her, although she did not want to accept. Her stepmother insists she does, however.'
'She ought to run away.'
'Don't be silly, where on earth could she go?'
'She could be a chamber maid, or a governess. I don't know, but anything must be better than marrying that ridiculous man.'
'Perhaps there will be some way out,' Prudence said slowly. She did not want to reveal to Netta her hopes that Edward Gregory might offer for Charlotte, in case nothing came of it.
'What puzzles me is why the wretched woman went to all the expense of a London Season when Hubert was there all the time, ready and willing to marry Charlotte. If they wanted that it was risky introducing her to other men. Biddy says that she, Lady Mottesford, is always complaining about the waste of money, and makes the cook account to her for every penny spent. And according to her the refreshments she is planning for their masquerade are not at all what people will expect, and only enough to feed half the people coming!'
'Thanks, I'll have a good dinner before I go,' Prudence said. 'But I imagine she hopes to find Emma a husband, too, and the Season is really for her. Charlotte is here simply to try to make them acceptable to the ton. At least she is of good birth, and people will put up with her stepmother for her sake, as we do.'
'Who in the world would want to marry Emma?' Netta demanded, scandalised. 'Apart from being the daughter of a cook, and goodness knows who her father was, she's not even pretty, and she must be at least five and twenty! And so far as we know she has no fortune either.'
'She might catch a widower as mean as Charlotte's father,' Prudence suggested with a faint laugh. 'Now I must try to finish this gown, for I have to help Charlotte with hers, she cannot take it home to work on.'
'What will her stepmother say when she doesn't wear that other terrible one?' Netta asked, picking up the garment and beginning to work on it.
'There isn't much she can say at the time,' Prudence replied hopefully, but without real conviction. She was determined to carry out her plan, as was Charlotte, but she had little confidence that Lady Mottesford would not make a fuss, probably in public, when she discovered the change.
'How is Lord Mottesford behaving?' Netta asked a few minutes later. 'He has only a couple of days left before the month is up.'
'Does he?' Prudence asked, startled. She had not kept track of the days. 'I don't think he can claim to have won,' she replied thoughtfully, torn between satisfaction at having foiled him, and a bleak feeling there would soon be no reason for him to seek her company.
She could not find an excuse for not wearing her latest ball gown, in shimmering pale-blue silk, with a gauzy floating overskirt of silver net. She was wary, however, when Lord Mottesford sought her out at the ball, and solicited her hand both for the first cotillion, then the supper dance, a waltz.
The cotillion gave them little chance for conversation, and Prudence relaxed. When she saw Edward leading Charlotte into another set, smiling fondly down at her, she smiled herself. It seemed that he was interested, and if Sarah had managed to tell him of Hubert's offer he must act soon.
'There is to be a balloon ascent in the Park tomorrow,' Lord Mottesford told her as he escorted her back to where Lady Frome sat with a group of friends. 'Will you come with me to see it?'
'Oh, I have never seen a balloon,' Prudence said, her eyes lighting up eagerly. 'Yes, indeed, I would love to!' she accepted, before she realised she had not intended to be more than icily polite.
'Good, then I will arrange it. Farewell until the waltz,' he added in a low tone.
Prudence bit her lip in annoyance. She had given him encouragement at just the wrong moment. She would betray herself if he showed too much admiration, and the waltz was not the sort of dance she would have wished to partner him in, it was far too disturbing with a man's arm holding one so daringly.
She
'She ought to run away.'
'Don't be silly, where on earth could she go?'
'She could be a chamber maid, or a governess. I don't know, but anything must be better than marrying that ridiculous man.'
'Perhaps there will be some way out,' Prudence said slowly. She did not want to reveal to Netta her hopes that Edward Gregory might offer for Charlotte, in case nothing came of it.
'What puzzles me is why the wretched woman went to all the expense of a London Season when Hubert was there all the time, ready and willing to marry Charlotte. If they wanted that it was risky introducing her to other men. Biddy says that she, Lady Mottesford, is always complaining about the waste of money, and makes the cook account to her for every penny spent. And according to her the refreshments she is planning for their masquerade are not at all what people will expect, and only enough to feed half the people coming!'
'Thanks, I'll have a good dinner before I go,' Prudence said. 'But I imagine she hopes to find Emma a husband, too, and the Season is really for her. Charlotte is here simply to try to make them acceptable to the ton. At least she is of good birth, and people will put up with her stepmother for her sake, as we do.'
'Who in the world would want to marry Emma?' Netta demanded, scandalised. 'Apart from being the daughter of a cook, and goodness knows who her father was, she's not even pretty, and she must be at least five and twenty! And so far as we know she has no fortune either.'
'She might catch a widower as mean as Charlotte's father,' Prudence suggested with a faint laugh. 'Now I must try to finish this gown, for I have to help Charlotte with hers, she cannot take it home to work on.'
'What will her stepmother say when she doesn't wear that other terrible one?' Netta asked, picking up the garment and beginning to work on it.
'There isn't much she can say at the time,' Prudence replied hopefully, but without real conviction. She was determined to carry out her plan, as was Charlotte, but she had little confidence that Lady Mottesford would not make a fuss, probably in public, when she discovered the change.
'How is Lord Mottesford behaving?' Netta asked a few minutes later. 'He has only a couple of days left before the month is up.'
'Does he?' Prudence asked, startled. She had not kept track of the days. 'I don't think he can claim to have won,' she replied thoughtfully, torn between satisfaction at having foiled him, and a bleak feeling there would soon be no reason for him to seek her company.
She could not find an excuse for not wearing her latest ball gown, in shimmering pale-blue silk, with a gauzy floating overskirt of silver net. She was wary, however, when Lord Mottesford sought her out at the ball, and solicited her hand both for the first cotillion, then the supper dance, a waltz.
The cotillion gave them little chance for conversation, and Prudence relaxed. When she saw Edward leading Charlotte into another set, smiling fondly down at her, she smiled herself. It seemed that he was interested, and if Sarah had managed to tell him of Hubert's offer he must act soon.
'There is to be a balloon ascent in the Park tomorrow,' Lord Mottesford told her as he escorted her back to where Lady Frome sat with a group of friends. 'Will you come with me to see it?'
'Oh, I have never seen a balloon,' Prudence said, her eyes lighting up eagerly. 'Yes, indeed, I would love to!' she accepted, before she realised she had not intended to be more than icily polite.
'Good, then I will arrange it. Farewell until the waltz,' he added in a low tone.
Prudence bit her lip in annoyance. She had given him encouragement at just the wrong moment. She would betray herself if he showed too much admiration, and the waltz was not the sort of dance she would have wished to partner him in, it was far too disturbing with a man's arm holding one so daringly.
She
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