“They think it’s a lark, dear. There’s no reason this shouldn’t be fun.”
“I see.” Cass pressed a hand to her belly. Perhaps it would be all right after all.Perhaps.
“The servants have done an outstanding job. All we have to do is see to the finishing touches. Come along.” Lucy turned in a swirl of yellow skirts.
Cass spent the rest of the day following her friend through the cavernous rooms as they made the last-minute plans for the house party’s amusements. Mrs. Prism tracked them with a quill and parchment to scribble down their requests.
“I sent word to Captain Swift letting him know that the house party doesn’t officially begin until Saturday,” Lucy said as they entered one of the drawing rooms.
“What did you say about Pen?” Cass asked.
“I told him that Penelope had been confused as to the start of the thing, hence her leaving London too early. I managed to secure us a few days before Julian appears.” Lucy smiled.
“Yes, but you put us in the position of having to immediately explain to him upon his arrival why Penelope is not here when she left for the house party several days earlier,” Cass replied.
“Leave it all to me,” Lucy said with a simple, confident flick of her wrist.
“You do not have a magic wand, do you?” Cass asked, glancing about under the furniture as if the said wand might be found.
Lucy rolled her eyes. “No, I have a quick tongue, and that is even more useful. Magic wands can be stolen, dear.”
Cass shook her head but couldn’t help but laugh at her friend’s antics. That was it. If she was going to pretend, she might as well pretend on a grand scale. How many times had she thought, what she wouldn’t give to have a small bit of Lucy’s courage and confidence for a day? Just one day. Though she wouldn’t say no to that magic wand, either.
But this was Cass’s chance, her one chance. She was courageous. She was confident. She was Patience Bunbury! She nodded resolutely and turned to face her friend.
Lucy spread her arms wide, indicating the entire back half of the drawing room. “And here is where we shall play cards after dinner,” she said, turning in a circle and clapping her hands together once. “Of course I shall seat you next to Captain Swift at every opportunity.”
Cass turned in a circle, too. “Seems you’ve thought of everything.”
Lucy nodded. “Of course I have.”
Cass made her way over to the wall and traced a finger along the edge of a portrait hanging there. “Is Jane coming?”
“Absolutely. She says this is one Society event she’s actually looking forward to. In fact, Jane is one of only a few guests I’ve invited. She’s never met Captain Swift, which, of course, is of the utmost importance.”
“When did you plan all of this?” Cass asked, shaking her head.
Lucy grinned. “I was in a flurry of writing letters two nights ago after we spoke with Captain Swift.”
“Who else did you invite? Garrett?” Cass asked, referring to their fourth good friend, Lucy’s first cousin, Garrett Upton. Garrett lived nearby as well. He and his cousin were fast friends and the three of them had grown up together, riding horses and playing games across the neighboring estates.
Lucy’s only brother had died of fever when he was a child. So Garrett, her father’s only brother’s son, stood to inherit Lucy’s father’s earldom because his own father was dead. In fact, Cass suspected that now that she was without the prospect of a husband again, her own parents had turned their marriage-minded gazes toward Garrett Upton. Garrett, of course, was nothing more than a friend to Cass, but because the Upbridge estate bordered the Morelands’ estate, Cass’s father had mentioned upon more than one occasion how much he liked the idea of uniting the two families in land and matrimony.
Lucy turned to face Cass and pursed her lips. “No, ah, not exactly.”
“Not exactly? What do you mean?”
“With Garrett it’s a bit… complicated.”
Cass narrowed her eyes on her friend. “Why?”
Lucy flourished a hand in the air. “Oh, you know Garrett. Always wanting to do the right thing and tell the truth, et cetera, et cetera. I’ve told him I’m a bit indisposed.” She lowered her voice so Mrs. Prism wouldn’t hear. “He thinks I’m with child and stopped asking questions. It’s perfect. I doubt he’ll come looking for me.”
Cass’s mouth dropped open. “Lucy! You didn’t allow him to think that.”
“Yes. I did.” She winked at Cass. “What? It’s the perfect excuse.”
“You’re completely incorrigible.”
