Dangerous by Amanda Quick Page A

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 what that small point is. You probably want to know precisely what I was doing in Lady Thornbridge’s bedchamber.”
    “Yes, as a matter of fact, I would like an explanation. I do not believe for one moment that you had an assignation with her. I have observed you closely of late, my lord, and lastnight was not the first time that I’ve seen you mysteriously disappear for a while from a ballroom. As far as I could determine, you were not meeting anyone on those occasions.”
    Sebastian glanced at her with an expression of cool admiration. “You’ve been very observant. But I cannot say I’m surprised. You are a most amazing female.”
    “I am not at all certain that is a compliment. Now, are you going to tell me what was going on last night?”
    Sebastian’s amber eyes gleamed briefly as he considered the question. “Did you really believe I had become a cracksman?”
    Prudence narrowed her gaze behind the lenses of her spectacles. “It occurred to me, my lord, that in a misguided attempt to alleviate your ennui, you might have resorted to a somewhat unfortunate hobby.”
    “In other words, you thought I might have turned into a jewel thief. I am crushed to learn that you hold me in such low esteem.”
    “Well, I wasn’t altogether certain that was what you were about,” Prudence said quickly. “After