The Accidental Countess (Accidental #2)(73)

“Are you angry with me?” Daphne asked. “For luring you to the park to meet Julian?”

“No,” Cass replied. “I’m not angry. But why did you do it, Daphne?”

Daphne shrugged. “I thought if the two of you spent time together, you’d realize how you feel about one another. That’s what Her Grace’s letter said to do.”

Cass snapped up her head. “Her Grace’s letter?”

Daphne nodded, her blond ringlets bouncing. “Yes. The Duchess of Claringdon wrote to me several days ago and said I must help to ensure you and Julian saw each other as often as possible while you were in London.”

“Lucy wrote to you?” Cass turned to Jane. “Did you know about this?”

Jane shook her head so vigorously that her spectacles popped off her nose. She caught them in both hands and immediately scrambled to replace them. “I had no idea.”

“Her Grace said I should keep it a secret,” Daphne added. “Especially from you”—she nodded to Cass—“and Julian.”

“Of course she did.” Cass took a deep breath. “Why am I not surprised that Lucy continues to meddle in my affairs even after I stopped speaking to her over her meddling?” She poured tea into the cups.

“That’s our Lucy, I’m afraid.” Jane took the teacup that Cass handed to her.

Daphne sighed. “It didn’t work, though, did it?”

Cass shook her head. “No. I’m afraid it didn’t. In fact, your brother made it quite clear that he doesn’t even want to be my friend.”

Daphne’s face fell. “He said that?”

“Yes.’” Cass nodded.

“I cannot understand him,” Daphne replied, accepting her teacup. “Why is he acting this way?”

Cass lifted her chin. She pulled her own cup closer. “It doesn’t matter. He cannot forgive me, and I understand why. I was a fool to do what I did.”

Jane took a sip of her tea. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Cass.”

Cass returned her weak smile.

“I don’t understand Julian these days,” Daphne said, taking a sip. “How could he be like this to you?”

“I’ve done a lot that’s difficult to forgive,” Cass replied. “I don’t blame him.”

“I do,” Daphne said. “He’s being so judgmental. We all do things we ought not from time to time. For instance, I tricked you into meeting him in the park. You don’t hate me, do you?”

Cass smiled at the younger girl. “No, I don’t hate you, but I do contend that you owe me a favor to make up for your sneakiness. In fact, that’s why I’ve asked you to come.”

Jane tipped down her head to look at Cass over her spectacles. She gave her a wary glance. “A favor? Is that why I’m here, too?”

Cass shook her head. “No. You owe me nothing, Janie. I only wanted to beg for your assistance.”

“I’ll do what I can,” Daphne said, “but if this is about Julian, I think you need to—”

“No.” Cass straightened her shoulders. “It’s not about your brother. This is about me and what I want to do. I need to take control of my own life. I’ve made a decision.”

Jane’s face scrunched into a frown. “You seem different today, Cass.”

Cass smoothed her hands down her sleeves. “You mean I don’t seem anxious any longer?”

Jane reached over and patted her arm. “Are you all right?”

Cass took a deep breath. “I’m perfect actually. I finally decided that I’m not going to live my life under my mother’s thumb for one more minute. She’ll never stop until I’m unhappily married to a man whom I don’t love. I know that and I refuse to live my life according to her rules.”

“I don’t understand. What do you want to do, Lady Cassandra?” Daphne asked, her brow furrowed.

Cass looked at Julian’s sister. “First, you must call me Cass.”

“All right, Cass,” Daphne answered with a smile.

Cass nodded. “Daphne, I do hope you do not take this the wrong way but you seem as if you are the type of young lady who knows how to do things you oughtn’t.”

Daphne blushed just a little, but then she laughed. “Oh, I understand, Cass. And you’re perfectly right. Actually, I take that as a compliment.”

Cass smiled back at her. “You should. I’ve asked you here because there’s something I want to do that is going to take someone of your skill and determination to do it. I need your help.”

Daphne’s eyes lit. She leaned forward in her seat. “Yes?”

“I don’t like the sound of this,” Jane said, shaking her head at Cass.

“Be bold,” Cass said. “I’ve been thinking about those two words. I’ve made mistakes, several of them. I’ve allowed myself to be told what to do by nearly everyone, Mother, Father, Owen, even Lucy. It’s easy for me to blame all of them, to take no responsibility for the part I played in all of this.” She lifted her chin. “But it’s not true. It’s time I stood up for myself, made my own decisions, and lived life on my own terms. I learned something being Patience Bunbury. I learned that I didn’t have to be the perfect little Society miss. The world would not come to an end if I broke a rule.”