‘Oh, sir, you do flatter me so,’ she said to the gentleman next to her, only dimly having heard a compliment.
Perhaps, her mind raced, she could ask him later in the evening to fetch her a glass of lemonade. There was another room off the ballroom where maids served light snacks, sandwiches, and refreshments of all description right throughout the ball. She had noticed that gentlemen usually brought themselves a glass of champagne or wine at the same time as they fetched a drink for the lady. If she could then introduce laudanum into his glass, he would be forced to retire and sleep too long the next day to go on calls.
As soon as the supper was over, she slipped upstairs to her mother’s room and seized the bottle of laudanum and slipped it down the front of her dress.
She danced with partner after partner, all the while covertly watching her quarry. When she was promenading after a cotillion which she had been dancing but Lord Burfield had not, she saw him standing outside the refreshment room. She murmured to her partner that she must go and repair a rent in her gown. Instead she made her way to Lord Burfield’s side and said, ‘I am so very thirsty. Would you be so kind as to fetch me a glass of lemonade?’
‘Your servant,’ he said, bowed and went off to the refreshment room. Prudence took a quick look around and fished the bottle out of her corsage. But one person was watching her curiously. Lizzie, tired of dancing, was sitting quietly on a little chair behind a marble statue in a corner of the room. This was more interesting than dancing, thought Lizzie. Why should that lady look so furtive? Why had she taken that little green bottle out of the neck of her gown and concealed it in her hand?
Lizzie saw Lord Burfield come back with a little tray which held two glasses of lemonade. She saw him say something to Prudence, although she did not yet know their names, and then the couple walked together to where there were two seats in front of the statue behind which Lizzie was seated. Lizzie edged her chair to the side until she could see the couple. The man set the little tray on a small table beside them. The lady suddenly gave a shriek of laughter and said ‘Do but look at that quiz over there, Lord Burfield!’
‘Where, Miss Makepeace?’
‘Why, over there by the fireplace near the entrance!’
Lord Burfield raised his quizzing-glass. Prudence quickly emptied most of the contents of the little bottle into his glass.
Lizzie stared wide-eyed. Was this Miss Makepeace trying to poison this Lord Burfield? Or was it a love potion?
She did not want to make a scene. But she left her seat, leaned round the statue, and in a moment had turned the little tray around.
‘Your lemonade, Miss Makepeace,’ said Lord Burfield.
Prudence drank hers with a long gulp, anxious to show that she had really been thirsty. He sipped his, looking as if he did not like it very much.
But then Prudence began to feel groggy. At first she was bewildered, wondering whether her stays had been lashed too tight, but with the last of her wits she realized she had drunk the glass with the laudanum in it. She got to her feet. Lord Burfield rose as well. ‘Excuse me,’ muttered Prudence. He watched her anxiously as she swayed off, colliding with some of the guests.
‘Now what have I done?’ said a conscience-stricken little voice at his elbow.
He looked down into the face of the youngest of the Beverley sisters. ‘What have you done?’
‘That lady with you,’ said Lizzie earnestly, ‘took a bottle out of her corsage and poured the contents into your glass, so I turned the tray around. I thought it was a love potion. But what if it was poison?’
He remembered with alarm Prudence’s odd exit from the ballroom. ‘I had better find out,’ he said.
He could hardly believe this odd little girl’s strange story, but he approached Mrs Makepeace and said she should find her daughter, for he feared she was unwell. ‘Perhaps
Perhaps, her mind raced, she could ask him later in the evening to fetch her a glass of lemonade. There was another room off the ballroom where maids served light snacks, sandwiches, and refreshments of all description right throughout the ball. She had noticed that gentlemen usually brought themselves a glass of champagne or wine at the same time as they fetched a drink for the lady. If she could then introduce laudanum into his glass, he would be forced to retire and sleep too long the next day to go on calls.
As soon as the supper was over, she slipped upstairs to her mother’s room and seized the bottle of laudanum and slipped it down the front of her dress.
She danced with partner after partner, all the while covertly watching her quarry. When she was promenading after a cotillion which she had been dancing but Lord Burfield had not, she saw him standing outside the refreshment room. She murmured to her partner that she must go and repair a rent in her gown. Instead she made her way to Lord Burfield’s side and said, ‘I am so very thirsty. Would you be so kind as to fetch me a glass of lemonade?’
‘Your servant,’ he said, bowed and went off to the refreshment room. Prudence took a quick look around and fished the bottle out of her corsage. But one person was watching her curiously. Lizzie, tired of dancing, was sitting quietly on a little chair behind a marble statue in a corner of the room. This was more interesting than dancing, thought Lizzie. Why should that lady look so furtive? Why had she taken that little green bottle out of the neck of her gown and concealed it in her hand?
Lizzie saw Lord Burfield come back with a little tray which held two glasses of lemonade. She saw him say something to Prudence, although she did not yet know their names, and then the couple walked together to where there were two seats in front of the statue behind which Lizzie was seated. Lizzie edged her chair to the side until she could see the couple. The man set the little tray on a small table beside them. The lady suddenly gave a shriek of laughter and said ‘Do but look at that quiz over there, Lord Burfield!’
‘Where, Miss Makepeace?’
‘Why, over there by the fireplace near the entrance!’
Lord Burfield raised his quizzing-glass. Prudence quickly emptied most of the contents of the little bottle into his glass.
Lizzie stared wide-eyed. Was this Miss Makepeace trying to poison this Lord Burfield? Or was it a love potion?
She did not want to make a scene. But she left her seat, leaned round the statue, and in a moment had turned the little tray around.
‘Your lemonade, Miss Makepeace,’ said Lord Burfield.
Prudence drank hers with a long gulp, anxious to show that she had really been thirsty. He sipped his, looking as if he did not like it very much.
But then Prudence began to feel groggy. At first she was bewildered, wondering whether her stays had been lashed too tight, but with the last of her wits she realized she had drunk the glass with the laudanum in it. She got to her feet. Lord Burfield rose as well. ‘Excuse me,’ muttered Prudence. He watched her anxiously as she swayed off, colliding with some of the guests.
‘Now what have I done?’ said a conscience-stricken little voice at his elbow.
He looked down into the face of the youngest of the Beverley sisters. ‘What have you done?’
‘That lady with you,’ said Lizzie earnestly, ‘took a bottle out of her corsage and poured the contents into your glass, so I turned the tray around. I thought it was a love potion. But what if it was poison?’
He remembered with alarm Prudence’s odd exit from the ballroom. ‘I had better find out,’ he said.
He could hardly believe this odd little girl’s strange story, but he approached Mrs Makepeace and said she should find her daughter, for he feared she was unwell. ‘Perhaps
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