The Accidental Countess (9 page)

Lucy looked a bit chagrined. “Oh, no, of course not. But I do hope you’ll enjoy yourself once everyone is here.”

“Yes, as to that, Lady Worthing, I assume Penelope has arrived. It’s quite important that I speak with her.”

Lucy’s eyes went wide with an innocent look she’d perfected for just such occasions when she was up to something. Cass knew it well. “Oh, no, Captain Swift. She’s not.”

Julian’s forehead furrowed. “She’s not? I thought you’d said she’d already left to come here.”

Lucy waved one gloved hand in the air. “Yes, well. I wrote to her and told her we’d mixed up the dates and the party wasn’t to begin for another three days. I believe she returned to London. I thought perhaps
you’d
heard from her and could tell us when she’d be arriving.”

Cass winced. It was fortunate that Julian was behind her and couldn’t see her face. She was certain it would give away the entire ruse. It was just like Lucy to add that little extra bit about thinking perhaps Julian had heard from Pen. A perfect detail, actually. Lucy was no amateur.

Cass dared a glance back, attempting to keep her face carefully blank. Julian shook his head. “London? You mean to say that Miss Monroe is still in London? Where I just came from?”

Lucy sighed. “I’m afraid so, Captain Swift, but you must stay here with us and wait for her. She’s sure to arrive any day now.”

Lucy stepped back and entwined her arm through Julian’s. She pulled him past Cass, and they walked into the house. Cass followed them. “We’ll have such fun while we await her.”

There was no mistaking the disappointment on Julian’s face. Cass’s heart dropped. He was obviously eager to see Penelope.

Julian quickly recovered, however, and smiled at his hostess. “Of course. That reminds me, Lady Worthing. I have some friends in the area, and I’d be ever so grateful if I might invite them over for a visit. Their country house is only a few miles’ ride from here.”

Cass gulped.

Lucy tugged at the neck of her gown. “Friends of yours, you say? Wh-who might they be, Captain Swift?”

Julian’s smile was wide. “Lord Owen and Lady Cassandra Monroe.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

“Oh, Janie, you’re here. Wonderful!” Lucy nearly did a dance of joy when Jane Lowndes came striding into Cass’s bedchamber later that afternoon. Cass glanced up. She and Lucy had been busily trying to decide which gown Cass should wear for the dance. That is, after they’d had a giant row about why exactly Lucy had told Julian that inviting Owen and Cassandra Monroe to the house party was a lovely idea.

“I had to,” Lucy explained. “What would he have thought if I’d acted as if I didn’t know you? Or if I’d made up some excuse as to why I was reluctant to invite you?”

“You’re supposed to be quick with your tongue, Lucy. Now he’s sure to invite Owen and we’ll be ruined,” Cass had pointed out.

“Inviting and arriving are two quite different things,” Lucy replied. “Your brother is certain to be in London, and
you
obviously cannot come. Write Julian a letter in your own hand and tell him so. It’ll be explained away easily enough.”

That last idea had given Cass some hope, but the entire scheme still didn’t sit easily with her.

Jane’s arrival was a welcome respite from Cass’s constantly swirling thoughts. “I’m here to help,” Jane declared. “And to watch this debacle, of course.”

Cass rushed over to her friend and gave her a hug. Jane had dark brown hair and dark brown eyes that sparkled with intelligence. She normally wore her favorite color, blue, and she was constantly pushing her silver spectacles up her nose. “Thank you so much for coming,” Cass said. “I’m certain I’m going to need you.”

“Are you jesting? I wouldn’t miss this for all the tea in London.” As usual, Jane held a book in one hand. Her reticule dangled, forgotten, in the other. She wasted no time plopping down in a chair near the window to watch the two other ladies as they dug through the wardrobe.

Lucy pulled out a soft pink gown and presented it to Cass. “This one?”

“Too demure,” Cass replied, shaking her head.

Setting her book aside for a moment, Jane pulled off her gloves and stuffed them into her reticule. “What are you waiting for? Tell me all the details, your invitation was quite devoid of them.”

Lucy tossed the pink gown onto the bed and tapped her finger against her chin. “I know we promised to help you next, Janie, but an opportunity we just could not resist presented itself a few days ago.”

Jane arched a brow. “Opportunity?”

“Yes.” Lucy nodded.

“Presented itself?” Jane asked next.

“Yes.” Lucy dove back into the wardrobe and pulled out a robin’s-egg-blue gown this time. “This one?”

Cass wrinkled her nose. “Too bright.”

“Stop putting me off and tell me the details,” Jane demanded.

Cass sat serenely on the edge of the bed, while Lucy proceeded to tell Jane all about Patience Bunbury and Penelope’s defection.

Jane’s big brown eyes grew wider and wider as she listened. She pushed up her spectacles again. “So, let me see if I have the right of it. You’re telling me that you’ve staged this entire house party as a means to get Julian to fall in love with Cass?”

Lucy nodded. “Yes.”

“Only he doesn’t know she’s Cass?” Jane continued.

“Right,” Lucy said. “Though that will be easily clarified later.”

Jane blinked at Lucy. “How exactly do you see that being successful?”

“Details, Jane, details. We’ll worry about that particular bit when the time comes.”

Jane turned her dark gaze to Cass. “And you’ve approved of all this? I must say, I find it difficult to believe.”

Cass pressed her hands to her cheeks, knowing she was turning an unfortunate shade of pink. “I know. I know. I’ve no idea what’s come over me. All I know is that I do so want to spend time with Julian.” She sighed.

“Oh, Cass, I can’t blame you. But don’t you think this will end poorly?” Jane asked.

Lucy tsked. “You should have seen how Julian looked at her when he met her at Penelope’s house.”

“The man just came back from war. No doubt he’d look at anything wearing a skirt in such a fashion. No insult intended, Cass,” Jane replied.

“None taken.” Cass scooted off the bed and took Lucy’s place staring into the wardrobe. Soon, she was rummaging into the wardrobe herself to see if anything else caught her fancy.

“Oh, no. It wasn’t that. He didn’t look twice at
me,
” Lucy continued. “He was entirely smitten with our Cass, as I always knew he would be.”

Jane’s dark brow arched yet again. “Then why didn’t you just tell him that she was Cass?”

“Time was of the essence. He was dead set on chasing Penelope off to her house party immediately. He is obviously looking for her. He needs time alone with Cass. We must give it to them.”

Jane stood and strode over to put her hand on Cass’s sleeve. “You know I’d do anything for you and this is no exception. I’ll play along and do whatever I can to help. I just hope you don’t end up getting hurt. Or hurting anyone.”

Cass smiled at her friend, but unexpected tears stung the back of her eyes. “Thank you, Jane. I’m resigned to the fact that Julian will marry Pen. But I just want to spend time with him for a bit.”

Jane patted her hand and gave her a sympathetic smile. “Don’t worry, my dear, if you want a few days with Julian, you shall have them.”

Cass returned her smile with a weaker one. “Thank you, Janie.”

“Jane, what did you tell your mother about coming here?” Lucy asked, nudging Cass aside and pulling out a soft yellow gown.

Cass scrunched up her nose and shook her head at the yellow.

Jane laughed. “Both of my parents are perfectly happy at present thinking I’m off at the Duchess of Claringdon’s house party with all her eligible, titled gentleman friends. Mother sent one of the housemaids with me, but you’re my chaperone officially, now, Lucy. And you’ve given me an excellent idea with this Patience Bunbury business, Cass. A nonexistent chaperone. I love it. I intend to implement it the moment I return. I am a fully converted Bunburyist. I merely need to think of a reason why Mother cannot meet her.”

Cass and Lucy both smiled at their friend. Jane was an unrepentant bluestocking. She just happened to be the only child of a genius father who had made such sound investments for the Crown that he’d been knighted. Her mother, however, wishing her daughter was more like her and less like her cerebral pater, was beside herself in her attempts to get Janie married off. Jane had no intention of doing anything of the sort. No doubt her mother had been overcome with glee when Jane had announced that she actually
wanted
to go to a
ton
house party.

Jane returned to her seat and smoothed her hands over her skirts. “By the by, what is Upton’s part in this scheme?”

Cass and Lucy exchanged an uncomfortable look. “We haven’t told Garrett,” Lucy admitted.

Jane poked out her cheek with her tongue. “Whyever not? He’s usually up for a good ruse.”

Lucy pulled a peach-colored gown from the wardrobe and presented it to Cass for her consideration. “He’s too good. He’ll want to tell the truth.”

Jane laughed. “Upton?” She rolled her eyes. “Whatever do you mean? The man is a profligate rake and an accomplished gambler, hardly someone who would be mistaken for a man of the cloth. Besides, I imagine that in order to be an adequate rake and gambler, one must have to tell a few fibs now and again.”

“Hmm. That’s a good point, Jane,” Lucy said.

“No!” Cass gulped. “Don’t tell Garrett. And might I remind you that
I
want to tell the truth.”

“Oh, no you don’t. Not really,” Lucy replied. “If we’d told Julian the truth that day at Pen’s, he would have demanded she come downstairs and those two would be planning their engagement right now. He would have greeted you, wished he could have you, and set about doing the honorable thing and preparing for his wedding with your cousin.”

“And somehow a house party is supposed to change all of that?” Jane asked, skepticism dripping from her voice.

“It’s supposed to provide the
opportunity
to change all of that,” Lucy replied. “Two people need time to get to know each other. If Cass and Julian had merely talked briefly at Pen’s house, they would have gone their separate ways and not seen each other again until the wedding. The
wrong
wedding.”

“But I already know Julian. And I certainly don’t expect it to change anything,” Cass argued. “And no to that gown.”

Lucy tossed the peach gown on the pile with the rest of them. “Of course you know him, dear, but he doesn’t know you’re Cass. He only knows you’re beautiful. Besides, don’t worry about all of that now. Leave everything to me.”

Lucy’s infamous second-favorite saying. Cass glanced at Jane and shook her head.

Jane merely shrugged, drew her book up to her nose, and began reading. “As usual, I’m certain this is all to become much more complicated before it becomes simpler.”

Cass sighed. “Wait until she tells you about how Julian wants to invite Owen.”

Jane snapped her book shut. “Owen?”

“And Lucy said it was a lovely idea,” Cass added.

The book toppled from Jane’s hands. She tried to grab for it but it landed with a thud on the carpet. “You did not!”

“I’ll explain it to you later,” Lucy replied, flourishing a hand in the air. “Now, don’t worry, Cass. Once Julian spends a bit of time in your company, he’ll be questioning his commitment to Pen. Also, our little plan serves to keep him away from her so that they are unable to make it official just yet.”

Cass pulled a silver gown from the cabinet. “This one!”

“Ooh, it
is
perfect,” Lucy agreed.

“Yes, that one,” Jane added, reaching down to retrieve her book.

Cass sighed again wistfully and looked out the window across the autumnal countryside. A forest of trees met her eyes all in various stages of turning red, and gold, and orange. The leaves had already begun to fall, turning the ground beneath them into a painter’s palette of lovely colors. Cass sighed once more. How she wished she could be outside painting the quiet landscape instead of being inside in the middle of a sordid affair. She shook her head. “My aunt and uncle will no doubt disown me if they ever find out. To say nothing of what my parents will do to me. Why, they’ll probably send me off to a convent.”

“You should be so lucky.” Jane snorted. “But don’t worry. They would never be so kind as to send you to a convent. You’re worth far more to them as marriageable chattel, darling. Not to mention you aren’t Catholic.” She laughed.

Lucy laughed, too.

Cass hugged the silver gown to her chest, heedless of the wrinkles she was no doubt inflicting upon the fine fabric. It was depressing, but true. She was worth more to her parents as an object to be traded into marriage. She’d always known that but somehow Janie saying it out loud made it real and undeniable. Her parents sending her to a convent would be the equivalent of giving away an enormously expensive jewel to charity. She took a deep breath. “Nevertheless, if my parents do find out—”

Lucy pulled the silver gown from her grasp and rang for one of the maids to press it. “Oh, Cass. How many times must I tell you to stop worrying? How would they ever find out?”

CHAPTER NINE

Cass stood on the sidelines of the dancing. Lucy had somehow managed to persuade a few neighbors to come to the dance. None of them knew Captain Swift and all of them apparently were willing to refer to Lucy as Lady Worthing. Lucy herself had come up with an outlandish tale for Julian’s sake of how her husband, Lord Worthing, had gone to visit his gout-ridden mother in Bath and that’s why he was not here to help his wife host the house party. Later, when they were safely alone, Cass had pointed out to Lucy that gentlemen, not ladies, were usually afflicted by gout and Lucy had simply replied, “Oh, I’ve always wished gout upon my mother and now she has it, by God.”

All in all, Cass had to admit that despite her worries, the dance was going quite well so far. Julian had been laughing and talking with the other guests and appeared to be enjoying himself. She tried not to glance in his direction too often. He was handsome, so unbearably handsome. And the time away at war had done nothing to detract from his looks.