this case.”
“How are you going to catch your ghost?”
Prudence gave him a superior sort of smile. “Lady Pembroke and I are going to stay the night with her.
Tonight I shall sleep in Mrs. Leacock’s bedchamber in the west wing.”
Sebastian slanted her a curious glance. “You’re going to trade places with Mrs. Leacock?”
“Correct. But we are not going to tell anyone about the switch.”
He was amused. “Why not? Do you think the ghost will care?”
“As a matter of fact,” Prudence said, “I think he just might care a great deal.”
Sebastian eyed her sharply. “He?”
“I have concluded my initial inquiries. There are several interest-ing factors about this particular case of
spectral phenomena,” Pru-dence confided. “The first is that the apparition did not begin appear-ing until
very recently.”
“How recently?”
“The incidents began occurring shortly after Mr. Leacock’s death,” Prudence said. “Mrs. Leacock had
never before encountered the ghost in the west wing. Nor had anyone else. There were no ru-mors of the
house being haunted until now.”
“The woman has just suffered the loss of her husband,” Sebastian reminded her. “She is probably having
nightmares.”
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
“I’m not entirely convinced of that. You see, the second interesting feature of this case is that Mrs.
Leacock has no children of her own. But according to Lady Pembroke, she does have three greedy
neph-ews. And all three are aware that their aunt has recently been told by her doctor that she has a
weak heart.”
“Bloody hell.” Sebastian stared at her. “Are you telling me you think that the nephews might be
deliberately trying to terrify their aunt in hopes of causing her heart to fail?”
“I think it’s quite possible. Tonight I intend to find out.”
“By confronting the ghost?” Sebastian’s jaw set in an implacable line. “I think not.”
“You, my lord,” Prudence said sweetly, “have nothing to say about it.”
“The devil, I don’t. I’m your fiance now, Prue.”
“In name only.”
“Nevertheless,” he said between his teeth, “you will listen to me.”
“I have been listening to you, my lord.” Prudence smiled serenely. “And you have made it very clear that
we are to conduct our investiga-tions separately. As I understand it, you do not wish us to work
to-gether as a team. Or did I mistake your meaning?”
“Don’t throw my words back in my face, you little baggage. You know damn well what I meant.”
Prudence gave him a lofty smile. “I heard you very clearly, my lord. We are allowed to discuss our cases
with each other, but we are not to assist each other in the actual investigations. Don’t worry, I shall tell
you all about my discoveries tomorrow.”
Sebastian’s eyes glittered. “Prue, you have a great deal to learn about being an engaged woman.”
“Do you think so, my lord? How odd. And here I thought I was adapting rather nicely to my new role.”
“Prue, I will not allow you—”
“Prudence. By God, it is you. I didn’t believe it.”
Prudence flinched at the sound of the familiar masculine voice. She had not heard it in nearly three years,
but she was hardly likely to forget it. She turned her head and looked straight into the soft gray eyes of
the man who had taught her that her intuition was not infalli-ble.
“Good afternoon, Lord Underbrink,” she said quietly as the new-comer guided his handsome gray
stallion closer to the phaeton.
Prudence took a deep breath and forced herself to examine Ed-ward, Lord Underbrink, with polite
detachment. To her surprise and overwhelming relief she felt nothing except a sense of deep chagrin at
the memory of her own gullibility. What a little fool she had been three years ago to think that Underbrink
was serious when he made his proposal of marriage.
There had never been any question of the heir to the
“How are you going to catch your ghost?”
Prudence gave him a superior sort of smile. “Lady Pembroke and I are going to stay the night with her.
Tonight I shall sleep in Mrs. Leacock’s bedchamber in the west wing.”
Sebastian slanted her a curious glance. “You’re going to trade places with Mrs. Leacock?”
“Correct. But we are not going to tell anyone about the switch.”
He was amused. “Why not? Do you think the ghost will care?”
“As a matter of fact,” Prudence said, “I think he just might care a great deal.”
Sebastian eyed her sharply. “He?”
“I have concluded my initial inquiries. There are several interest-ing factors about this particular case of
spectral phenomena,” Pru-dence confided. “The first is that the apparition did not begin appear-ing until
very recently.”
“How recently?”
“The incidents began occurring shortly after Mr. Leacock’s death,” Prudence said. “Mrs. Leacock had
never before encountered the ghost in the west wing. Nor had anyone else. There were no ru-mors of the
house being haunted until now.”
“The woman has just suffered the loss of her husband,” Sebastian reminded her. “She is probably having
nightmares.”
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
“I’m not entirely convinced of that. You see, the second interesting feature of this case is that Mrs.
Leacock has no children of her own. But according to Lady Pembroke, she does have three greedy
neph-ews. And all three are aware that their aunt has recently been told by her doctor that she has a
weak heart.”
“Bloody hell.” Sebastian stared at her. “Are you telling me you think that the nephews might be
deliberately trying to terrify their aunt in hopes of causing her heart to fail?”
“I think it’s quite possible. Tonight I intend to find out.”
“By confronting the ghost?” Sebastian’s jaw set in an implacable line. “I think not.”
“You, my lord,” Prudence said sweetly, “have nothing to say about it.”
“The devil, I don’t. I’m your fiance now, Prue.”
“In name only.”
“Nevertheless,” he said between his teeth, “you will listen to me.”
“I have been listening to you, my lord.” Prudence smiled serenely. “And you have made it very clear that
we are to conduct our investiga-tions separately. As I understand it, you do not wish us to work
to-gether as a team. Or did I mistake your meaning?”
“Don’t throw my words back in my face, you little baggage. You know damn well what I meant.”
Prudence gave him a lofty smile. “I heard you very clearly, my lord. We are allowed to discuss our cases
with each other, but we are not to assist each other in the actual investigations. Don’t worry, I shall tell
you all about my discoveries tomorrow.”
Sebastian’s eyes glittered. “Prue, you have a great deal to learn about being an engaged woman.”
“Do you think so, my lord? How odd. And here I thought I was adapting rather nicely to my new role.”
“Prue, I will not allow you—”
“Prudence. By God, it is you. I didn’t believe it.”
Prudence flinched at the sound of the familiar masculine voice. She had not heard it in nearly three years,
but she was hardly likely to forget it. She turned her head and looked straight into the soft gray eyes of
the man who had taught her that her intuition was not infalli-ble.
“Good afternoon, Lord Underbrink,” she said quietly as the new-comer guided his handsome gray
stallion closer to the phaeton.
Prudence took a deep breath and forced herself to examine Ed-ward, Lord Underbrink, with polite
detachment. To her surprise and overwhelming relief she felt nothing except a sense of deep chagrin at
the memory of her own gullibility. What a little fool she had been three years ago to think that Underbrink
was serious when he made his proposal of marriage.
There had never been any question of the heir to the
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