Free Deception (Daughters of Mannerling 3) by M.C. Beaton

her. Her light slippers making no sound on the stairs, Prudence scurried after Miss Trumble. She saw that lady move quickly out of the front door and heard her call sharply, ‘Barry!’
    Prudence went as far as the open doorway and looked out. By the light of an oil-lamp over the door she could see Miss Trumble talking to a servant, and not a liveried servant either.
    ‘Barry,’ Miss Trumble was saying, although the frustrated Prudence could not hear the words, ‘how are things?’
    ‘Gloomy after you left, miss,’ said Barry, ‘and my lady in bed with the headache and none of your cures to soothe her. Lord Burfield is being vastly entertained by the young ladies and is staying for dinner.’
    ‘He took Abigail into supper last night,’ said Miss Trumble. ‘That looks hopeful. He is an eminently suitable man.’
    Barry grinned. ‘Anyone other than Harry Devers.’
    ‘Anyone other than him,’ agreed Miss Trumble.
    ‘Don’t turn round now, miss,’ said Barry, ‘but there is a young lady hiding in the shadows of the doorway watching us but she is too far away to hear what we are saying.’
    ‘That will be a Miss Prudence Makepeace,’ said Miss Trumble equably. ‘She followed me down. She is anxious to secure Lord Burfield for herself.’
    ‘Do you think she will?’
    ‘Perhaps. She appears most determined. In fact, I believe she attempted to drug Lord Burfield with laudanum at the ball last night so that he would be unable to call on the Beverleys today.’
    ‘Do be careful, miss, she might put something in your drink.’
    ‘I shall be careful. Do let me know if anything untoward occurs at Brookfield House, Barry.’
    Miss Trumble drew back. Barry touched his hat and drove off. Miss Trumble turned back to the house, feeling somewhat dejected. She missed the girls.
    When she walked back into the house, there was no sign of Prudence, that young lady having run ahead of her and up the stairs.
    Prudence was all too anxious to convey the intelligence to Lady Evans that her new companion had sneaked downstairs to talk to a low servant.
    She found an opportunity after dinner. Lady Evans listened to her carefully and then said, ‘The note was brought from Brookfield House, where Miss Trumble was so recently employed. It is natural in her to want to know how the family is faring without her. What is not natural, Miss Makepeace, is that you should spy on her.’
    Prudence turned scarlet. ‘I was not spying on her!’ she exclaimed. ‘I felt over-warm and merely stepped outside before dinner for a breath of fresh air and happened to come across her.’
    ‘Indeed,’ said Lady Evans cynically. ‘Heed a word of advice from an old lady, child. You will not secure the attentions of Lord Burfield by plotting and scheming. Try to be more natural.’
    ‘I was not . . .’ began Prudence, but Lady Evans walked away as she was protesting and joined Miss Trumble on the sofa.
    ‘I cannot like that young lady,’ murmured Miss Trumble.
    ‘Prudence will do very well for Burfield,’ said Lady Evans. ‘I know you would like to see the Beverley girls settled, but Burfield’s parents would not thank me for finding him a penniless parti.’
    ‘I am not at all sure that the Beverleys are penniless,’ said Miss Trumble. ‘Because of their recent ruin, Lady Beverley has become a trifle parsimonious.’
    ‘Then who would want such as she as a mother-in-law?’ demanded Lady Evans.
    Miss Trumble bit back a sigh. It would be better to forget about the Beverleys for a little. If it was meant by the fates that Abigail should marry Lord Burfield, then that would happen. And if Lord Burfield chose to ally himself with such as Prudence Makepeace, then he was not good enough for Abigail.
    It was unfortunate for Abigail that her mother recovered enough to join them after dinner. She immediately declared herself amazed that Lord Burfield should have stayed for dinner when her daughters were not chaperoned. She complained loudly of