“Of course not,” Eleanor tutted, taking Prudence’s hand. “Now, what can you not do?”
“Everything,” Prudence groaned. “Anything. Be a reasonable person. Love another person. Forgive. Forget.”
“Do we know what exactly Mr. Moon did that was so unforgiveable?” Ophelia whispered to Justine.
“Do we want to know is the better question,” Justine said.
“I’ll tell you the details,” Prudence said. “If you want.”
Prudence opened up every secret to her friends, the bits she’d glossed over before. She ended her recital with yesterday morning’s argument, and his inability to speak after she accused him of wanting her only for bedsport. She even admitted precisely what she’d said that shocked Leo so much. Even Justine was shocked.
Prudence lay back again, unsure of what to do with herself. She felt tired all over again. Eleanor left the bed, leaving a cold spot behind. But soon she returned with Mrs. Murty’s tea tray. Eleanor poured a cup and made Prudence drink it.
“I don’t really even like tea that much,” Prudence protested, but the other three all gave her resoundingly cold glares. Eleanorpoured a second cup after Prudence finished the first, and then insisted on Prudence eating the nibbles left on the tray.
“I wish we could just go now,” Prudence said.
“Go where?” Ophelia asked.
“Switzerland. I want to go now.”
Ophelia ducked away, almost as if Prudence had struck her. “There are far too many details to prep, Prudence. There is no way we could leave yet.”
They sat in silence.
“But what about if Tristan and I went ahead with her?” Eleanor suggested. “We could keep her company, and perhaps we could stop in France for a bit before we set off?”
France! Yes, what a delightful side trip. Prudence looked to Ophelia. They still had much to look over to see if it was possible.
“We can ask my father tonight at dinner,” Ophelia said. “Besides, it might be nice to have someone scout ahead.”
“Excellent!” Eleanor clapped.
At dinner, Lord Rascomb expressed interest, and Lady Rascomb suggested she might go along as well, to keep company with Prudence since newlyweds could sometimes be too caught up in themselves.
Prudence couldn’t taste the meal, but she drank her wine with enthusiasm, which made her queasy, and she excused herself from the drawing room after dinner.
When she awoke the next morning, she had a headache, but was pleased with herself for not crying. She took a quick, cold bath and changed into her day dress and went downstairs, suddenly famished. The hour was later than she thought, and the butler, Mr. Sellers, was directing the footmen in cleaning up the breakfast room. Prudence snagged a piece of toast and some coffee, which was all she really wanted anyway.
But after her coffee, Prudence couldn’t find the other women all morning. It was as if they had all vanished. She wanderedfrom room to room, but they were not in their bedrooms or out of doors, training in the snow. Nor were they keeping company with Lady Rascomb in the drawing room. Prudence found a spot in the library where she amused herself reading some Sir Walter Scott.
“There you are!” Eleanor cried from the doorway. “I’ve been looking for you all over.”
Prudence looked up from her spot in the window and put her finger in the poetry book. “Me? I haven’t been able to find you lot.”
“Well, come with me now. We’ve made a plan, and I think you’ll absolutely adore it.”
*
AFTERPRUDENCE LEFT,Leo sulked. And then he raged by taking long, cold walks around London. He drank some, with Granson, mostly. Then Eyeball came by for some year-end advice, which devolved into more drinking. Fortunately, no one mentioned Prudence.
Until his mother did. She entered with her usual flair, knocking his study door open at some ungodly early hour with her cane. The door hit the wall with a bang. “Granson, go to your room.”
Granson was on his feet instantly, though he wobbled from the amount of scotch they’d put down the night before.
“Your Lordship,” his mother said.
“Yes, Mrs. Moon,” came a reply from the floor, as Eyeball struggled to his feet. When he gained his feet, he faltered only a little, catching the chair to steady himself. “Mrs. Moon. Good morning.”
