Dangerous by Amanda Quick Page A

wasn't I?" Sebastian looked unconcerned about the matter. "But you jumped to my rescue and I was saved."
    "I am glad you appreciate that much, at least." She was stung by his amused sarcasm. "Under the terms of the bargain we made, I was in your debt. I was merely attempting to discharge my obligation to you."
    "Ah, yes, our bargain."
    "I thought I could repay you by saving you from Lord Thorn-bridge."
    "I see."
    Prudence subsided back into the guilt-ridden gloom she had been nursing since last night. "I collect you must be very angry, my lord."
    Sebastian shrugged. "Not particularly."
    Baffled, Prudence slanted him a sidelong glance. "Why ever not?"
    "I don't think that our engagement will be a problem."
    Prudence brightened. "You have a plan for dealing with our pre­dicament?"
    "I suppose one could say that I have."
    Prudence gazed at him in growing respect and relief. "My lord, that is excellent news. What, precisely, do you intend to do?"
    Sebastian smiled at her, but his gaze was unreadable. "It's a very simple plan, my dear. I intend to enjoy to the fullest the benefits of being an engaged man."
    Prudence's mouth fell open. "I beg your pardon?"
    "You‘ heard me." Sebastian inclined his head with chilling civility to an elderly lady in a passing carriage who was staring at the black phaeton. The woman looked away quickly.
    "You intend to let our engagement stand?" Prudence demanded in disbelief. "Why on earth would you want to do that?"
    "I don't see that we have much choice in the matter, do you? If we announce to the world that our engagement is a hoax, your reputation will be in shreds."
    "That would not matter a great deal, my lord. I shall simply retire to the country somewhat ahead of schedule. Society will soon forget about me."
    "What about me, Prue?" Sebastian asked gently. "The
ton
will not forget my role in all this very quickly, I assure you. Thornbridge, for one, will undoubtedly decide that his initial suspicions concerning my presence in his wife's bedchamber were correct. He will very likely come after me again with his pistol."
    Prudence caught her lower lip between her teeth and peered at Sebastian. "Do you really believe he would do that?"
    "I would say it is highly probable."
    "I had not thought about that. What are we going to do, my lord?"
    "Finish the Season as an engaged couple," Sebastian said calmly.
    "When June arrives, you may return to Dorset and I shall continue on about my affairs. The gossips will gradually lose interest."
    "I take your point," Prudence said, thinking it through carefully. "Sometime during the summer I shall quietly announce that I am crying off. By fall everyone will have forgotten about the matter."
    "Very likely."
    "Yes, it just might work." Prudence frowned in thought. "It means that for the next two and a half months we shall both be obliged to carry out the pretense of being engaged."
    "Do you think you can act the part of a happily engaged lady that long, Prue?"
    "I don't know," she said honestly. "I have never tried my hand at amateur theatrics."
    "I am certain that with a little practice, you will soon get the hang of it."
    "Do you think so?" Prudence tilted her head to one side and gave him a shrewd glance. "What about you, my lord?"
    Sebastian's mouth curved faintly. "There is no need to concern yourself, my dear. I assure you that I can handle my role. A talent for playacting is in my blood."
    "Yes, that's right, it is, is it not? You are extremely fortunate that your mother was an accomplished actress." Prudence sighed. "I am really very sorry about all this."
    "Look on the bright side," Sebastian suggested. "Perhaps now your pest of a brother will stop issuing a challenge every time I dance with you."
    "There is that, I suppose." Prudence cleared her throat discreetly. "There is just one small point concerning last night's events that I wish to have clarified before we go forward with this pretense of an engage­ment."
    Sebastian smiled. "Allow me to guess