The Accidental Countess (32 page)

“Care for some eggs and toast, Monroe?” Julian asked with a devilish grin on his face. He folded the paper in half and tossed it onto the table in front of him.

“No, thank you,” Monroe replied quite evenly.

“Care to take a seat then or do you simply want to have a go at me right now?”

Monroe grabbed the nearest chair in front of him and turned it around. He straddled it and braced his forearms on the back of it. “What I’ve come to say is quite simple.”

“And that is?” Julian braced his elbows on the tabletop.

Monroe looked him square in the eye. “Marry my sister or I’m going to kill you.”

Julian couldn’t stop his laugh. “Is that all?”

“Is that funny?” Monroe’s voice took on a shade of anger.

“No, not at all. It’s just that I have every intention of marrying your sister. I plan to do so as soon as possible, in fact. I’m in love with her.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear it. As you know, my parents are opposed to the match but I’ve reasoned with them. I believe they see the—ah—merit in the idea now.”

“Your parents don’t approve of me because I’m a second son, but I don’t give a bloody damn.”

“I don’t, either. I spoke with Cass before I came. She says she loves you. That’s good enough for me. You and I have always been friends. I’m still not certain what that mad house party was all about but I suspect Lucy Upton, I mean, Hunt, had everything to do with it. I was forced to go along with it because I lost a bloody hand of cards to Upton.”

Julian laughed aloud at that. “You lost at cards? That’s why?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Monroe replied.

“She has quite the reputation for troublemaking, the duchess, does she not?” Julian asked.

“You don’t know the half of it. You should have seen her as a child, a bigger tomboy you’ve never known. But Cass has always been devoted to her and any friend of Cass’s…”

“Understood.” Julian wiped his mouth with his napkin. “You know, Cass has told me that you and she were not particularly close. Why come here now to defend her honor?”

“We may not have been close as children, I am eight years older than she, after all, but Cass is my sister and I love her. I’ll murder anyone who hurts her.”

Julian gave him a knowing nod. “I feel the exact same way about my sister.”

“So, we’re agreed. You and Cass will marry, my parents will, however reluctantly, approve the match, and we’ll all be one big happy family.”

“One big happy family? I don’t know about that, now, Monroe.” Julian grinned at him.

Owen grinned back. “Pass the eggs, future brother-in-law.”

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

When Derek Hunt arrived at Donald’s town house later that afternoon, he was not alone. His brother Collin was with him.

Julian glanced out the window to see them coming up the walk. His stomach sank. Perhaps he should’ve insisted that Mother and Daphne remain in town. They should hear this, too. However, part of him was glad that he would be able to hear it first, break it to them gently if necessary.

He took a deep breath just before Pengree came to the door of the study and announced the Hunt brothers.

Derek and Collin entered the room moments later. Both looking somber, they shook Julian’s hand.

Collin took a seat on the sofa while Derek remained standing. Julian moved over to the window but remained standing, as well. The duke paced in front of the fireplace, his hands clasped behind his back. “As you might have guessed, Swift. We have news.”

Collin’s gaze remained trained on the rug.

Julian braced himself. He placed a hand on the back of the chair in front of him.

“We found them,” Derek breathed.

Julian’s heart clenched. Hunt hadn’t said the one word he’d been hoping for. He hadn’t said “alive.”

“Rafe was badly beaten, tortured. We took him to a surgeon in Brighton. He’ll make it, but he’s in bad shape.” Hunt eyed his friend carefully. “Very bad shape.”

Julian nodded once. “I see. And Donald?”

Derek shook his head. “Rafe told us that Donald had accidentally given himself away. That’s why they were captured. Cavendish did everything he could to save him.” Hunt stopped, strode over, put a hand on Julian’s shoulder and squeezed. “He’s dead, Julian.”

Julian bowed his head. He’d known it in his heart but the word was so final and heavy and difficult.
Dead
.

Julian raised his gaze to Derek’s. “You found him. You’re certain?”

Derek nodded once. “Yes. We brought back his body, for your mother and for Daphne. For you.” He pulled his hand away from Julian’s shoulder.

“Thank you for that, Hunt,” Julian replied. “Mother will be grateful. So am I.”

Hunt barely inclined his head. “It’s the least I could do.”

Collin’s jaw was clenched. “I’m so damned sorry, Swift.”

“So am I,” Derek said. He reached inside his coat and pulled an envelope from his inside pocket. “This is for you. It’s from Donald. He’d given it to one of the clerks at the War Office to deliver to you in the event … of his death.”

Julian stared at the document unseeing. Then, he slowly pulled it from Derek’s hand and made his way toward the window. Facing the street, he ripped open the seal and began to read.

Julian
,

If you are reading this, then I am dead, you are alive, and you, no doubt, have many questions. The War Office asked for a volunteer. They sent word to Parliament looking for someone, someone who would bravely go off to France. I want you to know that I did hesitate. After all, I am an earl, I have no heirs, and my only brother is at war. But I knew it would be all right, younger brother. I somehow knew you would survive. Don’t ask me how. I just did. You’ve always been a survivor and I have no doubts.

There’s something I need you to know. It’s quite important to me, hence, the reason I am writing this letter. I’ve always admired you, Julian. I know you looked up to me and wanted to be more like me, but the truth is that I’ve always wanted to be like you. You left for war, fought, nearly died. You showed tremendous courage and fortitude. I never had that in me. I think Father always knew it. It’s not particularly dangerous to sit in the House of Lords week in and out. Well, except in August when the stink of the Thames gets to be far too much. So when the call came for a volunteer, yes, I hesitated, but in the end, I knew I had to. I am my father’s son, but I am also my brother’s brother. I hope I’ve made the Crown proud, but more importantly, I hope I’ve made you proud, Julian. I may have spent my life being groomed to inherit a title, but that was nothing to be proud of. Circumstances of birth are not chosen, but bravery and courage are, and those were all things you chose. The earldom is lucky to have someone as strong as you in the lead. I heartily approve. My only regret is that I did not get the chance to shake the hand of the man you have become.

Give my love to Mother and Daphne. As for you, I suggest you marry Lady Cassandra and see to the business of having heirs as quickly as possible.

Yours
,

Donald

Julian took a deep, deep breath. His brother admired him? He’d never known it. Damn it, if only Donald were here for one moment so that he might tell him the same. Julian turned back to his two friends, fighting the sting of tears in his eyes.

“You know what this means?” Derek said in a low voice.

Julian took another deep, shaky breath. “I am the Earl of Swifdon now.”

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

One month later

Cass, Julian, Lucy, Derek, Jane, and Garrett all rested in the blue drawing room in the Earl of Swifdon’s town house. It was Julian’s town house now. He was still waiting for the official paperwork to make its way through Parliament, but he was already performing the duties of the earl. A bittersweet thing, indeed.

Donald’s funeral had been a state affair. Much of the
ton
had returned from their country houses for it. It had been attended by Wellington and the Prince Regent himself.

Daphne and her mother had been beside themselves with grief, of course, but at least they had been comforted by the fact that Captain Cavendish had lived. Apparently, the poor young man was distraught for not having saved Swifdon, too. Cass had done everything she could to comfort the three remaining members of the family, but in the end she knew there was little she could do. They needed time to grieve.

The women, who were all seated on the sofa, glanced up to see Garrett and Julian exchange wary glances. They were both pacing around the carpet like caged beasts.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, you two, don’t you think it’s time you made up?” Cass asked.

“The silent treatment, Upton? My, my, my, what I wouldn’t give to have you not speaking to
me,
” Jane remarked.

Garrett gave Jane a withering look before he turned toward Julian.

“Thank you for coming to the funeral,” Julian said in a gruff voice to Upton.

“I’m damned sorry about Donald, Swift. He was a good man,” Upton replied.

Julian nodded. Then the two clapped each other on the back.

Cass sighed. “Oh, thank heavens. All made up.”

“Yes, as long as Upton here sees fit to help me get my new bill passed in Parliament. Derek’s already agreed to it. It shall be my first order of business as Swifdon.”

“Already writing a new bill?” Garrett replied.

“Yes, to provide for the injured war veterans. I assume you’ll have no objections.”

Garrett nodded. His voice took on a serious tone. “Just tell me what you need from me and it’s yours.”

“Perfect,” Cass said. “Thank you, Garrett.”

Julian growled under his breath, clearly indicating that he didn’t much care for the fact that his intended was calling another man by his Christian name.

Derek interrupted their standoff by turning his attention to his wife. He strode over to the sofa and pulled her up into his arms. He glanced at Julian. “I should have known I needed to get back to London as soon as possible when you wrote to me about a Lady Worthing and her friend Patience. As soon as you mentioned that Lady Worthing was pretty and high-spirited with different-colored eyes, I knew my wife was up to something. It could not have been a coincidence. Not when Lucy was involved.”

Lucy pursed her lips and batted her eyelashes, giving her husband a completely innocent look. “At least he said I was pretty. It might have been quite awkward between the two of you had he referred to your new wife as a troll.”

They all laughed.

“I told Mother she is going to get her wish, after all,” Julian said to Cass, lifting her up from the sofa, too, and pulling her against him, his arms around her waist.

“What wish is that?” Cass asked, smiling.

“To see me married in a spring wedding,” he replied with a smile.

“And none of these simple morning ceremonies attended by a few close friends. It’s to be a grand affair, apparently.”

“We can wait,” Cass said.

“No we can’t,” Julian responded. “We’ll be married as soon as the six-month mourning period has passed. Life is precious and fleeting. It’s a lesson I’ve learned well this year.”

“I’ll marry you whenever you’d like,” Cass replied with a laugh.

“I must say, it’ll be a chore to keep my hands off you until then, my love,” Julian whispered in her ear.

She leaned up and whispered back. “Yes, well. I only hope the next little earl doesn’t come any earlier than nine months after the wedding.”

He grinned at her.

“How is your mother?” Cass asked. The countess had retired to her bedchamber, as had Daphne.

“As well as can be expected,” Julian replied. “I know planning the wedding will make her much happier. Daphne, too.”

“Poor Daphne’s been inconsolable,” Cass replied.

“She loved Donald. She insisted on being taken to see Rafe. He’s doing better but it will be quite a while before he’s fully recovered.”

“I look forward to meeting him,” Cass replied.

Lucy came over and hugged Cass. “I’m so glad you’ve forgiven me, dear.”

“Did I have any choice?” Cass said with a laugh, hugging her friend back. “Besides, you did redeem yourself after all.”

“Yes, by delivering that letter.”

“What letter?” Jane asked from her seat on the sofa.

“The letter I wrote when I thought Julian was dying,” Cass replied. “The letter that told him how much I loved him.”

“I made her write it, you know,” Lucy said. “I’m exceedingly proud of myself.”

“You should be proud of yourself,” Julian added. “And I am exceedingly grateful. It did make a difference.”

“I’m just so glad everything worked out for you and Captain Swift, I mean, Lord Swifdon,” Jane said to Cass.

“Are you crying, Jane?” Cass asked.

“I don’t cry.” She raised her book to hide her face.

“Your eyes are suspiciously moist.”

“Shut up,” said Jane from behind the book.

Lucy smiled and turned her attention back to Cass. “I never meant to hurt you.”

Cass nodded. “I know, and I shouldn’t have put all the blame on you. It was my fault, too.”

“No. It was my fault,” Lucy insisted. “I’m the one who came up with that preposterous scheme.”

“But it did sort of work,” Jane pointed out.

Cass wiped at her eyes. “It did. Eventually.”

“Yes, eventually,” Jane allowed. “But that could be said of all Lucy’s schemes.”

“Oh, Cass. I promise, promise, promise, never to do anything like that to you again,” Lucy said.

“Do you promise the same for me?” Jane asked with an expectant tone in her voice, pulling the book away from her face.

“Absolutely not,” Lucy replied. “Who knows what I may have to do to see
you
happily settled, Janie?”

Jane rolled her eyes. “Just don’t make it too ludicrous, please.”

“Duly noted,” came Lucy’s reply.

Derek put his hand on his wife’s shoulder. “I hope you are done with your schemes, Lucy. I don’t think any of us can take any more.”

Lucy gave Jane a sidewise smile. “Of course. Only we must see Jane settled first and then—”