Swifdon sighed and shifted his folded arms along the back of the chair. “The next bit is hard-won advice from my own life, but I think it will help you.”
“Help me?”
“Yes. And I think you desperately need a bit of help at present.”
Owen pressed his fingertips to his throbbing temples. “Very well, Your Lordship. What is it?”
“You know your sister and I traded letters for years while I was gone to war.”
“Yes, everyone knows that.”
“We fell in love through those letters. Only we didn’t quite realize it yet. Not until I returned home.”
Owen nodded. “Cass spent all those years afraid for your life.”
“I know, and I regret that she had to be worried for so long. But when I returned, she made a choice, the choice to pretend she was someone she was not. She had reasons for her choice, and of course, Lucy Hunt was involved, but regardless, Cass’s choice nearly cost us our future.”
Owen groaned. “Is this where you’re going to tell me that I shouldn’t allow Alex’s lies to cost me our future?”
Swifdon nodded solemnly. “If you want a future with her, yes. If I had allowed Cassie’s mistake to cost us each other, it would have been the biggest regret of my life.”
“And you think I’m making the biggest mistake of mine?”
“Marrying a woman you don’t love, who doesn’t love you? Yes. Regardless of your future with Alex, that would be a mistake, don’t you think?”
Owen expelled his breath. “Damn it, Swifdon. Why do you always have to be so wise?”
Swifdon chuckled. “It’s the way of us old, settled, married men, don’t you know? Now, I suggest you start making the right decisions for yourself, and if you agree that one of those decisions is a future with Alexandra, then a great deal of groveling may be in order. You need to do something momentous to make it up to her.”
“Momentous?”
“Yes. Something romantic and unforgettable. You’ll no doubt need help planning it.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“I’m not certain,” Swifdon replied, standing and pushing the chair back under the writing desk. “But might I suggest you begin with Upton. Seems to me, I recall the chap owes you a favor.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Garrett Upton did indeed owe Owen a favor. Last autumn during the house party in which Cass and Julian had fallen in love, Upton had bet Owen against a hand of cards that if he won, Owen had to keep his mouth shut and watch his sister pretend to be the fictitious Patience Bunbury for the remainder of the party. Upton, that sharp, had won, and Owen had kept his word despite the myriad misgivings he’d had about the entire ordeal. Cass and her friends were often cooking up plots, and a great deal of trouble had ensued before it all finally ended in Cass and Julian’s betrothal. Regardless, after agreeing to play along with all that, Upton was in Owen’s debt, the blasted hand of cards be damned.
“Monroe,” Upton said the minute the future earl saw Owen walk through the doors at Brooks’s. “Haven’t seen you in days. I heard a rumor that you were escorting young ladies about to balls lately. Tell me that’s not true.”
“I’m afraid I cannot,” Owen replied.
Upton arched a brow. “It’s true?”
“Entirely.”
“That’s surprising.”
“No doubt. But then, that’s why I’ve come. I require your help, Upton. Yours and your wife’s.”
Upton eyed him warily. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
Owen grinned at him. “I’d bet on it against a hand of cards, but something tells me you’d win.”
“Something tells me you’re right. Have a seat.”
Owen settled into a chair next to Upton and leaned toward him to ensure they would not be overheard. “Here’s what I want you to do.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Now that he had Upton in place, Owen had only a few more things to take care of before he could execute the remainder of his plan. First, he took his coach back to Seven Dials and paid a visit to Miss Magdalene. That fine woman was weeping tears of joy when he left. He’d provided her with a bank draft in the amount of his full monthly allowance. Next, he paid a call to Lord Hopbridge, the man who was opposing the toll road bill in Parliament. He informed the man in no uncertain terms that he had Owen’s full support and that he would begin lobbying his friends in Parliament right away. In so doing, he began his campaign for a seat in the House of Commons. Lord Hopbridge agreed to meet with him again so they might discuss it in more detail. Finally, Owen decided to go teach young men at the orphanage how to properly tie their neckcloths.