Cass groaned. “Oh, Lucy. What am I going to say to him? I can’t write to Pen, and I refuse to tell him that I’ve done so. We must end this.”
Jane retrieved her book. “What did you say when he asked?”
Cass bit her lip. “I was vague. I didn’t promise anything. I pointed out that Penelope is traveling and that getting a letter to her would be difficult.”
Lucy was already deep in thought, tapping her finger against her cheek. “Good. Good. For now just tell him you’re trying to determine where she might be. I’ll think of something.”
“Didn’t you hear what I said?” Cass replied. “We must tell Julian the truth. Now.”
“We can’t do that, not now. Not when we’re so close and we’re making headway,” Lucy said.
“Headway?” Cass stared at Lucy as if she’d lost her mind. “What headway?”
“Why, you just said that Julian has confided in you… I mean, Patience,” Jane pointed out.
“You truly think I should continue this madness, Janie?”
Jane wrinkled her nose, her spectacles wobbling. “I can’t say I agreed with beginning it in the first place but it does seem as if we may want to allow it to play out a bit more.”
Cass plopped onto the sofa, her breath leaving her in a solid whoosh. “You’ve both gone mad and now Garrett is apparently coming.”
“That reminds me,” Jane said. “Upton also wanted to know where Claringdon is while his wife is getting up to obvious trouble.”
Lucy made another disgruntled noise. “As if I need a husband to keep an eye on me.”
“I told him Claringdon left for the Continent,” Jane said. “I think Upton’s quite convinced we’re in need of a man over here.”
“As I said, preposterous,” Lucy retorted, crossing her arms over her chest, a frown etched across her face.
“Isn’t it?” Jane agreed.
Cass sighed. “Please just tell me he didn’t say anything about Owen?”
“Nothing, and Owen wasn’t there,” Jane replied.
“Thank God for that, at least,” Lucy added.
“There’s just one thing. Doesn’t Upton know Captain Swift?” Jane asked.
“Yes.” Lucy nodded. “They served together in the army years ago.”
“He insisted he go by his own name,” Jane added.
“Did you tell him Julian is here?” Lucy ventured.
Jane shook her head. “No. I left that part out. I knew he’d ask questions I couldn’t answer.”
“Probably for the best,” Lucy said.
Cass pressed her temples harder. Her friends had gone mad, that was all there was to it. They’d gone mad and so, perhaps, had she because she was actually listening to them. “What are we going to do when Garrett asks those questions when he arrives?”
Lucy flourished a hand in the air. “You’ll just have to explain it to him, Cass.”
Cass sat up straight and blinked. “Me?”
“Yes, you,” Lucy replied.
“Why me?” Cass asked.
