I decided I was being ridiculous hiding from Captain Swift. I need to face him and get it over with. I paid a call to his mother and Daphne. There, I was informed that Captain Swift had recently left for a house party in the country. Why, imagine my surprise when I inquired as to the location of the house party and realized that he was at Lucy’s house, of all places!
All three friends exchanged worried glances.
“Keep reading,” Lucy said in a singsong voice.
“Yes, go on. Go on,” Jane prompted.
I think this is absolutely perfect, darlings. I have some important news to share. I’ll tell you all about it after I arrive. Look for me on Wednesday afternoon. I simply cannot wait to see you both.
Cass gulped. Wednesday afternoon? It was Wednesday morning.
“What do you think her ‘important news’ is?” Jane wanted to know.
“Who cares about that?” Cass nearly shrieked. “Do you know what this means?”
“It means Penelope is on her way here as we speak,” Lucy declared, tapping her finger against her cheek.
Cass tossed the letter onto the tabletop. She searched the room’s ceiling. “What are we going to do?”
“It solves the problem of you producing her for Captain Swift, at least,” Jane pointed out, taking another bite of her muffin.
“But it presents an even greater problem,” Cass moaned. “What shall we do?”
“There’s nothing to do,” Jane replied. “You either have to send Captain Swift on his way or intercept Penelope somehow. Those are the only two choices.”
Lucy snapped her fingers. “No, wait!”
Cass raised her head, a bit hopeful at Lucy’s tone. “What?”
Lucy’s eyes had a telltale gleam in them. She’d thought of something. “This may just be perfect.”
“How could it be perfect?” Jane popped another bit of a muffin into her mouth.
“Do you intend to eat all of those muffins?” Lucy asked her.
“Perhaps,” Jane replied.
“Stop talking about the muffins!” Cass nearly shouted, her anxiety rising with each moment. “What were you going to say, Lucy?”
“Yes, tell us how this could possibly go well,” Jane replied, blinking at Lucy.
Lucy tapped her fingers along the tabletop. “Julian and Penelope would need to be in each other’s company in order to end their agreement, correct?”
“Yes,” Cass replied, narrowing her eyes at her friend.
“And if she comes here, they will be in each other’s company, correct?” Lucy continued.
“Aren’t you forgetting the part where Cass is pretending to be Patience Bunbury and you are calling yourself Lady Worthing? How will you explain that to Penelope?” Jane asked.
“We won’t have to,” Lucy replied.
“What are you talking about?” Cass asked.
Lucy shrugged. “We’ll simply hide.”
“Hide?” Cass rubbed her eyes.
“Hide?” Jane nearly spat out her muffin. “You have truly gone mad now.”
