Page 56 of The Scoundrel and the Debutante
“Roan,” she whispered frantically. “This is adisaster.” She stole a glimpse of Stanhope over her shoulder. “I should never have come! I should have stayed on the wagon, I should have gone to Cassandra!”
“No, you shouldn’t have, you should have done precisely what you did and come with me. I have never been so happy to see anyone as I was to see you. I don’t know who he is, but, Pru, don’t fret,” he said as he examined the luggage on the sidewalk. “He’s curious.”
“He’s LordStanhope!” Prudence frantically interrupted. “He’s anearl, Roan.”
“Royal?”
“What—no!” She grabbed Roan’s arm. “Iknowhim,” she whispered hotly.
“Calm yourself, Pru. He’ll see your distress and suspect any number of things.”
She nodded, agreeing, and took a breath. “I knowofhim,” she amended, a bit calmer. “I have never been formally introduced, but Honor has, and he is familiar with my family and belongs to the same club as Augustine. He will know my name, he will know what I’ve done and he will tell all of London!”
Roan looked to where Stanhope was chatting with a porter and gesturing in their direction. “You have nothing to worry about,” Roan said. “You’re my cousin, remember? Miss Cabot has—”
Prudence gasped and punched him on the arm.
“Ow,” he said, surprised by the strength of her swing.
“Don’t utter that name!”
“I only meant to remark that...shehas stayed behind at Blackwood Hall—”
Prudence gasped and punched him again.
“I didn’t say it!” Roan protested.
“You said Blackwood Hall,” she hissed, her eyes darting to Stanhope. “All of London knows who resides at Blackwood Hall now.”
“All right, I understand. I won’t—”
“All of London will know it,” she frantically said again. “Allof London, and you may trust I will be made the laughingstock of thehaut ton.Why,whydid I ever think I could be like my sisters?” she pleaded skyward. “I never even wanted tobelike them, but look at me. I’m the worst of us all! Merryton and Augustine will have my—”
“Pardon.” It was Stanhope again, having appeared at Roan’s elbow, still smiling as if he and Roan and Prudence were enjoying a little secret.
Prudence pressed her lips tightly together and turned away from him, as if she were now trying to hide her face. “My boy will take your things. You need only point.” He chuckled, as if he found it all very amusing, and walked away again.
“It is beyond hope,” Prudence said weakly.
This woman standing beside him, looking so utterly dejected, had been the picture of calm and determination the past two days, happy to play the part of cousin or wife, happy to experience her adventure with him. She’d shot a man and kept her head, for God’s sake. Roan didn’t know what it was about this man that should change it, but he wanted to box his ears for having ruined it all. “Be still,” he said soothingly, and put his hand to the small of her back as he pointed to the trunks for the boy. “We’ll be rid of him soon enough.”
“Oh, Roan,” she said in a tone that sounded as if she pitied him. She smiled sadly. “Youwill. Not me.”
Roan felt a roil of guilt and the weight of their folly slowly closing in on them.
As the trunks were loaded, Lord Stanhope gestured for them to board the carriage. He helped Prudence inside the coach. Roan followed and sat beside her and across from Stanhope, eyeing the man closely, debating what was to be done with him. Their lark had shifted from intensely pleasurable to troublesome. He’d been so happy to see Prudence, he hadn’t thought through what was happening. He couldn’t help agree with her—she should have stayed on the wagon. She should have gone on to her friend.
As the carriage rolled from town, Stanhope said to Prudence, “I beg your pardon, miss, but I’ve yet to have the pleasure of your acquaintance.”
“Matheson,” she said slowly, surprising Roan. “I am Miss Matheson.”
One of Stanhope’s brows rose curiously over the other. “Matheson.It is my great pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Matheson. Now you must tell me from where you hail. You look quite familiar to me, and I think perhaps we’ve met before? Almack’s perhaps?”
“I’m sure we haven’t, my lord,” Prudence said quickly, shaking her head. “I am from the west country. How very kind of you to bring us along. This is a lovely carriage. The springs seem new. Are they new?” she asked, bouncing a bit on the seat.
Thesprings?Roan looked at Prudence.
“I hardly know,” Stanhope said, his gaze steady on Prudence. “The carriage is hired.”
