lifted a dark brow questioningly, as if she saw right through Prudence’s ruse. Although Prudence held the lady’s gaze, she could not help coloring brightly.
Her companion -stepped into the breach. Fixing Lady Buckingham with a cool stare designed, Prudence suspected, to shrivel the woman to dust, he drawled, “Believe what you will, Louisa. We all know how little regard you show for the truth.”
Lady Buckingham bristled and stepped back, as if she had teased some dangerous animal that might turn upon her at any moment. Turning to Prudence, she smiled evilly. “Perhaps rumors of Ravenscar’s little escapades have not reached your remote corner of the world, Miss Lancaster, but there was a bit of nastiness recently. His brother, you know.”
Prudence watched Ravenscar react impassively to the gossip, only a slight movement of his jaw telling her that he was not immune to innuendo. Prudence fixed Lady Buckingham with her own calm gaze. “Are you acquainted with Mr. Penhurst?” she asked, quite frankly.
Lady Buckingham appeared nonplussed, a small victory for which Prudence was inordinately grateful. “No, I cannot say that I knew the fellow,” she said, fanning herself languidly in recovery. “Obscure relatives usually do not move in my circles.”
“Understandable, I am sure,” Prudence said. “I, however, do know Mr. Penhurst, and I can assure you that he isa headstrong young gentleman who will come home when he is done with his little rebellion.” She smiled serenely, then looked to Ravenscar for confirmation. His face remained starkly composed, but for a flicker of something in his eyes. Was it surprise again, or something else?
“I see,” Lady Buckingham said, managing to convey by the incredulous look on her face that she did not. “Well, Ravenscar, it appears that you have yourself a little champion. How quaint.”
Prudence nearly gasped in astonishment at the woman’s words. How dare the woman speak so rudely, not only to her, but to the earl? And this so-called lady was one of society’s leading lights? Prudence’s initiation into the ways of the ton was leaving her stunned—and sadly disappointed.
“I prefer to call it refreshing,” the earl said, and Prudence got the distinct impression that the two aristocrats were speaking in some foreign tongue, the nuances of which escaped her.
“I am sure that you do!” Lady Buckingham replied. She gave him an arch glance before dismissing him entirely to fix her attention on Prudence. “Miss Lancaster, I sought you to join us for supper. If you can tear yourself away from Ravenscar, I shall have Nevvy escort you in.” With a mocking smile and a nod of her head, Lady Buckingham left her once more standing alone with the earl.
Prudence bit back an argument. She had no desire to be escorted anywhere by the obnoxious Nevvy, but Lady Buckingham was her hostess, and Prudence felt obligated to behave accordingly. Turning to Ravenscar, she opened her mouth to excuse herself, then promptly shut it again when she realized she might not see him again. The small soiree Nevvy had promised was more like a crowded ball, and she had no assurance that the earl would be staying for long.
Prudence found the prospect of his departure most alarming, presumably because she had yet to ask him about his brother. She had hoped to do so, for Phoebe’s sake, andbecause of an abiding interest in the matter. Now, however, was obviously not the time, nor the place, for such conversation.
“My lord,” she said seriously, “I wonder if I might have a moment with you alone, for private discussion.”
This time there was no mistaking Ravenscar’s surprise, though it was quickly masked. His interest he did not try to hide, however, for his gray eyes sought hers, crashing over her like waves against the cliffs. With one look, he threatened to suck her in, draw her down and toss her about as helplessly as a splash of sea foam. And, oh, what a voyage it would
Her companion -stepped into the breach. Fixing Lady Buckingham with a cool stare designed, Prudence suspected, to shrivel the woman to dust, he drawled, “Believe what you will, Louisa. We all know how little regard you show for the truth.”
Lady Buckingham bristled and stepped back, as if she had teased some dangerous animal that might turn upon her at any moment. Turning to Prudence, she smiled evilly. “Perhaps rumors of Ravenscar’s little escapades have not reached your remote corner of the world, Miss Lancaster, but there was a bit of nastiness recently. His brother, you know.”
Prudence watched Ravenscar react impassively to the gossip, only a slight movement of his jaw telling her that he was not immune to innuendo. Prudence fixed Lady Buckingham with her own calm gaze. “Are you acquainted with Mr. Penhurst?” she asked, quite frankly.
Lady Buckingham appeared nonplussed, a small victory for which Prudence was inordinately grateful. “No, I cannot say that I knew the fellow,” she said, fanning herself languidly in recovery. “Obscure relatives usually do not move in my circles.”
“Understandable, I am sure,” Prudence said. “I, however, do know Mr. Penhurst, and I can assure you that he isa headstrong young gentleman who will come home when he is done with his little rebellion.” She smiled serenely, then looked to Ravenscar for confirmation. His face remained starkly composed, but for a flicker of something in his eyes. Was it surprise again, or something else?
“I see,” Lady Buckingham said, managing to convey by the incredulous look on her face that she did not. “Well, Ravenscar, it appears that you have yourself a little champion. How quaint.”
Prudence nearly gasped in astonishment at the woman’s words. How dare the woman speak so rudely, not only to her, but to the earl? And this so-called lady was one of society’s leading lights? Prudence’s initiation into the ways of the ton was leaving her stunned—and sadly disappointed.
“I prefer to call it refreshing,” the earl said, and Prudence got the distinct impression that the two aristocrats were speaking in some foreign tongue, the nuances of which escaped her.
“I am sure that you do!” Lady Buckingham replied. She gave him an arch glance before dismissing him entirely to fix her attention on Prudence. “Miss Lancaster, I sought you to join us for supper. If you can tear yourself away from Ravenscar, I shall have Nevvy escort you in.” With a mocking smile and a nod of her head, Lady Buckingham left her once more standing alone with the earl.
Prudence bit back an argument. She had no desire to be escorted anywhere by the obnoxious Nevvy, but Lady Buckingham was her hostess, and Prudence felt obligated to behave accordingly. Turning to Ravenscar, she opened her mouth to excuse herself, then promptly shut it again when she realized she might not see him again. The small soiree Nevvy had promised was more like a crowded ball, and she had no assurance that the earl would be staying for long.
Prudence found the prospect of his departure most alarming, presumably because she had yet to ask him about his brother. She had hoped to do so, for Phoebe’s sake, andbecause of an abiding interest in the matter. Now, however, was obviously not the time, nor the place, for such conversation.
“My lord,” she said seriously, “I wonder if I might have a moment with you alone, for private discussion.”
This time there was no mistaking Ravenscar’s surprise, though it was quickly masked. His interest he did not try to hide, however, for his gray eyes sought hers, crashing over her like waves against the cliffs. With one look, he threatened to suck her in, draw her down and toss her about as helplessly as a splash of sea foam. And, oh, what a voyage it would
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