The Accidental Countess (Accidental #2)(39)

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.