The Accidental Countess (Accidental #2)(6)

He tugged at his collar again. “Something like that.”

Cass had to look away. This was excruciating. She couldn’t listen any longer. And what possible address could Lucy give him? It was preposterous. She’d have to come out with the truth now that he’d caught her in her lie.

“I’d be more than happy to share the address with you, Captain Swift.” Lucy set her teacup on the table in front of her and folded her hands on her lap. “In fact, I can do even better than that.”

“Better than the address?” Julian tilted his head in inquiry.

Cass’s insides went hot and cold. Suddenly, it all came together, the sly look Lucy had flashed, the failure to introduce her, the questions she’d asked Julian, the things she’d said.

“Yes.” Lucy turned to Cass and splayed her hands in front of her as if displaying her for the first time. “Because this is Miss Patience Bunbury right here and we would be delighted to invite you to her house party.”





CHAPTER THREE


As soon as the front door closed behind Julian, Cass forced herself to count to fifty. She ensured he was well gone from the property before she jumped up, spun around, and bore down on her closest friend.

“Lucy, how could you? How could you!”

Lucy remained serenely seated and calmly pressed her hands to her coiffure as if smoothing her dark locks. “Cass, if you’ll only sit down and think about this reasonably, you’ll see—”

Cass turned and paced back and forth in front of the fireplace. She pressed her hands against her cheeks. “Reasonably? Reasonably! I believe reason left this room over an hour ago, right around the time Pen started speaking nonsense about a person who doesn’t exist!”

Lucy merely raised a brow. “Sit down, Cass. Allow me to explain.”

But Cass couldn’t sit. All she could do was pace the carpet and tug at her gloves. How in heavens would she ever extract herself from this situation? Julian hadn’t said where he was going, but it stood to reason that he’d go visit his older brother, the Earl of Swifdon, in Mayfair. He would probably stay with his brother until he secured his own lodgings. Either that or … “Lucy, did you even stop to consider that Julian may now be on his way to see his closest friend, your husband?”

Lucy pushed up her chin. “Of course I’d thought of that.”

“And yet you still did this?”

Lucy nodded. “Yes. That’s precisely why I didn’t tell him my real name. I thought of that and several other things, and if you’d sit down and be calm for a moment, I’ll tell you exactly how this will work.”

Cass tossed her hands in the air. “It can’t work. It won’t work.”

Lucy stood up, stalked over to where Cass was pacing, grabbed her arm, and dragged her back over to the settee. “Sit!”

Cass did as she was told, then she dropped her head into her hands. “Very well, tell me. Tell me all about this addle-brained scheme of yours.”

“First of all, I take extreme exception to the fact that you just referred to my brilliant plan as an addle-brained scheme—” Cass lifted her head and opened her mouth to retort, but Lucy pointed a finger in the air. “Allow me to finish.” Cass snapped her mouth shut. “And secondly,” Lucy continued, “this is going to work perfectly.”

“You’ve just invited Julian to a nonexistent house party, given by a nonexistent person,” Cass pointed out.

“Not nonexistent, not now.” Lucy flourished a hand toward her. “You’re Patience.”

A strange strangling noise came out of the back of Cass’s throat. “That is so mad I don’t know where to begin.”

Lucy took up her teacup once more. “Don’t you see, Cass? This is the perfect opportunity. You’ve been waiting for seven years to see Julian again. You wrote him a letter telling him how much you love him, for goodness’ sake.”

“A letter I never sent,” Cass replied.

“That’s not the point. Do you or do you not love him?”

Cass took a deep breath. It was true that when she’d heard that Julian was going to die from his injuries, she’d written him a letter. Lucy, with her domineering insistence, had convinced her to. But Cass had never been able to post the letter and now she was heartily glad she hadn’t. Oh, why hadn’t Julian recognized her? Was she truly that different-looking from seven years ago? If he had recognized her she wouldn’t be caught in this awful predicament right now.

She didn’t answer Lucy. She didn’t need to. Lucy knew how much Cass loved Julian. It was hardly a secret. She’d loved him since she was a girl.

*

“Penelope, Lord Julian’s coach is coming up the lane. You’ll want to meet it.” Penelope’s mother’s voice rang through the house. It was Cass’s parents’ manor house. And it was Cass’s sixteenth birthday. Her cousin and aunt had come for the celebration. Julian Swift, Penelope’s intended, was soon to be leaving for the Continent with the army. He had decided to visit the party to say his good-byes to Penelope.

Cass’s stomach filled with nervous knots. Julian? Julian Swift? Here? On her sixteenth birthday? It was a dream come true. She would never have thought to invite him, would never have imagined he would come. But apparently, he could not delay his journey any longer and he wanted to say good-bye to his intended before he left for God only knew how long. Perhaps forever. But Cass refused to think about that. Not today.