“On the contrary, I had nothing to do with it,” Clayton replied, leaning back in his chair. “I asked Theodora about it last night. She told me that Lady Julianna’s mother and sister were invited, and at the last minute they sent word that Lady Julianna would be accompanying them. It was too late to write and ask them not to. Besides, what excuse could poor Theodora have possibly given?”
“Yes, well, she might have let me know Julianna was on her way. The chit loves horses. I could have made myself scarce.”
“A groomsman making himself scarce in the stables is hardly good form,” Clayton replied with a laugh. “Besides, Theodora had quite forgotten your history with Lady Julianna, and she hadn’t told me the girl was coming. When you mentioned it yesterday it was the first I’d heard of it.”
“Regardless,” Bell interjected. “Do tell what happened when she saw you, Worth.”
“Yes,” Lucas added, leaning forward and propping an elbow on the table. “She had to have recognized you.”
“Of course she recognized me,” Worth declared, pulling up his boot. “The chit isn’t blind. Not to mention I’m not exactly someone to forget.” He sat back and gave them all a wicked grin.
Bell rolled his eyes. “Go on, what happened?”
Worth’s smile didn’t diminish. “I managed to convince her to go on a ride with me without sounding the alarm.”
“And then what happened?” Lucas asked, turning in his chair to see more of Worth. His memory of Worth’s history with Lady Julianna amounted to some gossip in the papers and then Worth saying he’d dodged a bullet. As far as Lucas knew, they’d never actually been betrothed.
“Let’s just say I managed to convince her to keep her mouth shut,” Worth replied, smoothing his hands down both sleeves of his jacket.
“How?” Bell asked, his sharp, narrowed eyes searching Worth’s face.
Worth cleared his throat. “My charm?”
Bell arched a brow. “Truly?”
“Very well. I’d rather not say,” Worth replied.
“Oh, you can’t do that to us, Worth,” Lucas said with a groan.
“I can and I will,” Worth retorted. “We all spoke about this. One or two people knowing who we are is perfectly acceptable. The rest of the party just can’t know.”
“Agreed,” Clayton said with a nod. “As long as Lady Julianna keeps it to herself, I suppose you’re still officially in the game.”
“Thank you.” Worth inclined his head toward their host and gave the other two men a smug smile.
“I can only imagine what you had to do to get her to agree to remain silent,” Bell said, whistling. “If memory serves you were persona non grata with her the last time you two spoke.”
“Wrote is more precise,” Worth replied, “and no amount of prodding shall make me tell you, though I admire your subtle efforts, Bell. And for the record, the non grata was quite mutual. Now, let’s speak of more pleasant things, shall we? Any wifely prospects, Kendall?” The duke blinked at Lucas.
Lucas tugged at his cravat and scrunched up his nose. What was there to say? “No,” was the first word on his lips. Frances Wharton had certainly intrigued him, but he wasn’t prepared to marry her at this point and there were definite things about her and her family that made her a poor choice. There was, however, something he did want to discuss with his friends. “I have yet to find my future bride, but I do need your help with something.”
“Yes?” Clayton asked, leaning forward.
Lucas cleared his throat. “Since Sir Reginald Francis is here and—”
“Sir Reginald?” Bell interrupted. “I haven’t seen him. What’s he doing here?”
“That’s a question I’d like to know the answer to also.” Lucas leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest, and stared directly at Clayton.
“I couldn’t help it,” Clayton replied, lifting his chin. “I always invite Sir Reginald. He’s thick as thieves with the Prince. I hardly want to get on the bad side of their ilk.”
“But you might have warned me before I had to serve him at dinner,” Lucas replied.
Worth whistled. “That must have been something.”
“I admit,” Clayton said with a wince, “Theodora and I wanted to see if Bell’s theory was correct. Would you truly be overlooked when dressed as a servant, Kendall? And you were. Sir Reginald never even glanced at you. By God, it was amazing.” Clayton clapped his hand against his knee.
Bell tugged at his sleeve. “I told you so.”
“Indeed, you did,” Lucas replied. “But what if Sir Reginald had looked at me?”
“Then you would have lost the bet the first night, old man,” Worth said, hopping off the keg, and slapping Lucas on the back. “That’s the entire game.”
“I suppose I may have had the chance to talk him out of it like you apparently did with Lady Julianna,” Lucas replied.
“A fine attempt,” Worth replied, “but I still refuse to tell you what I said to her.”
Lucas shrugged.
“So, Sir Reginald is such a blowhard he didn’t even notice you serving him dinner, Kendall,” Bell continued, shaking his head.
“Didn’t even notice him when Kendall spilled wine on his would-be fiancée,” Clayton added.
“Whose would-be fiancée?” Worth asked, his brow furrowing.
“Sir Reginald’s,” Clayton replied. “Apparently, he’s set his sights on Miss Wharton.”
“Miss Wharton?” Bell echoed. “The termagant?”
“There’s another termagant here?” Worth asked. “I thought Lady Julianna was the only one at this party.”
“Miss Wharton isn’t a termagant,” Lucas blurted. “She was simply trying to dissuade Sir Reginald and I, for one, cannot blame her.”
His friends’ heads all swiveled to look at him. And from the looks on their faces he might as well have just declared that he was sprouting two heads. It reminded Lucas of the night at the Curious Goat when they’d hatched this insane plot to begin with.
Clayton cleared his throat. “I believe I speak for all of us when I ask, how exactly do you know that, Kendall?”
Lucas pressed his lips together while he quickly thought
