“What? Why?” Lucy pushed herself away from the wall and faced Cass.
“Yes. What are you talking about?” Jane asked.
Cass rushed toward the door. “Now that I know that Pen is quite all right, I must go. Julian said he was going to come looking for me, well, Patience that is, and…” Shyness overtook her for a moment. She stopped and bit her lip.
“And?” Lucy prompted, her eyes wide.
Cass smiled widely. “And kiss me senseless.”
Lucy rushed over and pushed her toward the door. “For heaven’s sake, then, by all means, go!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Julian strode straight out the door of the drawing room and ran smack into… Owen Monroe? His old friend? Cassandra’s brother? Here of all places?
“Monroe!” He clapped the future earl on the back. “Good to see you, old chap.” Owen had been one year ahead of him at Eton. They’d known each other for an age.
Monroe looked as if he’d seen a ghost, something Julian was becoming more and more accustomed to when people recognized him. “Swift? By God, it’s you!”
“What’re you doing here?” Julian asked. “I’d sent a note over to your parents’ estate but when I didn’t hear back, I assumed you were in London.”
“I was. I only just came out a couple of days ago. I’m looking for our hostess but apparently she’s otherwise occupied at the moment,” Owen replied.
They turned the corner and walked together into the study. “Yes, well, I’m certain Lady Worthing is around here somewhere. She’ll turn up. Come have a drink. Let’s catch up.”
Julian led the way toward the study where the men of the party had been known to lounge around and drink during the afternoon.
Monroe’s brow furrowed. “Lady Worthing?”
Julian pushed open the door to the study and allowed Monroe to precede him in. “Yes, Lady Worth—”
Upton leaped up from the sofa, directly into their path, cutting off Julian’s words. The man looked as if he was about to spit out his brandy. Julian hadn’t seen Upton move so quickly in his life, and that included when he was being shot at on a battlefield in Spain.
“Monroe. What in the devil’s name are you doing here?” Upton said. His friend Lord Berkeley remained sitting on the sofa reading a book.
Monroe narrowed his eyes on Upton. “Mother and Father sent me over here to see what was going on.”
“Going on?” Julian snorted. “You make it sound as if a house party is sordid, Monroe.”
“Well, I—” Monroe barely got a word out before Upton clapped him on the shoulder.
“I had no idea you came out to the country anymore, Monroe. Thought you preferred the city.”
“Mother asked me to pay a visit. She’s worried about Cass.”
Julian sucked in his breath. “Is Cass here? In the country?”
“That’s what I was hoping to find out,” Monroe replied. “I was just looking for Luc—”
“Monroe. Monroe. There is time for introductions and all of that later. Come sit. Have a drink. This is a party, after all, isn’t it?”
Monroe gave Upton a narrowed-eyed stare, but he took a seat near Berkeley and waited while Upton crossed over to the sideboard and poured him a drink. He took it and downed a healthy swallow. Upton handed Julian a glass of brandy as well.
A drink sounded good after his mad afternoon with his supposed future bride trying to lie to him about her identity—of all the ludicrous things in the world—who in the hell would think that was a good idea? It was beyond idiotic. Thank God he’d had the sense not to shackle himself for life to such a ninny-headed woman. However, despite Penelope’s antics, she had been calm and levelheaded about the end of their engagement. He didn’t know why he’d been so worried about it. She obviously didn’t give a toss about him and never had. She’d barely written to him or spared a thought, most likely, in the last seven years. Finding out that she had been hiding from him had been a surprise. Apparently, she was no more keen on marrying him than he was her. He could almost laugh about it, actually, if it wasn’t all so ridiculous. Instead, he chalked up the entire encounter to a bit of good luck. After his near death on the Continent, he supposed it was high time for a bit of fortune.
He was free. Finally free. Free to do what he chose. And what he chose at the moment was to have a stiff drink or two or three with Upton and Monroe and then to find Patience Bunbury later tonight and finish what they’d started. Patience Bunbury was stunning and from what he could tell last night… quite interested. It didn’t matter that Monroe was here and might know where Cassandra was. No. He refused to ask another question about her. Cassandra was in love with another man. He was going to kiss Patience Bunbury, then he was going to leave for France, in that order.
Julian hefted his glass. “To old friends!” he announced.
