Cass and Lucy eyed Jane askance.
Jane pulled her spectacles from her nose and polished them using the fabric of her gown. “Very well. I merely told him that Cass is to be known as Patience Bunbury and you are Lady Worthing and I am Miss Wollstonecraft and he agreed.”
“Just like that?” Lucy asked, skepticism dripping from her voice.
Jane shrugged. “Theremayhave been a bit of bribery. By the way, Luce, he doesn’t believe for a moment that you’re expecting a baby.”
Lucy wrinkled her nose. “Harrumph.”
Cass leaned her head against the back of the settee and rubbed her temples. The headache was back, stabbing at her with a vengeance. This time it carried an ice pick. “Butwhyis he coming?”
Jane shrugged. “Apparently, he wants to see for himself that we’re not doing anything overly scandalous or illegal.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “Oh, that’s just preposterous.”
“Is it?” Jane gave her a knowing look.
Lucy harrumphed again.
Cass took a deep breath. She wanted to tell her friends that Julian planned to end things with Pen but she couldn’t. She’d promised Julian she would tell no one, and while she might be a liar in one way, she refused to be a liar in another. She would keep her promise to Julian.
“It doesn’t matter about Garrett because I came in here to insist that we stop this charade entirely.”
Lucy blinked. “Now?”
“Now?”
“What’s happened?” Jane asked.
Cass took a deep breath. “Julian asked me to write a letter to Pen today, to get her to the house party as soon as possible.”
Lucy’s and Jane’s eyes went wide.
“What?” Jane asked.
“You can’t do that,” Lucy said, abandoning her list.
“Of course I can’t do that,” Cass agreed. “But he asked me to. He needs to speak to her… immediately.”
“Why?” Lucy blinked again.
“I cannot say.” Cass squeezed shut her eyes. She refused to continue lying. Lying spread like a disease. Once you began, you had to keep at it to cover up the other lies. No, she wouldn’t do it. Lucy and Jane would just have to accept the fact that she was keeping a secret from them.
“Can’t say or won’t?” Jane asked, placing her spectacles back upon her nose.
“Can’t.” Cass nodded. “And won’t. Julian asked me to keep it secret.”
“But he told you?” Lucy’s eyes were wide.
“Yes,” Cass replied.
“Oh, that’s excellent.” Lucy clapped her hands. “He’s confiding in you. I knew this would work.”
Cass rubbed her temples again. “You are absolutely mad, you know that? I fail to see how any of this is good news.”
“It’s good news in Lucy Hunt’s head,” Jane replied with a knowing smile.
“No. No,” Lucy insisted. “Don’t you see? If Julian is confiding in Cass, er, Patience, it means he trusts her. He’s getting close to her. It’s just what we wanted.”
