The Accidental Countess (Accidental #2)(52)

“You know Lucy and Cassandra. They’ll turn up, eventually,” Upton said. “To reunion! Drink up!”

All three other men lifted their glasses again.

“Lucy?” Julian asked. “As in Lucy Hunt? Derek’s new wife?”

“Yes,” Monroe replied. “She and Cass are thick as thieves, much to the chagrin of my parents.”

Julian raised both brows. “Is that so?”

Upton, looking pale, stood quickly. “Monroe, old chap, perhaps I might speak to you in the corridor for a moment?”

Monroe shrugged. “I suppose.”

Julian settled back in his chair. It was none of his business why they wanted to have a private word. He’d stay and speak to Berkeley. The viscount seemed like a good enough chap. Julian took another drink. Where was Cassandra?

“Old gambling debt,” Upton whispered as Monroe stood, too.

“I hope we find Cass by morning,” Monroe said as the two men started for the door. “Mother and Father will be here by then, and I don’t want to have to explain why she’s not.”

This time Upton looked as if he’d just been struck by lightning.





CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT


Garrett swiped a pack of cards from the top of a table near the door on his way out of the study. He allowed Monroe to go ahead of him and followed him out. Thank God, Monroe had agreed to go with him. For one heart-stopping moment, Garrett had been convinced that Monroe was going to ask him what he wanted to talk about. That wouldn’t have been good. Not good at all. Then, he’d mentioned his parents.

Garrett groaned. And this was why it was better to not get involved in any of Lucy’s schemes.

But better to handle one problem at time.

Garrett knew three things about Owen Monroe. The man loved to drink, he loved beautiful women, and he loved to gamble. He’d gamble on anything. In fact, now that Garrett thought about it, Monroe was more the type who could be called a profligate rake—the moniker the smug Miss Lowndes was so quick to pin on Garrett at every turn. He might just point that out to her the next time she mentioned it. If Miss Lowndes wanted to see a profligate rake in action, she need look no further than Owen Monroe. He was a good man, but he did enjoy his vices.

Miss Lowndes was correct about one thing, however, and that was that Garrett enjoyed gambling from time to time as well. And while he wasn’t as avid a player as Monroe was rumored to be, he was a more successful one if those same rumors were true. Monroe played for the fun of it, whereas Garrett always played to win. And this afternoon, Garrett was certain he was going to have to bet high.

“Let’s go in here,” Garrett said, gesturing to a door several paces down the corridor. It opened into a drawing room, an empty drawing room, thank God.

Monroe gave him an inquiring stare but good-naturedly followed him in. They both made their way to the center of the room where Garrett tossed the cards on the table that sat in the middle.

“What are those for?” Monroe asked, arching a brow.

“I’ll get to that in a moment,” Garrett replied. “First I must tell you something. Something you may not like. I need your promise that you won’t leave this room, however, until you hear me out.”

Monroe narrowed his eyes on him. “I don’t like the sound of this, Upton. Not at all.”

“I don’t blame you. Believe me. Your promise?”

“Very well. I’ll hear you out, but depending on what you say, that’s all I’m willing to allow.”

“Fair enough.” Garrett gestured to a chair. “You may want to take a seat.”

“I think I’ll stand.”

“Very well.” Garrett paced in front of the door to the room, his hands behind his back, frantically searching his mind for the best way to explain all of this. If Monroe knew his cousin better, he might explain it all in one word: Lucy. But Monroe didn’t know Lucy very well and that was the problem. This entire escapade would take more than a bit of explanation.

Deciding expediency was the best policy, he began with, “Cassandra is here.”

Monroe’s eyes widened and he turned to face him. “What? Where?”

“She’s been here the entire time. But—”

“Why did Swift say she wasn’t?” A look of suspicion crossed Monroe’s face.

“Because there’s something quite unusual about this house party. Something Swift doesn’t know about.”

“With all due respect, Upton, what the devil are you talking about?”

Garrett sighed and scrubbed his hand through his hair. This wasn’t going to be easy, not easy at all. He spent the better part of the next ten minutes explaining as much about the charade as he thought Monroe needed to know. Understandably, Monroe asked a barrage of questions, and Garrett answered them one by one.

By the time it was over, Owen looked like a shell-shocked soldier on a battlefield, and Garrett was mentally exhausted. Lucy could certainly weave a complicated web when she wanted to. He’d give her that.

“I have just one more question,” Monroe said, staring at Garrett as if he’d completely lost his mind.

“Yes?”

“What in God’s name makes you think I’ll play along with all of this even for a minute?”