Free Sally James by Otherwise Engaged Page A

tomorrow.'
    'She threatened to send me away to stay with her brother-in-law, Mr Clutterbuck, so that I would miss the rest of the Season,' Charlotte said, swallowing a sob. 'He is a tailor and has a business in Harrow.'
    'She cannot do that."
    'She would if she were in a pelter. She doesn't need me so much now she knows more of the ton . It was only because of my father and his old friends that people were kind to me, and so also had to be friendly to her and Emma, you see,' Charlotte explained simply.
    'I don't suppose she will send you away, it would look so foolish if the real reason were to become known, and you can be sure I would make certain it was,' Prudence declared, a martial light in her eye.
    Charlotte sighed. 'I do wish I were as brave as you are,' she said wistfully.
    Prudence felt anything but valorous at that precise moment, for she had just seen Lord Mottesford enter the room. Despite his domino and mask, his only concession to costume, he was unmistakable, tall, slim, and with an arrogant air of breeding and command which no disguise could hide.
    Swiftly she turned her back, hoping to avoid him for yet a while until she had composed her nerves. It was utterly ridiculous, she chided herself. What, after all, could he do? If he were angry with her he would doubtless not approach her, since there could be little point in quarrelling. Then she could be comfortable.
    When the musicians struck up for the first dance she was thankful her partner was eager to talk, so she could abandon her unprofitable thoughts. She smiled and flirted, determined to give Lord Mottesford no inkling of how she felt, and was unreasonably piqued when, instead of laying siege to her, he appeared to be enjoying himself enormously, even when dancing with Emma, made ungainly and more than usually maladroit by her lamentable costume.
    She was laughingly refusing to reveal her identity to a rather young gallant when, causing her to jump nervously, Lord Mottesford took her arm in a hard, unyielding hand, and spoke softly to her.
    'There you are! My dance, I believe. Pray excuse us,' he added to the young man, who blushed and backed hurriedly away as if caught in some social misdemeanour.
    'I am not dancing with you!' Prudence hissed angrily, struggling to drag her arm away from his grasp.
    'Good, it suits me very well to sit this dance out. Come,' he said calmly, and before she could protest Prudence found herself whisked across the room and through the doors leading to the conservatory.
    This was attached to one side of the ballroom, a long, narrow room dimly-illuminated with a few hanging lamps which were virtually lost amidst the profuse foliage, where Lady Mottesford had caused chairs to be placed suggestively in discreetly secluded pairs.
    Lord Mottesford led her inexorably past numerous potted palms to the far corner, where they were totally hidden by a bank of exotic flowers and broad-leaved shrubs.
    'Sir! Let me go at once!' Prudence demanded, struggling to shake off his hand, but instead of obeying her, Lord Mottesford seized her other hand and drew her towards him.
    'You will listen to me!' he said abruptly. 'When I last saw you I was too astounded by what you said to detain you, and you had vanished before I had recovered my wits. How did you know about that ridiculous wager?'
     'It is ridiculous, is it, my lord? Can you expect anyone to be pleased at being made the object of such? Especially if the desire to win leads you to such lengths. I could scarce believe Netta when she told me, but she's a truthful child, and you have not denied it.'
    'Netta? Your young cousin was there that day? I had not realised. So that explains it, she overheard Edward Gregory making the wager with me, and that is your reason for rejecting my offer. Would it interest you to know I called off the wager within a week? Soon after I had met you, in fact? When I realised that instead of my first intention of a brief flirtation I knew that you had captivated