will make it clear to you."
Edward frowned. "Now, see here, Angelstone, Prudence and I are old friends. I have every right to be interested in her engagement. You cannot blame me for being surprised by this announcement."
Prudence saw the cold fire pooling in Sebastian's eyes. She did not know why he was acting as if he were annoyed by Edward, but she decided it would be best to head off a confrontation.
"How is Lady Underbrink these days?" Prudence asked brightly. She had never met the woman Edward had married, but it seemed safe enough to inquire after her.
A deep, angry flush stained Edward's cheeks. "She's well enough," he said brusquely. "Listen, Prue, I shall be at the Handleys' soiree this evening. Will you be there?"
"She will not be attending the Handleys' soiree," Sebastian said. "And in future, Underbrink, you will address my fiancee as Miss Mer-ryweather. Is that very clear?"
Edward straightened quickly in his saddle. His flush deepened. "Of course."
"I'm glad to see you are capable of comprehending a few simple things. You will be the healthier for it." Sebastian urged his horses to a faster pace. "Now you must excuse us, Underbrink."
The black phaeton sped down the wide path, leaving Edward behind.
Prudence took a deep breath. She knew she ought to reproach Sebastian for his rudeness, but she could not bring herself to do so. She suddenly realized how tense she had been during the encounter.
She did not know what she had expected to feel upon seeing Lord Underbrink again, but the only emotion she was truly aware of was a sense of relief.
Relief that he had not married her after all.
It was difficult to recall that she had once thought herself in love with him.
Sebastian said nothing for a few minutes. He appeared to be concentrating entirely on his driving. Eventually he eased the horses back to a walk.
"How do you come to be acquainted with Underbrink?" he asked without any inflection in his voice.
Prudence adjusted her spectacles. "Three years ago he spent a great deal of the summer in Dorset. He was staying with friends who were neighbors of ours. We met on several occasions. Assemblies, card parties, that sort of thing."
"What happened?"
Prudence flashed him a quick glance and then returned her attention to the ears of his horses. "Not a great deal. At the end of the summer he returned to London to become engaged to the woman his family wished him to marry."
"Lucinda Montclair."
"Yes, I believe that was her name," Prudence said quietly. "Her father is said to be very rich."
"He is. Lucinda is also a very wealthy young woman in her own right."
"So I was given to understand," Prudence murmured.
"And an extremely jealous woman," Sebastian added. "Word is that Underbrink is henpecked. Apparently his wife keeps him on a very short leash. Did he seduce you during that summer in Dorset?"
Prudence nearly dropped her reticule. "Good heavens, my lord. What a thing to ask."
"It seems a reasonable enough question to me."
"It is a very unreasonable question," Prudence retorted. "But for your information, Lord Underbrink was a perfect gentleman at all times."
There was no need to explain that Edward had kissed her on several occasions. A lady was entitled to some privacy, after all. In any event, Edward's kisses now appeared distinctly uninspired compared to the searing kiss Sebastian had given her the night she had gone to his town house.
"So you and Underbrink were no more than friends three years ago?"
"Precisely," Prudence said tightly. "There was never anything of a serious nature between us. Lord Underbrink was merely amusing himself in the country that summer."
She must keep in mind that Underbrink was not the only one who sought to amuse himself in ways that could prove painful for others.
Shortly after midnight that night, Prudence put on a white muslin cap and climbed into the massive canopied bed that dominated Mrs. Leacock's bedchamber. She was wearing a serviceable
Edward frowned. "Now, see here, Angelstone, Prudence and I are old friends. I have every right to be interested in her engagement. You cannot blame me for being surprised by this announcement."
Prudence saw the cold fire pooling in Sebastian's eyes. She did not know why he was acting as if he were annoyed by Edward, but she decided it would be best to head off a confrontation.
"How is Lady Underbrink these days?" Prudence asked brightly. She had never met the woman Edward had married, but it seemed safe enough to inquire after her.
A deep, angry flush stained Edward's cheeks. "She's well enough," he said brusquely. "Listen, Prue, I shall be at the Handleys' soiree this evening. Will you be there?"
"She will not be attending the Handleys' soiree," Sebastian said. "And in future, Underbrink, you will address my fiancee as Miss Mer-ryweather. Is that very clear?"
Edward straightened quickly in his saddle. His flush deepened. "Of course."
"I'm glad to see you are capable of comprehending a few simple things. You will be the healthier for it." Sebastian urged his horses to a faster pace. "Now you must excuse us, Underbrink."
The black phaeton sped down the wide path, leaving Edward behind.
Prudence took a deep breath. She knew she ought to reproach Sebastian for his rudeness, but she could not bring herself to do so. She suddenly realized how tense she had been during the encounter.
She did not know what she had expected to feel upon seeing Lord Underbrink again, but the only emotion she was truly aware of was a sense of relief.
Relief that he had not married her after all.
It was difficult to recall that she had once thought herself in love with him.
Sebastian said nothing for a few minutes. He appeared to be concentrating entirely on his driving. Eventually he eased the horses back to a walk.
"How do you come to be acquainted with Underbrink?" he asked without any inflection in his voice.
Prudence adjusted her spectacles. "Three years ago he spent a great deal of the summer in Dorset. He was staying with friends who were neighbors of ours. We met on several occasions. Assemblies, card parties, that sort of thing."
"What happened?"
Prudence flashed him a quick glance and then returned her attention to the ears of his horses. "Not a great deal. At the end of the summer he returned to London to become engaged to the woman his family wished him to marry."
"Lucinda Montclair."
"Yes, I believe that was her name," Prudence said quietly. "Her father is said to be very rich."
"He is. Lucinda is also a very wealthy young woman in her own right."
"So I was given to understand," Prudence murmured.
"And an extremely jealous woman," Sebastian added. "Word is that Underbrink is henpecked. Apparently his wife keeps him on a very short leash. Did he seduce you during that summer in Dorset?"
Prudence nearly dropped her reticule. "Good heavens, my lord. What a thing to ask."
"It seems a reasonable enough question to me."
"It is a very unreasonable question," Prudence retorted. "But for your information, Lord Underbrink was a perfect gentleman at all times."
There was no need to explain that Edward had kissed her on several occasions. A lady was entitled to some privacy, after all. In any event, Edward's kisses now appeared distinctly uninspired compared to the searing kiss Sebastian had given her the night she had gone to his town house.
"So you and Underbrink were no more than friends three years ago?"
"Precisely," Prudence said tightly. "There was never anything of a serious nature between us. Lord Underbrink was merely amusing himself in the country that summer."
She must keep in mind that Underbrink was not the only one who sought to amuse himself in ways that could prove painful for others.
Shortly after midnight that night, Prudence put on a white muslin cap and climbed into the massive canopied bed that dominated Mrs. Leacock's bedchamber. She was wearing a serviceable
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