The Unlikely Lady (3 page)

“You'd be quite surprised,” Daphne said. “I may be nineteen, but there is someone I'm quite peeved at presently.”

“Do tell.” Lucy stepped closer, a conspiratorial grin on her face. “And you must call me Lucy, too, dear. None of this ‘Your Grace' nonsense.”

Daphne sighed. “I'm afraid I can't tell. But suffice it to say, I have good reasons for wanting to shoot him.”

“A lady of mystery? I like that.” Lucy nodded slowly.

“Him?” Jane arched a brow. “That's the part I like.”

Daphne gave her a small smile and a shrug.

Jane watched the girl. Daphne was a tiny little blond thing with a plethora of energy. She'd made her come-out last year and suffered a horrible bout of sadness after her elder brother died the following autumn. It was impossible not to like Daphne. “Pretending to shoot at men or not, I'm pleased you're out today, Daphne. The fresh air is good for you,” Jane said.

“I must thank you both for making me smile, and laugh. It's been so long,” Daphne replied, a faraway look in her sparkling gray eyes.

Lucy crossed over the lawn and gave her a quick hug. “My dear Daphne. We're happy to make you laugh. In fact, it's our specialty. Besides, we're practically sisters. You're one of us. Jane and I love Cass as dearly as if she
were
our sister.”

“Thank you, Jane and Lucy.” Daphne's mouth quirked up in a shy smile. “I couldn't be happier to have Cass joining our family. Mother and I adore her.”

“Julian too,” Lucy replied with a wink.

“Of course,” Daphne agreed. “Julian too.”

Jane faced the bull's-eye again, pulled back the bow, closed one eye, and let it fly. Another direct hit. It nearly split the previous arrow in two. “Take that, Lord Bartholomew.”

“Well done,” Lucy said.

Daphne clapped her hands. “Why, the only other person I've seen shoot an arrow so precisely is Captain Cavendish.”

Jane and Lucy exchanged a glance over Daphne's head. Daphne had mentioned Captain Rafferty Cavendish, her brothers' friend who had been with Donald when he died, on several occasions of late.

“How is Captain Cavendish doing, dear?” Lucy strolled to where Daphne stood near Jane.

“All better, or so he says. He's recovered from his wounds in such short order, the doctors are amazed.”

“Will he be able to attend the wedding?” Lucy prodded while Jane readied another arrow.

“I do hope—I mean, I think so.” Daphne tugged at her gown.

“You're not
peeved
at him, are you, dear?” Lucy ventured.

Jane took a quick look at Daphne. The poor girl was blushing.

“No, wait. Don't answer,” Lucy continued. “I'd hate to deprive you of your mystery.”

Daphne's shoulders relaxed. “Thank you.”

“One more and then you can try, Daphne,” Jane said. She lined up the arrow and let go. Again, the missile whipped through the air and hit the bull's-eye in the center.

“Imagining anyone's head? Not mine, I hope,” came a sarcastic male voice.

Jane lowered the bow and swung around to watch the man heading across the lawn toward them. She narrowed her eyes as he approached. “If you care to stand in as my target, Upton, that can easily be arranged.”

Lucy pulled up her skirts, and rushed to greet her cousin. “Garrett, I'm so glad you're here. I worried you wouldn't get away in time for the house party.”

Garrett greeted Daphne before he replied to his cousin. “I rearranged some things on my schedule.”

“Ah, a wonder. Who knew drinking and gambling were so easily rearranged?” Jane gave him a tight smile. She caught Daphne's gaze and rolled her eyes. Daphne giggled.

“It's nice to see you, too, Miss Lowndes,” Garrett replied. “I'll forgo standing in as your target, as tempting as that offer is. I see you have your ever-present book.”

Jane squinted at the spot on the grass where she'd placed her book. “I'm surprised you recognized it, Upton, you not being a
reader
.”

Daphne stepped closer to Jane and took the bow from her hands while Jane made her way over and scooped up her book.

“Reading is quite overrated if you ask me, Miss Lowndes. Besides, you do enough reading for both of us,” Upton replied. “What is it you're reading this time?”

Jane gripped the book. “It's
Montague's Treatise on the History of Handwriting and Graphology,
if you must know.”

“Good God, that sounds every bit as dull as I expected,” Upton shot back.

Hands on her hips, Lucy glanced between the two of them. “You two, don't start. We're here for Cass and Julian's wedding, I'll have you remember, and we have a sennight to get along and enjoy ourselves before the festivities. Let's start off on a good foot, shall we?”

Upton turned to Jane. “That is entirely up to Miss Lowndes and whether she chooses to employ her razor-sharp tongue. Seems I've already become her target without the benefit of the bow and arrow.” He gave her a long-suffering look. “Shall we, Miss Lowndes?”

Daphne paused in pulling an arrow from the quiver to wait for Jane's answer.

“Shall we what?” Jane asked.

Upton tilted his head to the side. “Shall we call a truce? For Cassandra's sake? For the sennight?”

Jane shrugged one shoulder. “I've no desire to cause strife during Cass and Julian's wedding. Though if I were you I'd stay out of my line of fire, Upton. I'm awfully good at shooting.” She turned back to Daphne, a small grin that Upton couldn't see planted firmly on her lips.

Daphne smothered her smile behind her raised arm.

“That didn't sound like a yes to me,” Upton replied.

Jane rolled her eyes where only Daphne could see. “That's because it wasn't a yes, Upton. Do try to keep up.”

Lucy shook her head. “Ignore her, Garrett.” Then she waved her hands in the air. “Please tell me Aunt Mary will be here.” She turned back to Daphne. “That's Mr. Upton's mother. You did know he and I are cousins?”

Daphne nodded.

“Yes, Mother is coming next week for the wedding,” Garrett replied.

Jane was truly glad to hear it. Garrett's mother was a lovely woman whom Jane had had the pleasure of getting to know last summer when the friends spent time at Garrett's summer house in Bath. A pity its owner had to be there. Garrett Upton was the unfortunate addendum to Jane's friendship with Lucy. Jane had never taken to the man. In fact, the two had disliked each other nearly upon sight. They'd met at a performance of
Much Ado About Nothing,
after which the blowhard had eviscerated the play and the performance whilst Jane had defended it, and so it had been between them ever since. Attending the theater was one of her most treasured pastimes. She refused to allow some overly entertained reprobate to spout off on a subject he knew little about.

If the rumors about him were true, Upton was a rake, a gambler, and a general profligate, and Jane had little use for men who spent their time so frivolously. If those transgressions weren't enough to condemn him in her eyes, he also seemed to enjoy nothing better than to tease her about her bluestocking tendencies and education, another unforgivable sin. Though Jane had little use for Garrett Upton, Lucy and Cass adored him, and so, suffer his company Jane must.

“Wonderful,” Lucy replied. “It will be so grand to see Aunt Mary.” Lucy tapped a finger to her lips. “I do hope Mother is civil to her. She and Father will be here next week, as well.”

Jane spied Upton out of one corner of her eye. A wide grin spread across his face. Also annoying, because Upton wasn't entirely … unhandsome, especially when he smiled like that. The man was tall with dark, slightly curly hair, high cheekbones, a perfectly straight nose, and hazel eyes that turned a mossy green when he traded barbs with her.

“Don't worry,” Upton replied. “Mother can defend herself. I've yet to see her in a situation she cannot handle.”

At least the ass had respect for his mother.

Daphne let her first arrow fly. It shot off in a wide arc, landing in the grass nowhere near the target. “Oh, Jane, you must show me how you do it.”

“Happy to,” Jane replied. She set her book back on the grass and strode toward Daphne.

“Allow me.” Upton made it to Daphne's side before Jane.

Just like Upton, trying to show her up. Jane crossed her arms over her chest and eyed him through the narrow slits her eyes had become.

Upton slid another arrow from the quiver and put his arms around the diminutive Miss Swift. He helped her align the arrow and pull back the bow. “You must keep your eye on the target.”

Daphne let the arrow fly.
Thwunk.
It hit the target a bit off center.

Upton whistled. “Well done.”

“Yes, well done. Both of you,” Jane called, feeling uneasy. Good heavens. She'd just wondered what it would feel like to have Upton's arms around her, showing her how to do anything.
Not
that she needed him to. Never that.

“Thank you so much for your help,” Daphne said, smiling sweetly at Upton.

Upton let his arms fall away from Daphne. He turned his head to look at Jane. A small, not uncharming smile rested on his firmly molded lips. “Thank you, Miss Lowndes. Coming from you, that is quite a compliment.”

Lucy pressed a hand to her throat in a mock gasp. “What's this? The two of you actually being
civil
to each other?”

Half of Jane's mouth quirked up. “I can be civil … when I choose to be.”

“I'm extremely glad to hear it,” Upton replied. “I have to admit I've doubted it.”

Waving away a servant, Daphne strode across the lawn to retrieve the arrows, leaving the others alone for the moment.

“This house party may be extraordinary indeed, if we're off to such a fine start,” Lucy said.

Upton arched a brow. “I do hope this is a great deal different from the last house party we all attended.”

Lucy pretended to study her gloves. “The one last autumn at Upbridge Hall?”

Upton gave her a skeptical look. “Yes, the one last autumn at Upbridge Hall.”

“What was so awful about it?” Lucy asked.

Jane shook her head. “Really, Lucy?”

“Must I count the ways?” Upton added.

Lucy pushed up her chin. “I take great exception to that, Garrett. I think it worked out splendidly. We're here at the wedding, aren't we? A wedding that might not have happened if we hadn't had that house party last autumn.”

“All's well that ends well, eh?” Upton pulled at the cuff of his sleeve.

“Exactly.” Lucy nodded so forcefully that one of her black curls flew out of her coiffure and bobbed on her forehead.

“I would give a warning, Lucy. Don't try any of your antics during Cassandra's wedding,” Upton said.

Jane had been expecting such a speech. Upton was known to be the voice of reason when his much more exuberant cousin got a scheme in her head. Lucy's “antics” always seemed to work out for the best, but there was usually trouble before they were over.

“Nonsense.” Lucy tossed a hand in the air. “I would never do anything to cause trouble during Cass and Julian's wedding.”

“Lucy.” A note of warning sounded in Upton's voice.

Lucy pursed her lips and regarded her cousin. She blinked innocently. “Yes?”

“I do not for one moment believe you'd do anything with the
intent
to cause trouble at Cassandra's wedding, but we all know that if you're up to something—”

“Up to something?” Lucy faked outrage with the best of them.

“Yes. Up to something.
Are
you up to something?” Upton asked.

Jane had to swallow her laughter. “Now is probably not the best time to mention my new chaperone.”

“New chaperone?” Garrett put a hand on his hip.

Lucy looked at her cousin out of the corners of her eyes. “Never mind that. Suffice it to say, I do intend to help Janie here with her little problem, but that has nothing to do with Cass and Julian and will not cause them a bit of trouble.”

Upton's dark brows shot up. “Jane's little problem?”

Jane shaded a hand across the top of her bonnet in an effort to look as if she were watching Daphne's progress in retrieving the arrows. Jane wasn't about to explain anything to Upton, of all people.

“Yes, it's Jane's turn, after all,” Lucy responded.

“Turn at what?” The expression on Upton's face could only be called skeptical.

“Why, our pact of course.” Lucy shrugged as if it were common knowledge. “We made one last summer, Jane, Cass, and I.”

Upton scrubbed a hand across his cheek. “I don't think I want to hear this.”

“It's nothing scandalous.” Lucy flicked the curl off her forehead. “We merely agreed to help one another, using our particular skills.”

“And those are?” Upton prodded.

“First, I helped Cass rid herself of the Duke of Claringdon,” Lucy said.

Upton's eyes widened. “You mean your husband?”

Lucy pursed her lips. “He just so happened to be perfect for me, but I hardly knew that at the time we made our pact.”

“Then we helped Cass in pursuit of Julian,” Jane added, smiling sweetly at Upton.

Garrett's mouth twisted grotesquely as if he'd just swallowed an eel. He turned to Lucy. “Don't tell me you're turning your talents toward finding Miss Lowndes here a mate.”

“Don't be a nitwit, Upton.” Jane crossed her arms over her chest. “And please don't say ‘mate' like that. It sounds so … barbaric.”

“Of course not,” Lucy interjected before Upton could reply. “We merely intend to ensure Jane's mother leaves her alone to be a spinster. Just as Jane wishes.”

“Oh, really?” Upton replied, giving Jane a sardonic look. “How exactly do you intend to accomplish that?”