The Accidental Countess (15 page)

“Just like that?” Lucy asked, skepticism dripping from her voice.

Jane shrugged. “There
may
have been a bit of bribery. By the way, Luce, he doesn’t believe for a moment that you’re expecting a baby.”

Lucy wrinkled her nose. “Harrumph.”

Cass leaned her head against the back of the settee and rubbed her temples. The headache was back, stabbing at her with a vengeance. This time it carried an ice pick. “But
why
is he coming?”

Jane shrugged. “Apparently, he wants to see for himself that we’re not doing anything overly scandalous or illegal.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “Oh, that’s just preposterous.”

“Is it?” Jane gave her a knowing look.

Lucy harrumphed again.

Cass took a deep breath. She wanted to tell her friends that Julian planned to end things with Pen but she couldn’t. She’d promised Julian she would tell no one, and while she might be a liar in one way, she refused to be a liar in another. She would keep her promise to Julian.

“It doesn’t matter about Garrett because I came in here to insist that we stop this charade entirely.”

Lucy blinked. “Now?”

“Now?”

“What’s happened?” Jane asked.

Cass took a deep breath. “Julian asked me to write a letter to Pen today, to get her to the house party as soon as possible.”

Lucy’s and Jane’s eyes went wide.

“What?” Jane asked.

“You can’t do that,” Lucy said, abandoning her list.

“Of course I can’t do that,” Cass agreed. “But he asked me to. He needs to speak to her … immediately.”

“Why?” Lucy blinked again.

“I cannot say.” Cass squeezed shut her eyes. She refused to continue lying. Lying spread like a disease. Once you began, you had to keep at it to cover up the other lies. No, she wouldn’t do it. Lucy and Jane would just have to accept the fact that she was keeping a secret from them.

“Can’t say or won’t?” Jane asked, placing her spectacles back upon her nose.

“Can’t.” Cass nodded. “And won’t. Julian asked me to keep it secret.”

“But he told you?” Lucy’s eyes were wide.

“Yes,” Cass replied.

“Oh, that’s excellent.” Lucy clapped her hands. “He’s confiding in you. I knew this would work.”

Cass rubbed her temples again. “You are absolutely mad, you know that? I fail to see how any of this is good news.”

“It’s good news in Lucy Hunt’s head,” Jane replied with a knowing smile.

“No. No,” Lucy insisted. “Don’t you see? If Julian is confiding in Cass, er, Patience, it means he trusts her. He’s getting close to her. It’s just what we wanted.”

Cass groaned. “Oh, Lucy. What am I going to say to him? I can’t write to Pen, and I refuse to tell him that I’ve done so. We must end this.”

Jane retrieved her book. “What did you say when he asked?”

Cass bit her lip. “I was vague. I didn’t promise anything. I pointed out that Penelope is traveling and that getting a letter to her would be difficult.”

Lucy was already deep in thought, tapping her finger against her cheek. “Good. Good. For now just tell him you’re trying to determine where she might be. I’ll think of something.”

“Didn’t you hear what I said?” Cass replied. “We must tell Julian the truth. Now.”

“We can’t do that, not now. Not when we’re so close and we’re making headway,” Lucy said.

“Headway?” Cass stared at Lucy as if she’d lost her mind. “What headway?”

“Why, you just said that Julian has confided in you … I mean, Patience,” Jane pointed out.

“You truly think I should continue this madness, Janie?”

Jane wrinkled her nose, her spectacles wobbling. “I can’t say I agreed with beginning it in the first place but it does seem as if we may want to allow it to play out a bit more.”

Cass plopped onto the sofa, her breath leaving her in a solid whoosh. “You’ve both gone mad and now Garrett is apparently coming.”

“That reminds me,” Jane said. “Upton also wanted to know where Claringdon is while his wife is getting up to obvious trouble.”

Lucy made another disgruntled noise. “As if I need a husband to keep an eye on me.”

“I told him Claringdon left for the Continent,” Jane said. “I think Upton’s quite convinced we’re in need of a man over here.”

“As I said, preposterous,” Lucy retorted, crossing her arms over her chest, a frown etched across her face.

“Isn’t it?” Jane agreed.

Cass sighed. “Please just tell me he didn’t say anything about Owen?”

“Nothing, and Owen wasn’t there,” Jane replied.

“Thank God for that, at least,” Lucy added.

“There’s just one thing. Doesn’t Upton know Captain Swift?” Jane asked.

“Yes.” Lucy nodded. “They served together in the army years ago.”

“He insisted he go by his own name,” Jane added.

“Did you tell him Julian is here?” Lucy ventured.

Jane shook her head. “No. I left that part out. I knew he’d ask questions I couldn’t answer.”

“Probably for the best,” Lucy said.

Cass pressed her temples harder. Her friends had gone mad, that was all there was to it. They’d gone mad and so, perhaps, had she because she was actually listening to them. “What are we going to do when Garrett asks those questions when he arrives?”

Lucy flourished a hand in the air. “You’ll just have to explain it to him, Cass.”

Cass sat up straight and blinked. “Me?”

“Yes, you,” Lucy replied.

“Why me?” Cass asked.

Lucy rolled her eyes. “He’ll play along if you ask him to.”

Cass stared back at her. “What? Why do you say that?”

Lucy expelled her breath. “I thought it had been obvious for quite some time now. Are you telling me you truly don’t know?”

“Know what?” Jane narrowed her eyes on her friend.

“That Garrett’s been madly in love with Cass for an age, of course.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Madness, it seemed, was ever so difficult to extract oneself from, Cass decided. Garrett arrived after dinner. The small party was playing cards in the gold drawing room. When a footman announced her cousin, Lucy excused herself. She rushed out to the foyer where she apparently spoke with Garrett. By the time he swept into the room to join the others, he had a wide smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. Cass said a silent prayer.

Garrett played his role to perfection. He greeted the room’s occupants with a friendly zeal and called everyone by their assumed names with decided aplomb. He clapped Lord Berkeley on the back and seemed positively delighted to call Lucy Lady Worthing. Cass watched him warily, still praying.

When he came to the table where she was playing cards with Jane, he bowed over Cass’s hand. “Miss Bunbury, a pleasure.”

“Mr. Upton.”

“Miss Wollstonecraft.” He nodded to Jane. “You’re looking quite scholarly this evening.”

Jane narrowed her eyes on him but merely replied with a tepid, “Mr. Upton.”

Cass glanced at her. It was completely unlike Jane to remain silent at one of Garrett’s barbs and she rarely gave him the honor of putting
mister
in front of his name.
Upton
was usually as much as she could manage.

Garrett nodded to both ladies and continued his tour of the room. Cass watched him carefully. He greeted Julian with a handshake. “Glad to see you made it home, Captain.”

Julian stood and clapped Garrett on the back. “Glad to be home, Upton.”

Garrett soon settled down at a game himself. Cass watched him for a different reason this time: any sign of his supposed love for her. Lucy must be mad. Why, Garrett had shown her nothing but brotherly concern her entire life. She’d never once got the notion that he felt anything other than friendship. Lucy, however, was quite convinced, and once Lucy was convinced of something, there was no dissuading her from it.

Jane had quickly excused herself from the room, not saying a word, obviously not even interested in giving her opinion on the ridiculous matter. Lucy had gone on to emphasize to Cass how certain she was and assured her that she had nothing to worry about as long as she had a talk with Garrett herself. He would do anything for her.

It didn’t make Cass feel any less uneasy. She wasn’t about to use Garrett for her purposes. No. Garrett was her friend, and she would ask him the truth. It was high time she became more forthright. And there was no time like the present.

Cass excused herself from her card game and made her way to the library. She sat at the writing desk in the corner and took out a sheet of parchment and a quill. She quickly scribbled a note for Garrett. Then she found a passing footman and asked him to deliver it posthaste.

Garrett arrived minutes later. He strolled into the room looking handsome and friendly and smiling as usual. She’d always liked Garrett a great deal. Just like his cousin, he was fun and funny and friendly and loyal. He was a wonderful man, but certainly not someone she could see herself falling in love with. She hoped Lucy was wrong and that Garrett did not have feelings for her. She would never want to hurt her friend by refusing him.

He bowed to her. “Miss Bunbury,” he said, a grin on his face.

Cass returned his smile. “Please, sit,” she offered, patting the chair next to her.

Garrett made his way over and took a seat.

“How is Aunt Mary?” Cass asked, referring to his mother. She was officially Lucy’s aunt, not Cass’s, but Cass had spent last summer with the lovely woman in Bath and referred to her as Aunt Mary now, too.

“Busy and active as ever,” Garrett replied.

“I’m glad to hear it. Please give her my best.” Cass paused, then clutched the arms of the rosewood chair in which she sat. “Thank you so much for coming, Garrett. And for … you know?”

He grinned at her. “Of course I came. Though I must admit, I’m hoping you’ll give me an explanation for your recent name change. Dare I guess it has something to do with the appearance of one Captain Swift?”

Cass bit her lip and glanced away. “Yes. It does.”

“Ah, how did I know? And is he not the same man you’ve been in love with for many years?”

Garrett didn’t seem the least bit jealous saying those words. Surely Lucy was wrong. Besides, Garrett had known Cass was in love with Julian since she’d met him.

She nodded. “Yes. Yes, he is.”

Garrett narrowed his eyes on her. “Then, why, pray tell, would you want him to think your name is Patience Bunbury? And forgive me for asking another rather obvious question, but hasn’t he met you before?”

Cass tugged at her gloves. She might as well buy new gloves, these were hopelessly stretched. “The reason for the name change is quite a long story, but it turns out he didn’t remember me. Or how I look, at least. It’s been many years.”

Garrett’s grin widened. “I see. As for the long story, it’s one involving Lucy, I’m sure.”

“Yes. It was Lucy’s idea.”

Garrett stretched his long legs out in front of him and sighed. “Again, how did I know?”

“That’s why I asked you here, Garrett. Will you please continue to play along, without an explanation? For now?” She waited a moment. “For me?” That last part made her wince.

“I’d already told Miss Lowndes I would. Didn’t she report back?”

“She did. But now that you’re here, I just wanted to make certain. Between the two of us.”

Garrett nodded. “Don’t worry. I will not go back on my word. I’m not certain what you all are up to, but I do want to caution you, Cassandra. Be careful. Lucy can get the best of us into schemes we’d rather not participate in. Lord knows she’s done it before.”

“I’m far gone into this one, I’m afraid,” Cass replied, still tugging on the ends of her gloves.

“You’re feeling a bit guilty, aren’t you?” Garrett’s voice softened.

Cass let her hands fall into her lap. “Yes. I am, ever so much. I feel just awful.” She was treating Garrett as if he were the priest and she, the confessor. But it was so freeing to admit how dreadful she felt about all the lies.

He patted her on the back. Nothing but a brotherly pat, she was certain of it. “There, there,” he said. “It’s not easy to say no to Lucy.”

“What am I going to do?” Cass shook her head. “I don’t know why I ever agreed to it. Lucy introduced me to Julian as Patience and I didn’t correct her and— Oh, he is going to hate me when he finds out.”

“Have you thought about telling him the truth? Just coming out with it?” Garrett asked.

Cass nodded frantically. “It’s all I can think about. Oh, Garrett, do you know what it’s like to feel such guilt?”

Garrett was silent for a moment. Cass raised her head and looked at him. He sat up straight and stared off into the fireplace. “Yes,” he replied simply. “I learned all about guilt. Twice.”

Cass turned to him. “Twice,” she echoed in a whisper.

“The first time was when I was eleven years old, and my uncle looked at me with hate in his eyes.”

Cass gasped. “Because Ralph died?”

Garrett nodded.

Ralph was Lucy’s older brother. He’d died when he was nine years old and Lucy was seven. Both children had had fever but only Lucy had recovered. Garrett’s father was next in line for the inheritance of the earldom, which meant, as an only son, Garrett would eventually inherit the title and properties meant for his dead cousin. Lucy had often spoken about how angry and bitter it had made her father.

“I’m so sorry, Garrett. I cannot imagine how awful that would be,” Cass said quietly.

Garrett shook his head. “The second time was on a battlefield in Spain. And that, that was much, much worse.”

Cass sucked in her breath. Lucy had once alluded to something horrible that had happened to Garrett during the war, something that had made him come home and never return. He’d been injured, somehow, or at least that was what everyone had assumed. He’d been in the army then, met Derek Hunt and Julian at that time. But Cass had never heard the details about what happened and she was too shy to ask. She stared at him, trying to screw up the courage to ask now. But she just couldn’t. If Garrett wanted to share that story, he would. She waited with bated breath. Oh, why couldn’t she be Patience Bunbury right now? Patience would be bold enough to ask.