Lucy’s different-colored eyes scanned her face. “What do you mean?”
Cass gritted her teeth. “I mean I need a plan.”
“A plan?” Jane echoed.
“Yes.” Cass nodded resolutely. “When I thought that I’d be breaking up Julian and Pen, I was racked with guilt. I felt absolutely awful. She may not love him, that’s true, but still, she’s my cousin and they are intended for each other.”
“Yes, dear, and…” Lucy prompted.
“Now I am without guilt. Oh, I still have guilt about lying to Julian about who I am, but I have no more guilt about taking him away from Pen. He doesn’t seem to want Pen. And I know Pen doesn’t want him.”
“What else did he say?” Jane prompted.
Cass took a deep breath. She would not reveal Julian’s secret that he intended to break things off with Pen. It was enough to tell her friends that he had feelings for someone else, some unknown woman whom Cass wanted to throttle.
“It doesn’t matter. All that matters is, if Pen doesn’t return his affection and this other woman is in love with someone else, why should I not try to make him love me?”
“You as Patience or you as Cass?” Lucy asked.
“Both!” Cass replied with a wide smile.
“This is so complicated.” Lucy sighed, tapping her finger against her cheek.
“No thanks to you,” Jane pointed out, nudging Lucy with her elbow.
Lucy gave her a mock-angry look.
Cass took a deep breath. “As long as Julian intended to marry Pen for love, I knew I couldn’t be with him, not really. But now, nothing is standing in my way. I feel no guilt whatsoever fighting for Julian with this unknown lady.”
Lucy squeezed her hand. “What do you plan to do, Cass?”
Cass pushed herself into an upright position. “Why, I’m going to be bold. You taught me that, Luce.”
Lucy and Jane exchanged worried glances.
Jane searched Cass’s face. “What exactly do you intend to do?”
Cass let a giant smile spread across her face from ear to ear. “I plan to test the depth of his devotion to whoever this woman is. I plan to fight for him. I plan to seduce Captain Julian Swift.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Cass came down to dinner the next evening in the lavender gown. She’d spent the entire afternoon with her maid, lowering the bodice, taking up the sleeves, adding a little turquoise pendant, and generally making the concoction all but indecent. As a result, her ample cleavage, which she’d never quite appreciated before, was pushed up and out to its full advantage. Garrett raised both eyebrows in obvious shock when she walked into the room, but her gaze was solely on Julian.
Julian’s gray eyes studied her and widened. Then he shifted in his chair as if he was uncomfortable. Perfect. She smiled to herself. He obviously liked what he saw, exactly what she’d wanted. She didn’t have long to contemplate the matter, however, before Lucy hurried over to her. “May I speak with you in the corridor?”
Cass didn’t have time to object. Her friend nearly dragged her out of the room, all eyes upon both of them.
Once in the cool, marble hallway, Lucy studied her from top to toe. “What are you wearing?”
Cass shrugged. “Just a gown.”
“Don’t shrug. You may pop out.” She gestured to Cass’s bosom.
Cass gasped. “I cannot believe you said that.”
Lucy lifted both brows. “I cannot believe you’rewearingthat. You’re not the Cass I know.”
“No, I’m not,” Cass agreed in a whisper so the passing servants wouldn’t overhear. “I told you, I’m bent upon seduction.”
