The Unlikely Lady (Playful Brides #3)(67)

“Cass and I.”

“What did you do?” Jane gave Lucy her most formidable glare.

Lucy twisted her hands together. Another bad sign. “We saw you together, the night of the masquerade, looking at the portraits in the upstairs gallery.”

Jane caught her breath. What else had they seen? “Upton and me?”

“Yes,” Lucy replied, still acting sheepish. “I was looking for Garrett and I followed him and … then you went into the drawing room together and shut the door. Well, we had to wonder—”

“Wonder what?” A sinking feeling spread through Jane’s middle.

Lucy shrugged. “Wonder if you were, you know, doing anything?”

Jane forced herself to keep her face blank. “What did you discern?”

“We didn’t discern anything. We left soon after. It was all conjecture on our part, but we decided to find out if you and Garrett might have developed a tendre for each other. You quite shocked us, you know.”

“Just because we went into the drawing room together? Why didn’t you come out and ask me what was going on?” Jane slapped a hand against her forehead. “Wait, I know the answer to that already. Because it would be too simple. When Lucy Hunt is involved, complicated escapades are always preferred to directness.”

“I take offense to that,” Lucy replied, pointing her nose in the air. “And we did ask you, or tried to. The next morning, don’t you remember? Cass and I came to your room and asked where you’d been the night before. You didn’t mention Garrett once. It seemed suspicious to us.”

Jane crossed her arms over her chest. “And so you…?”

Lucy winced. “We decided to tell each of you that the other had developed a tendre.”

“You did what!” Jane slammed her palms against the tabletop. The silverware bounced.

Lucy kept one eye closed and eyed Jane carefully out of the other. “Cass told Garrett that you had developed a tendre for him, and I told you that Garrett had developed a tendre for you.”

Jane’s breath came in short spurts. She tried to count three but she couldn’t manage it. She waved a hand in the air. “Why in heaven’s name did you do that, Lucy?”

Lucy worried the end of her napkin. “We hoped it might serve to flush out the truth. We thought if you both believed the other had feelings, it might help you to confess to your own.”

Jane was convinced her eyes were wild. She felt wild. “Confess to my own? What in heaven’s name made you think I had my own?”

“You must admit that you and Garrett make a fine-looking couple.”

“We can barely stand to be in the same room with each other!”

“You were doing an admirable job of it that night in the upstairs drawing room. And everyone saw how enchanting you were dancing together the night of the wedding.”

The memory of that dance felt like a punch to her middle. Jane clenched her jaw. “Lucy, I swear, if I didn’t know you were the biggest meddler in the entire kingdom, I’d warn you right now to run far and fast. It would only be sporting to give you a head start.”

Lucy bit her lip again. “But because you do know I’m the biggest meddler in the entire kingdom? Oh, don’t hate me, Janie, please.”

“I’m absolutely incensed. Truly. But I have to admit, it explains a great deal.” She took a deep breath, then another one. “You are known for your schemes and if I were to remain angry with you, I might as well be angry with the sky for being blue.”

Lucy nodded so rapidly her black curls bounced. “That is true.”

“You’re not going to get out of it that easily, Lucy. Tell me, what else did you do? Who else was involved in this little scheme of yours?”

“What makes you think anyone else was involved?” Lucy tossed her napkin back on the tea tray.

“You always involve others in your schemes. I know because I’m usually one of them.”

Lucy’s eyes twitched back and forth.

“Lucy?” Again, Jane dragged out the word.

“Very well, in addition to Cass and myself, Owen Monroe and Daphne Swift were involved.”

“Owen and Daphne?” Jane breathed. “What was their involvement?”

Lucy drummed her fingers against the wooden arm of her chair. “Owen was to make Garrett jealous by paying special attention to you and Daphne was to keep Mrs. Langford occupied when necessary.”

Jane sat stunned. Her mouth fell open. She felt as if Lucy had hit her over the head with an iron poker. She’d been duped. Duped by the best of them, Lucy Hunt. “So that’s why Owen was constantly appearing out of nowhere and Daphne was always speaking with Mrs. Langford.”

Lucy’s lips twisted. “Of course, they were forced to improvise upon occasion, like the time they jumped in the rowboat together at the lake so that you would be forced to ride with Garrett. Too bad they couldn’t have dragged Mrs. Langford off with them.”

“I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am.” Jane rubbed her forehead. The devil’s own headache was forming behind her right eye. “Tell me one more thing. Have you admitted this subterfuge to Upton?”

Lucy tugged at the neck of her gown. “Actually, Derek is on his way to do that as we speak.”