Her Master and Commander by Karen Hawkins Page A

sheep.”
    “Mother, we are now in the wilds of Devon. London rules do not apply. Let me deal with the sheep; you tend to starting our school.” Prudence straightened her shoulders. Yes. She’d deal with the captain in her own fashion. “Mother, have you heard anything from your friend, Lady Margaret? She promised her daughter would be our first student.”
    Mother’s expression darkened. “I meant to tell you…”
    Prudence’s heart sank. “She said no.”
    “I’m certain she didn’t mean to make promises she didn’t intend to keep. Something very grave must have prompted her to—Well, here. Read it for yourself.” She pushed her hand into the pocket hidden in her morning dress and handed a very small note to Prudence.
    “My, how Lady Margaret does go on and on,” Prudence said dryly as she opened the painfully short note. “She never meant to send Julia, did she?”
    “I’m sure she did! But Lady Chisworth’s Academy is quite selective, and I’m sure if I was in the same position and you had been accepted there that I—”
    “You would not have disappointed a friend you’d known since you were six, no matter how select Lady Chisworth’s Academy might be.”
    Mother sighed, a wistful expression on her face. “No. I don’t suppose I would.”
    “Nor would you disappoint a friend who had come to your aid every time one of your numerous children caught the slightest complaint. Why, when I think of all the times you’ve rushed to Lady Margaret’s side to help her nurse those brats of hers through God knows how many illnesses—”
    “Prudence! You shouldn’t say such things.”
    Prudence sighed. “You’re right and I am sorry. It just makes me angry when people take advantage of you. We bought this cottage so you could make a seminary. All we need are a few well-placed students and you would be set. I really thought your friends meant their promises to assist you.”
    Mother’s shoulders sagged dispiritedly. “I did, too. Not only has Lady Margaret led me astray, but Lady Caroline has, as well. It seems as if none of them was ever truly my friend.”
    Prudence reached over the small table and took Mother’s hand in her own. “I am sorry things are not turning out as we’d hoped.”
    Mother managed a smile. “Yes, well, I refuse to let it bother me. We’ll find a way to launch our school.”
    “I know we will. We simply must think. Who else of our acquaintance has a seminary-aged daughter?”
    They were silent for a long time, both mentally going through their various acquaintances. It wasn’t easy, as they’d lost so many supposed friends when Phillip’s business had fallen and the scandal had occurred. Prudence’s throat tightened at the memory of those dark weeks.
    Mother straightened. “Prudence! I know just the thing! I believe I shall write a letter to my old friend, Lady Boswell.”
    “Lady Boswell? From Scotland? The one who sends us those horrid, hard Christmas cakes every year? I didn’t think she had any children.”
    “No, but she has more than twenty nieces. Last year at the Daringham breakfast I distinctly remember hearing her lament how she’d determined to pay for all of their educations since her brothers had no funds to speak of. Whatever you might say about Lady Boswell’s rather irregular way of doing things, she is a strong proponent of women having an education.”
    “Twenty nieces. Mother, do you think…? Perhaps if we gave her a special price—”
    “Exactly! She’s as thrifty as she is tall. I believe we might fill our five slots almost immediately.”
    Prudence clasped Mother’s hands. “That is marvelous! I do hope—We must make certain the repairs on the cottage are done quickly. You can teach the girls comportment and dancing and all sorts of accomplished things, and I can teach them gardening and drawing and philosophy and Greek and—”
    “But first we must resolve the sheep issue. We simply cannot have those animals wandering all over