The Unlikely Lady (Playful Brides #3)(21)
“I’m sure you do know. And you know Cass didn’t know her before meeting her this morning.”
He leaned back against the cushions that rested on the wall behind them and crossed his legs at the ankles, working diligently to appear nonchalant. “You’ve been reading too many novels, Miss Lowndes. Your imagination has quite got the best of you. Mrs. Bunbury is quite lax in her patronage.”
“It’s not possible to read too many novels, Upton, and I can only hope my imagination always has the best of me.”
“Why don’t you tell me, then, Miss Lowndes? Why do you think Mrs. Langford has come?”
Miss Lowndes flipped over two more cards. “I win!”
“Was there ever any doubt?” he replied with his usual sarcasm.
She arched another brow at him, but her smile was a bit distracting. “Don’t change the subject, Upton. I have no idea why Mrs. Langford came all the way from London to spend time in your company. It seems entirely illogical to me. But then again, several things about Mrs. Langford seem illogical to me.”
He did his best to sound bored. “Like what?”
“You don’t find it odd that a war widow has a governess and a tutor, lives on Charles Street, and has more trunks than Lucy does?”
He cleared his throat. Damn Miss Lowndes and her uncanny intelligence, not to mention her curiosity. “I’m not certain that’s any of my business,” he offered.
“Isn’t it?” Miss Lowndes shuffled the cards in her hands. “You seem to be preoccupied with my Mrs. Bunbury. It seems only fair that I pay a bit of attention to your Mrs. Langford.”
“That is patently ridiculous. Mrs. Bunbury doesn’t exist.”
“Which is precisely why my task shall be much easier than yours.” Miss Lowndes smiled at him sweetly. “I have no idea why Mrs. Langford followed you here from London, Upton, but I intend to find out.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
The following evening, Jane stared at her reflection in the looking glass in her bedchamber. Dull brown hair and plain brown eyes stared back at her. She sighed. She’d never be as slender and lovely as Lucy, or Mrs. Langford, no matter what she did. Tonight she’d actually made an effort. She’d allowed Lucy’s maid to help her dress. She’d spent more time preparing herself for the evening’s festivities than she ever had for a social event before. But why?
The day had been spent playing croquet on the lawn with the ladies while the gentlemen went shooting. Mrs. Langford had been mildly pleasant though the narrowed-eyed stares she’d given Jane every time she’d noticed her looking were a bit disconcerting. Mostly the woman spent her time trying to sidle up and be friendly with Lucy and Cass. Apparently, she wanted to be liked by Upton’s closest friends. Jane was only glad she wasn’t considered one of them. She’d left the widow to her efforts in the afternoon. Jane had forgone tea to sneak upstairs and read another novel.
But tonight, tonight was something different entirely. Her hair had been pulled back in a loose chignon, much different from her normal tight bun. Her cheeks had been rubbed with the smallest hint of pink rouge, and she’d even allowed Lucy to spray a bit of perfume in her general direction. Jane had made a show of coughing and gagging as if she would die from it but she wasn’t unpleased with the result. Lilacs had always been a favorite scent of hers.
“This perfume is said to drive gentlemen wild,” Lucy said with a sly smile. “The perfumer told me so.”
Jane gawked at her. “Then I’m washing it off, immediately.”
“Don’t be such a ninny,” Lucy countered, her eyes full of mischief. “Don’t you want to see what comes of it? I daresay you could do with a bit of driving gentlemen wild.”
Jane crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her friend. “What gentlemen? And why in the world would I want to drive any of them wild?”
Lucy set down the vial and plunked her hands on her hips. “Seriously, Jane? Must we have the talk? I was under the impression you already knew a good deal about what goes on between a man and a woman behind closed doors, but if I must explain—”
“No. No. No. Thank you very much,” Jane rushed to reply. “I’ve read all about that subject and am well educated on the—ahem—ins and outs of it. I simply mean that I have no cause to drive a gentleman wild. Tonight or any night.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “I’m certain the perfumer only said it so I’d purchase a larger vial. It worked, too, though I daresay I don’t need perfume to drive Derek wild, I just have to—”
“That is quite enough, thank you.” Jane resisted the urge to put her hands over her ears. Thankfully, Lucy gathered up her vial of wild-making perfume and left with a wink and an “I’ll see you downstairs.”
Now Jane was alone with her lilac scent, borrowed gown, and reflection in the looking glass. She sighed for a third time. A masquerade. She was not looking forward to it. She blinked at her reflection. What would it be like to be as beautiful as Lucy … or Mrs. Langford? She pulled the fan her mother insisted she carry with her at all times out of her reticule. She snapped it open, held it in front of her face, and batted her eyelashes at herself over the top of the silk folds. “Good evening, my lord. Why, of course you may have this dance.” She giggled. That was just ridiculous. Eyelash batting and fan snapping. She closed the fan and stuffed it back into her reticule. The reticule was lighter tonight. She’d left her ubiquitous book on the bedside table. She’d promised Cass she would be social and social she would be, pretend chaperone notwithstanding.