Free All I Want by Lynsay Sands Page B

with her than punishments. And the little episode in Kindersley’s office, before he had taken the fan to the groin, had managed only to inflame his imaginings. The young woman truly intrigued him, despite her tendency to cause havoc wherever she went.
    Stephen pushed his thoughts aside when Plunkett stopped in front of him. Glancing up, he saw that they had reached the front entrance. His doorman swung the door open and stepped outside, holding it for him to follow. Stephen did and gawked at the scene before him.
    “What the hell?” he asked, gaping at a horde of picketing women.
    “Hmmm,” Plunkett rumbled. “They’ve been here for the last hour, and it’s affecting business. A lot of the women out there are wives or daughters of regulars. It’s scaring the men off. Carriages pull up, then pull away just as quickly when the women move toward them.”
    Stephen didn’t really need an explanation. As he watched,a carriage with the Justerly crest on it drew to a halt before the building. He saw the duke peer out the window at the picketing women; then the protesters started toward the carriage shouting, “Save your soul! No more gambling!” Justerly pulled abruptly back and let the carriage curtains drop closed; then Stephen heard his shout to his driver to get them out of there. The coach lurched away and the women cheered at their success in saving one more soul.
    “Damn!” Leaving Plunkett at the door, Stephen stormed out into the mob.
    “You truly
are
out to ruin me, aren’t you?”
    Prudence turned slowly at those words, not at all surprised by Stephen’s appearance. She had actually expected him earlier, and thought it very forbearing of him to wait so long to kick up a fuss. “Good evening, my lord. How are you this evening?”
    “How am I?” He glared. “I am suffering a financial setback in the person of one Lady Prudence Prescott. No one dares come near this place. I have a total of ten guests in the club right now—all of them patrons who were inside before you and your league of sour-faced dowagers arrived. And they are all terrified to leave lest one of their wives or mothers is out here picketing.”
    “Is my father one of the men inside?” Prudence asked with a frown.
    “Nay.”
    She smiled in relief at his snapped response. “Then I suppose I can say that your plan is working. Thank you.”
    “
My
plan?”
    Prudence nodded with a smile. “The other night at Ellie’s ball you said that if I had such strong feelings about gambling,I should picket and get the gambling establishments closed down.”
    “I meant that you should picket the House of Commons and get the laws changed and—” He regained control of himself with some effort, then said very calmly, “All you have accomplished, my lady, is another step toward ruining
my
business. Which will not aid
your
cause. Your father is gambling tonight, I guarantee it. Just not in Ballard’s.”
    Prudence looked startled at that suggestion. “Faugh! Of course he isn’t. He had to give up his membership to the clubs. He favors your establishment.”
    “You do not have to belong to the private clubs to get in; you merely need a friend to take you with him as a guest. Your father spends the first part of most nights at White’s. He—”
    “You are lying. I followed him here that first night, and both times I have been inside Ballard’s since, he was—”
    “Both times you were inside Ballard’s it was late evening,” he pointed out firmly.
    Prudence frowned. What Stephen was saying was true enough. She had gone late deliberately. When she had first gone disguised as a man it had taken her a good portion of the night to tuck and pin the back of her father’s breeches. Even with Ellie’s help it had been quite late when she had finally set out. Then, the night she had gone disguised as a serving wench, she had gone late to avoid the kitchen staff, thinking it might be less risky. If what he said was true, and her father did not