Lucy continued, “And Jane is good at—”
“Oh, this I simply cannotwaitto hear,” Jane replied with something of a smirk on her face.
“Stop it,” Lucy replied. “You’re good at being exceedingly clever and knowing things none of the rest of us know. Why, if you were allowed to be in Parliament you would have negotiated the peace years ago and would have the taxes set to rights while you were at it.”
“Please tell that to my mother,” Jane said with a laugh. “She doesn’t quite see the merit in all my reading and writing.”
“I still don’t understand, Lucy,” Cass replied, her blue eyes cloudy with confusion.
“Don’t you see?” Lucy said. “We all must help one another. Help one another to get what we want. We’ll each do the thing the others cannot do and assist one another.”
“What do you mean?” Jane asked, looking more interested by the moment.
Lucy smiled brightly. “I want to marry well. I don’t need love or any of that nonsense, but I’m expected to make a decent match, if I can ever find a gentleman whom I can stand that is—” She drew in a breath. “To date, I’ve been a spectacular failure. I frighten gentlemen away. Cass can help me be more, ahem, attractive to men. Or at least not send them running.”
“Go on,” Cass prompted, blinking rapidly.
“And Janie, you want to remain entirely unattached, do you not?” Lucy asked.
“Absolutely!” Jane replied. “Entirely and forever.”
“Repelling gentlemen is my specialty. I can help you immensely.” Lucy laughed.
Jane smiled at that. “I need you to convince my mother that she can stop making me attend these odious social evenings.”
“I’ll help,” Lucy agreed.
“And Cass?” Jane asked.
Lucy pulled them both closer. “I already have a plan. Cass wants to have her chance with Julian, correct? True love and all that. But you can’t do it if your mother is encouraging the Duke of Claringdon and insisting that you accept his suit. I’ll be your voice, Cass. I’ll tell you exactly what words to use to dissuade the duke from pursuing you.”
“You will?” Cass’s eyes were round.
“Yes,” Lucy replied. “I shall help you with the duke. Now you must send him a note. We must get him out of this ballroom and away from your mother’s prying eyes.” Another quick glance at Lady Moreland assured them that her eyes were indeed, still prying. “Ask him to meet you outside tonight, beside the hedgerow in the gardens. I’ll hide behind the bushes and whisper what you need to say and you’ll repeat it.”
A wide grin spread across Jane’s face. “You know, that plan is just mad enough that it may work. It’ll be just like Horner inThe Country Wife.Only less risqué.” Jane was forever mentioning her favorite plays.
Cass shook her head, a worried look flashing across her pretty face. “No. No. It won’t work at all. He’s sure to hear you, Lucy.”
“We’ll just make certain he’s several paces away,” Lucy replied. “You’ll tell him not to come any closer. For propriety’s sake, of course. It’s perfect.”
Cass’s wide blue eyes turned to Jane. “Janie, what do you think?”
Her forgotten book shoved back into her reticule, Jane crossed her arms over her chest. “I think I shall be out in the garden hiding behind the hedgerow with Lucy so I don’t miss a moment of this.”
Cass wrung her hands. “But what if itdoesn’twork?”
Jane patted her friend’s shoulder. “What does Lucy always say? Be bold? At this point, you’ve nothing to lose. And if anyone can manage this feat, it’s our Lady Lucy here.”
Cass gulped. She eyed both her friends warily and took a moment to speak. “Very well. If you’re certain, I suppose I’ll try it.”
Lucy smiled an enormous smile and clasped her hands together. “Excellent. Leave everything to me. It’ll be just like one of the romp plays we love so much. I’ll set the arrogant duke back on his heels. We have an appointment in the hedgerow.”
CHAPTER FOUR
The next morning Lucy spent an inordinate amount of time in the breakfast room of her cousin’s town house mentally compiling a list of crushing things to say to the Duke of Claringdon when they next met. Why, the man was a complete boor. How dare he call her Miss Upton? How dare he question Cass’s wishes? How dare he tell her he didn’t give a toss what she thought? The Crown may have bestowed a title upon him, but it obviously could not bestow the good breeding and manners that should come along with it.
She’d already cataloged an entire plethora of things to say to bring the duke to his knees when a footman arrived to announce that her friends were waiting in the drawing room to see her.
