these little ensign bulls have you bought?” she demanded.
“It was necessary!”
Patience closed her eyes. “How much have you spent?”
“I don’t know exactly,” Pru answered.
“Approximately then!”
“A lot,” Pru admitted.
“I would say,” ventured Lady Jemima, in an attempt to be helpful, “not more than a thousand pounds.”
Patience paled to the roots of her hair. “A thousand pounds!” she gasped. “On clothes? Pru, you bought all new clothes before we left Philadelphia!”
“But they were the wrong clothes,” Pru explained. “Philadelphia is at least two years behind the rest of the world. And I needed a dress for court. That cost over two hundred all by itself.”
“Almost enough for a carriage!” Patience said furiously. “Two hundred pounds for one dress? That’s nearly eight hundred dollars!”
“Well, I can’t very well go to St. James’s Palace dressed in rags, can I?”
“No, indeed,” Patience said angrily. “But you will be going in a hack! Oh, I beg your pardon! You shall be going in a hack!”
“I hate you!” cried Pru, bursting into violent tears.
“Perhaps it is not my place to say this, Lady Waverly,” Lady Jemima began tentatively. When Patience did not immediately respond, she went on, “But a thousand pounds is not so very much to spend on a London Season. Miss Prudence will make a brilliant marriage, you’ll see. And then, of course, the outlay will have been worth it all.” She smiled benevolently.
Patience shot her a swift glance. “Marriage!” she exclaimed. “What on earth are you talking about? We haven’t come here to find husbands.”
Lady Jemima stared at her, quite shocked. “Lady Waverly! Don’t you want to be married?”
“Certainly not, and neither does my sister. If she did, she could have had her pick in Philadelphia.”
Pru scowled, her tears drying up as suddenly as they had appeared. “Oh, who could marry any of those yokels? I do want a husband, as it happens. I would very much like to get away from you and set up my own house!”
“You don’t mean that,” Patience said, wounded.
“Did you think I would be content to live with you forever?” said Pru.
“It had occurred to me,” Patience answered, “that one day you might fall in love and get married, but ... Well, you make it sound as though you want to escape from me!”
“I do,” said Pru.
Patience was deeply hurt. Tears pricked her eyes. “Well, if that is how you feel about it,” she murmured. Climbing to her feet, she dragged herself toward the door.
Almost immediately, Pru was stung by guilt. “I’m sorry!” she cried, overtaking Patience and kissing her hand. “I didn’t mean it. Oh, I hate it when we fight. Whatever happens, we will always be the closest of sisters.”
“Of course we will,” Patience said. “Or is it ‘shall’?”
“I haven’t the slightest idea,” Pru admitted.
Patience hugged her. “Bring me your bills, and we’ll figure something out.”
Pru drew back. “You won’t make me send my new dresses back?”
Patience smiled ruefully. “I doubt they can be sent back. But why don’t I buy the dresses you had made in Philadelphia? You don’t want them anymore, do you? Some of them I quite liked, and you know I don’t mind being two years behind the rest of the world.”
“I knew I could count on you! And the hack?” Pru went on anxiously. “You won’t really send me to St. James’s Palace in a hack?”
Patience sighed. “No. I’ll speak to Mr. Bracegirdle about a carriage. If it makes sense to buy one, I will. But I’m fairly certain it will be cheaper to hire the thing.”
Pru recognized that this was the best offer she was going to get from her frugal sister. “Thank you, Pay,” she said humbly, kissing her cheek.
Within the hour, Pru had delivered both her entire American wardrobe and her entire collection of London bills to her sister’s room. Once they were safely in Patience’s hands, Pru
“It was necessary!”
Patience closed her eyes. “How much have you spent?”
“I don’t know exactly,” Pru answered.
“Approximately then!”
“A lot,” Pru admitted.
“I would say,” ventured Lady Jemima, in an attempt to be helpful, “not more than a thousand pounds.”
Patience paled to the roots of her hair. “A thousand pounds!” she gasped. “On clothes? Pru, you bought all new clothes before we left Philadelphia!”
“But they were the wrong clothes,” Pru explained. “Philadelphia is at least two years behind the rest of the world. And I needed a dress for court. That cost over two hundred all by itself.”
“Almost enough for a carriage!” Patience said furiously. “Two hundred pounds for one dress? That’s nearly eight hundred dollars!”
“Well, I can’t very well go to St. James’s Palace dressed in rags, can I?”
“No, indeed,” Patience said angrily. “But you will be going in a hack! Oh, I beg your pardon! You shall be going in a hack!”
“I hate you!” cried Pru, bursting into violent tears.
“Perhaps it is not my place to say this, Lady Waverly,” Lady Jemima began tentatively. When Patience did not immediately respond, she went on, “But a thousand pounds is not so very much to spend on a London Season. Miss Prudence will make a brilliant marriage, you’ll see. And then, of course, the outlay will have been worth it all.” She smiled benevolently.
Patience shot her a swift glance. “Marriage!” she exclaimed. “What on earth are you talking about? We haven’t come here to find husbands.”
Lady Jemima stared at her, quite shocked. “Lady Waverly! Don’t you want to be married?”
“Certainly not, and neither does my sister. If she did, she could have had her pick in Philadelphia.”
Pru scowled, her tears drying up as suddenly as they had appeared. “Oh, who could marry any of those yokels? I do want a husband, as it happens. I would very much like to get away from you and set up my own house!”
“You don’t mean that,” Patience said, wounded.
“Did you think I would be content to live with you forever?” said Pru.
“It had occurred to me,” Patience answered, “that one day you might fall in love and get married, but ... Well, you make it sound as though you want to escape from me!”
“I do,” said Pru.
Patience was deeply hurt. Tears pricked her eyes. “Well, if that is how you feel about it,” she murmured. Climbing to her feet, she dragged herself toward the door.
Almost immediately, Pru was stung by guilt. “I’m sorry!” she cried, overtaking Patience and kissing her hand. “I didn’t mean it. Oh, I hate it when we fight. Whatever happens, we will always be the closest of sisters.”
“Of course we will,” Patience said. “Or is it ‘shall’?”
“I haven’t the slightest idea,” Pru admitted.
Patience hugged her. “Bring me your bills, and we’ll figure something out.”
Pru drew back. “You won’t make me send my new dresses back?”
Patience smiled ruefully. “I doubt they can be sent back. But why don’t I buy the dresses you had made in Philadelphia? You don’t want them anymore, do you? Some of them I quite liked, and you know I don’t mind being two years behind the rest of the world.”
“I knew I could count on you! And the hack?” Pru went on anxiously. “You won’t really send me to St. James’s Palace in a hack?”
Patience sighed. “No. I’ll speak to Mr. Bracegirdle about a carriage. If it makes sense to buy one, I will. But I’m fairly certain it will be cheaper to hire the thing.”
Pru recognized that this was the best offer she was going to get from her frugal sister. “Thank you, Pay,” she said humbly, kissing her cheek.
Within the hour, Pru had delivered both her entire American wardrobe and her entire collection of London bills to her sister’s room. Once they were safely in Patience’s hands, Pru
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