Sir Philip's Folly (The Poor Relation Series Book 4) by M. C. Beaton

hotel—want rid of her for she is a leech, but Sir Philip is besotted.”
    “Are you sure?” The earl’s blue eyes sparkled. “Sir Philip is as old as Methuselah.”
    “One is never too old to be a fool,” said Miss Tonks bitterly.
    “So,” pursued the earl, “what has Mr. Davy here to do with this?”
    “Well, you see, it was Arabella who hit upon a plan,” said Miss Tonks.
    “Arabella?”
    “Miss Carruthers. She suggested that we should hire an out-of-work actor to masquerade as a rich merchant. In the guise of a merchant, the actor, Mr. Davy here, would then court Mrs. Budge. We are convinced that Mrs. Budge’s interest in Sir Philip is purely mercenary. If she saw better game, then she would detach herself from Sir Philip
and
the hotel. But the trouble is, having met Mr. Davy you would recognize him in his guise of rich merchant and perhaps say something.”
    “What an enterprising young lady Miss Carruthers is,” laughed the earl. “If you are not out in the world, Miss Carruthers, where do you get your ideas from?”
    “Books, and my own imagination,” said Arabella. “But you will not betray us, my lord, for we amuse you… for the moment.”
    “No, you have the right of it. And what of yourself, Miss Carruthers? Surely with such a fertile brain you can hit on a plan to get your mother to bring you out?”
    “Oh, Lady Fortescue has already thought of something,” said Arabella. “It was to be a surprise…” She bit her full bottom lip. She had been about to say, “It was to be a surprise for you.”
    “Anyway,” she went on, “Miss Tonks here had expressed a wish to have her hair done by Monsieur André, the famous hairdresser. Lady Fortescue has invited him to the hotel tonight while Mama is at the Pattersons’ ball. He will give me a fashionable crop and Lady Fortescue will tell Mama that the hairdresser made a mistake.”
    “Yes, it would be a mistake,” said the earl slowly. He looked at the glory of Arabella’s shining brown hair. Because the day was dark, the candles on the tables had been lit and Arabella’s hair gleamed with faint auburn lights. “Cannot you just get it put up?”
    “Put-up hair can be brushed down again,” pointed out Arabella.
    “Perhaps I can think of something.” They all watched the earl anxiously. Lady Carruthers, reflected the earl, was obviously a heartless and tiresome woman on the hunt for a husband. It was a wonder she had not dressed up this beautiful girl to look her best so as to attract men. That is what a lot of the old harridans did. He brightened. Perhaps if Lady Carruthers could be persuaded that her daughter was useful bait, then she might come about.
    But although Miss Carruthers was cynical about her mother, she might not appreciate such plain-speaking.
    “Your mother has not had an opportunity to appreciate your worth, Miss Carruthers,” he said. “I am at loose ends at the moment. In fact, Town wearies me and I wish I had not come. But your schemes delight me. What if I were to pretend to court you, Miss Carruthers? Surely that would open Lady Carruthers’s eyes.”
    Miss Tonks could see the flash of pain in Arabella’s eyes, could see that she was about to refuse, but a pretend courtship could lead to a real one. “What a good idea,” said Miss Tonks loudly. “You may feel a trifle embarrassed at the moment, Arabella, but
think on it
.”
    Arabella studied the spinster in silence and grasped what it was Miss Tonks was silently trying to communicate. If she allowed the earl to court her, then she would see him. If she refused, he might amuse himself by going off to find an opera dancer. “Oh, very well,” she said, a trifle ungraciously.
    “And in return,” said the earl, “do not have your beautiful hair cut.”
    Although it was dark and rainy outside, Arabella suddenly felt as if the room were filled with sunlight. No one had ever complimented her before. “I would suggest then,” she said to Miss Tonks, “that