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.”