worst, was that she had lost him as a friend. No more sweet letters, no more long talks using their pens, no more communication at all. And it hurt. Penelope had already forgiven her, it seemed. Her cousin wasn’t one to dwell on things overly long. She’d laughed off Cass’s explanation of how Lucy had turned her into Patience and said something like, “Oh, my, I wish I’d been there to see that.” Then she’d gone back to talking about a Mr. Sedgewick whom she had apparently developed strong feelings for over the summer and autumn. It was the first Cass had heard of Mr. Sedgewick and she secretly wondered if he, much like Patience Bunbury, did not actually exist.

Cass’s mother had been furious with her. She’d nearly stopped speaking to her. But the thing that had served to soften her was Cass’s spending so much time with Garrett. Lady Moreland was delighted to accompany them about, playing the role of the apt chaperone, but otherwise, making it quite clear to Cass at every opportunity that until she managed to secure a proposal from Garrett, she would not be entirely restored to her mother’s good graces.

Thank heavens for Garrett. He had been lovely, appearing whenever she needed him, escorting her to events, being a steady shoulder on which to lean. He was a good, good man. For the hundredth time she wished she could fall in love with him. She felt a bit of guilt for leading him on, if, in fact, he had feelings for her, as Lucy seemed to believe. But at least she knew he was quite well informed about where her affections lay. Every time they saw Julian, Cass turned into a mess, and Garrett was there to pick up the pieces. Oh, sweet, kind Garrett. He certainly would make
someone
a wonderful husband one day. And unlike Julian, Garrett was a marvelous dancer.

“Thank you,” she said as Garrett spun her around on the floor.

“Thank you? For what?” Garrett asked, his brow furrowed.

“For being there,” she replied with a smile. “Whenever I need you.”

“What else are friends for?” His grin was wide.

“Garrett, I—” She bit her lip. This was awkward. “Mother obviously expects you to propose and I just want to say that—”

He shook his head. “No need. I understand.”

“Understand what?”

“You need me right now, and I would never leave you. I consider it part of my duty to help mitigate the unholy mess for which my cousin is responsible.”

At the mention of Lucy, Cass went rigid.

“But don’t mistake my help for anything other than how it is intended,” Garrett continued. “Like your mother, I, too, expect you to be announcing your engagement soon.”

Cass met his gaze. “But I—”

“Your engagement to Swift,” Garrett finished with a sly smile.

Cass felt as if the breath had been knocked from her body. “My engagement to— Oh, I’m afraid that’s impossible.”

“I’m well aware that my cousin is under the mistaken impression that I’m in love with you, and at the risk of insulting you, I’m afraid Lucy is quite wrong. Though she would never admit such a possibility exists. Not that you’re not lovely and accomplished, of course.” He winked at her.

Cass had to laugh at that. “Would it be wrong of me to tell you that I am relieved?”

“Not any more wrong than my telling you in the first place. Now, as for your engagement to Swift, it’s not impossible,” Garrett said. “Improbable at the moment, perhaps, but not impossible.”

Cass smiled at her friend. “Oh, Garrett. I should have taken your advice that night in the library. I should have told Julian the truth right then.”

“We all make mistakes, Cassandra. Some of us are merely forced to pay more for them than others.”

The dance ended then with that cryptic statement from Garrett. Cass wished she could hug her friend. If it wouldn’t be unseemly, she would. He was escorting her about to help her, not because he had any intention of proposing to her, which made her feel that much more secure. She needn’t worry about hurting his feelings. Disappointing Mother, however …

“Now, we’d best not spend more time together,” Garrett said, escorting her off the dance floor. “We needn’t get your mother’s hopes up overly much.”

“Agreed,” Cass replied with another smile.

“I’ll go fetch you a lemonade, and you can pretend you’re enjoying yourself.” Another wink from Garrett.

He left in search of the refreshment and Cass glanced around. After the dance, the ballroom had become a bit stuffy. She pulled her fan from her reticule and fluttered it in front of her face. A flash of green caught her eye. She turned her head to see Daphne Swift glance about before making a hasty exit out one of the doors that led to a corridor. Where was Daphne going? Something in Cass told her to follow the younger woman.

Cass traced Daphne’s steps out of the room and around the corridor, down another long corridor, and into a drawing room at the front of the house. She watched as Daphne slipped inside, closing the door softly behind her. Cass hesitated outside. Perhaps Daphne was doing something truly private. Something Cass had no business interrupting. Did Daphne have a rendezvous with a gentleman here or—?

Cass scooted toward the door and quietly opened it a crack. She nearly rubbed her eyes. If she didn’t mistake her guess, Daphne Swift was about to … climb out of the window. The girl had opened the pane that faced the street, and had dragged a footstool over in front of it to boost herself up. She’d just hiked up her skirts and thrown a leg over the sill.

“Daphne Swift!” Cass shoved open the door and strode into the room.

Daphne froze. Her little green backside slowly shimmied its way back inside, and she popped out onto the floor. She turned to face Cass.

“Lady Cassandra, I thought that was your voice.” Daphne seemed completely unruffled after having been caught.

“What are you doing?” Cass hadn’t meant to sound so forceful, or so domineering, but the sight of a young lady like Daphne wiggling out of the window had quite shocked her.

“Please don’t tell on me, Lady Cassandra. I was just trying to leave.”

Cass couldn’t help but smile. “I can see that. Why were you trying to leave?”

“It’s quite a long story that I do not wish to bore you with, but suffice it to say, I have a very good reason.”

Cass shook her head. “Why didn’t you just go out the front door?”

“The butler is there greeting guests. I didn’t want to be seen.”

Cass watched her carefully. She didn’t want to pry but she also didn’t want Daphne putting her reputation at risk, something the girl most certainly would have done had anyone else found her trying to escape through a window in the drawing room. “You should get back. I think your brother is searching for you. I saw him looking around just before I slipped out of the ballroom.”

A small smile popped to Daphne’s lips. “I thank you for the information, Lady Cassandra, but I think that if we’re both being quite honest with each other, it is probably far more likely that my brother was looking for
you
.”

Cass gasped and snapped her mouth shut.

“Oh, don’t look so surprised,” Daphne continued, an impish smile on her face. “You know it’s true.”

Cass cast about for something to say. “I … I think you ought to return to the ballroom before your—”