“Oh, nothing. Nothing,” Daphne replied, turning back to her letter.
Julian leaned back in his chair. It didn’t matter. He wished Cassandra well in her match, but marriage was the furthest thing from his own mind. He intended to put an end to his almost engagement and then go in search of his brother. Fate had intervened and made a mess of things. His brother was on the Continent in harm’s way and Julian was here, safe in London. He needed to right that wrong.
Julian looked across the room at his mother and his sister. He hadn’t informed them of his intentions of ending things with Penelope. Better to do it first and then explain afterward. But he knew what he had to do. The weeks of recovery had taught him something he couldn’t forget. He couldn’t live his life as a lie. Marrying Penelope would be a lie. His sense of honor had warred with his gut instincts, but in the end, he knew he must put an end to their agreement. He didn’t even know Penelope, certainly didn’t love her. He hadn’t been thinking about her as his blood seeped into foreign soil. No. He’d been thinking about Cassandra, Cassandra whom he only remembered as a young girl. She’d asked him for a kiss for her sixteenth birthday. He smiled at the memory. She’d been a scrawny little thing, all arms and legs, knees and elbows, but she’d certainly had the potential to turn into a beauty. Perhaps not one as gorgeous as, say, Patience Bunbury, but a good-looking young woman just the same. What did Cassandra look like today? Once he arrived in Surrey, perhaps he’d write to his friend Owen, Cassandra’s older brother, and see if he was in residence in the country, too. It would be good to see both siblings again.
Julian’s first goal was to find Pen and end things. His second goal had been to find Cassandra and… what? See her? Thank her? Tell her that she’d changed his entire life? It sounded idiotic in his thoughts. He could only imagine how it would sound in person.
His third goal was to return to the Continent, with or without permission, and help in the search for Donald and Rafe.
But first things first, hence his planned trip out to the countryside tomorrow to attend a house party. He supposed it had been fortunate, his running into Lady Worthing and Miss Bunbury. If he hadn’t met the two ladies at Penelope’s house three days ago, he might not have known where Penelope had gone off to and he certainly couldn’t have arrived uninvited. It had been quite fortunate, indeed.
“I cannot wait to hear all about the house party,” Daphne said with a sigh. “It almost makes me wish I had been invited. And I detest house parties.”
“Why would you say that?” their mother asked, sipping at the teacup the butler had just handed her.
Daphne wrinkled her nose. “Ah, all that country air and tedium. I much prefer town. So much to see and do.”
“And trouble to get into?” Julian offered.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Daphne replied, turning her head and batting her eyelashes at him innocently.
Their mother gave Julian a knowing look over the lip of her teacup. She’d written to him on more than one occasion about Daphne’s penchant for, ahem, colorfulness. The countess set down her cup and stood. “I bid you both good night. I’m exhausted.” She turned to Julian. “I’ll see you in the morning, dear, before you leave on your trip.”
Daphne and Julian said good night and Julian stood as his mother left the room. Donald’s absence was wearing on her. Julian could tell. After the door shut behind the countess, Julian settled back into his seat. “Don’t worry, dear sister. I’ll tell you all about the house party after I return.”
“Thank you. And you must tell me all about this Miss Bunbury. I’m simply dying to make her acquaintance,” Daphne replied.
Julian stretched his legs out in front of him and let his head fall back against the chair. He stared absently at the frescoed ceiling. Miss Bunbury. If he were being honest, he wasn’t exactly reluctant to see her again himself. Try as he might, he couldn’t seem to get the image of that young lady out of his mind. She was gorgeous. Yes, it had been a long, long time since he’d been with a woman, but he’d seen many of them since returning to England. None of them had affected him the way she had. The way she smiled and flashed a row of bright white teeth that tugged at her full lower lip when she was thinking about something.
“What does she look like?” Daphne asked, shaking Julian from his thoughts. “Perhaps I have met her and I’m thinking of a different young lady.”
Julian took a deep breath, still staring at the ceiling “She’s tall, blond, pretty.”
“Pretty or beautiful?” Daphne asked, a smile in her voice.
Gorgeous. “Quite pretty.”
“And her friend, what did you say her name was? Lady Worthing?”
“Yes, she’s got dark hair and the most unusually colored eyes.” Julian stood. “I’m going to retire for the evening, as well. I have some letters to write before I go to sleep. Good night, Daphne.”
“What’s unusual about them?” Daphne asked, just as Julian made it to the door.
Julian stopped. “Unusual about what?”
“Lady Worthing’s eyes.”
“Oh, one is blue and the other is green.” He reached for the door handle.
“Really?” Daphne’s voice was sharp and he turned to face her.
He narrowed his eyes on his sister. “Yes, really. Why?”
Daphne pursed her lips. “And you say this house party is in Surrey?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. Perhaps I do know this Lady Worthing after all.”
