Page 96 of Indecent
Bennet jerked his head up to see her just inside the staircase hall. “I would prefer to be alone at the moment, please.” He wished he hadn’t brought her or her sister.
“I can imagine—what a debacle. However, we can fix it.” She sounded quite confident.
“How?” He wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry at the certainty in her gaze.
“We shall reclaim the narrative.” She narrowed her eyes at him, and now he saw determination. “Gossips like to hear themselves talk—I should know. We must give them something else to talk about. Something that is better than this.”
Every thought in his head vanished. He simply stared at her. “I pray you have an idea, because I do not.”
“Not yet, but I will.”
The need to see Prudence was overwhelming, but he acknowledged it would be better if he had a plan in place. Not that he was at all confident in whatever plan Great-Aunt Flora might devise. “When can I expect this scheme of brilliance?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t be saucy.”
He tamped down his agitation. “I’m quite anxious to see Prudence, and I’d rather do so after we have taken steps to defeat this rumor. Prudence is why we came here, remember?”
“Of course, I remember. It’s why Minnie and I insisted on coming. You clearly need our help, now more than ever.” She turned and went back into the study, crossing immediately to the desk. “What invitations have you received?”
“Hardly any.”
“We need a ball.”
Bennet recalled there was one invitation to a ball. He strode to the desk and rifled through the pile until he found the one that he sought. “It’s tonight.”
“Oh dear. I suppose Minnie and I will just have to make do with what we have.”
“I don’t mean to be rude, Great-Aunt Flora, but this isn’t about you. Why do we need to go to a ball?”
“Because you need to do something to quash those rumors. You need to give them something far more delicious to talk about.” She patted his arm. “We’ll come up with something.”
“That won’t be necessary,” he whispered, his mind racing. “I need to go.”
He spun about, seeing very clearly what needed to happen. He just had to make certain the right people were in attendance.
Prudence had barely slept last night beneath the weight of her worry for her mother and whether Peterborough was exacting some sort of awful vengeance. Thankfully, that morning she’d received word that the countess had spent the night safely at her brother’s house.
That had left Prudence to focus the majority of her worry on the rumors about her as well as her future. What would Bennet say about all this if he were here? Had he heard about it way out in Somerset? If not, he would soon since Flora kept a keen eye on London gossip.
“Well, that was dull.” Kat jumped up from her favorite reading chair and went to replace the book on the shelf.
Prudence turned from the window. “You’ve finished already?”
“I skimmed the last half.” Given how quickly she read, Prudence wondered what that looked like. “And now I’m bored. I think I’ll go for a walk. I’d invite you, but you’ll only refuse again.”
Because Prudence had declined to take walks since arriving in London. At first because she’d been wallowing in self-pity. Now, she didn’t wish to encounter anyone who would look at her with disgust.
Before she could respond, Bart entered. “Lady Glastonbury, Lady Peterborough is here to see you. She is waiting in the drawing room.”
“Thank you, Bart.” Prudence glanced toward Kat, who waved her off.
“It’s not as if you’re my companion any longer,” Kat said. “Though I daresay you wish you were. Seems it was more pleasant for you than marriage. I do think this has sealed my decision to remain unwed. I shall be the greatest bluestocking spinster London has ever known.” She fairly skipped from the library, and Prudence was grateful for the smile she couldn’t hold back.
Hurrying upstairs, Prudence went to the drawing room to meet her mother. The countess stood just inside and gave her a sad smile as Prudence walked in.
“My poor dear,” Christina said, holding her arms out.
Prudence hesitated. While she was eager to see that her mother was all right, she wasn’t certain she wanted to rush into her arms. Their relationship hadn’t progressed quite that far. Had it?
