been gone. No one but Prudence seemed to have noticed. After all, the rooms were so
crowded that it was nothing to lose sight of a person for a while.
But Prudence was very aware of Sebastian’s presence whenever he was around and she sensed his
disappearances instantly.
Anyone who noted his progress tonight would assume he was leav-ing. It was past midnight, after all,
and Sebastian had already spent more than an hour at the Thornbridge ball. The earl was well known for
his propensity to become easily bored.
Prudence had begun to suspect that Sebastian’s restless nature had led him to amuse himself in some
rather unfortunate ways. She knew he liked puzzles and she could not forget that he had shown a keen
interest in her search for the Pembroke jewels. Indeed, his questions about her investigation had been
extremely specific in nature.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Prudence put the two facts together and came to the uneasy con-clusion that Sebastian might have
developed a penchant for opening closed doors and prowling through locked safes in crowded houses
merely because it amused him to do so. Perhaps he enjoyed the thrill of discovering hidden jewels even
though he was richer than most of his hosts.
Sebastian surely wouldn’t steal whatever valuables he chanced to find, Prudence assured herself. But he
might very well revel in the dangerous business of searching for them.
The game he was playing involved far too much risk. He needed to be stopped before he got himself
into trouble.
She took a last swallow of her punch and put down her glass with a firm resolve. Tonight she was going
to find out just what sort of unholy business the Fallen Angel was engaging in when he disappeared from
a crowded ball. When she discovered the exact nature of his amuse-ments, she was going to give him a
stern lecture. Boredom was not an excuse for engaging in mischief.
It was a simple task to slip through the crowd in Sebastian’s wake. The people who noticed her nodded
pleasantly, no doubt assuming she was on her way upstairs to one of the withdrawing rooms provided for
the ladies.
Prudence smiled and chatted briefly with one or two of Hester’s acquaintances, all the while edging
toward the hall where Sebastian had vanished.
Several minutes later she found herself alone in an empty corridor. She glanced quickly around, picked
up her mustard-colored muslin skirts, and hurried toward the back stairs.
When she reached the staircase, she paused again to check that none of the household staff was in the
vicinity. None of the Thorn-bridges’ handsomely liveried servants were in sight. At this hour they would
all be occupied in the kitchens or circulating through the crowds with trays of punch and champagne.
Prudence gazed uneasily up into the darkness at the top of the stairs. Perhaps she was wrong in thinking
Sebastian had come this way. She’d only had that last brief glimpse of him disappearing down this hall.
She started up the stairs, her soft dancing slippers silent on the wooden treads. When she reached the
second floor, she hesitated again, trying to get her bearings. Two hall sconces were lit, but for the most
part this section of the mansion was in shadow.
A small sighing sound from the far end of the darkened hall caught Prudence’s attention. Someone had
just closed a bedchamber door very quietly.
She went down the carpeted corridor until she reached the door. As she stood gazing at it, uncertain of
her next move, a thin line of candlelight appeared at the bottom. Someone was inside.
Prudence’s fingers trembled as she gripped the doorknob. If she was wrong in thinking Sebastian had
entered the bedchamber, her next move could prove extremely embarrassing. She readied two or three
logical excuses as she cautiously opened the door.
The glow of light she had seen a moment earlier disappeared in-stantly as she stepped into the room.
The
crowded that it was nothing to lose sight of a person for a while.
But Prudence was very aware of Sebastian’s presence whenever he was around and she sensed his
disappearances instantly.
Anyone who noted his progress tonight would assume he was leav-ing. It was past midnight, after all,
and Sebastian had already spent more than an hour at the Thornbridge ball. The earl was well known for
his propensity to become easily bored.
Prudence had begun to suspect that Sebastian’s restless nature had led him to amuse himself in some
rather unfortunate ways. She knew he liked puzzles and she could not forget that he had shown a keen
interest in her search for the Pembroke jewels. Indeed, his questions about her investigation had been
extremely specific in nature.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Prudence put the two facts together and came to the uneasy con-clusion that Sebastian might have
developed a penchant for opening closed doors and prowling through locked safes in crowded houses
merely because it amused him to do so. Perhaps he enjoyed the thrill of discovering hidden jewels even
though he was richer than most of his hosts.
Sebastian surely wouldn’t steal whatever valuables he chanced to find, Prudence assured herself. But he
might very well revel in the dangerous business of searching for them.
The game he was playing involved far too much risk. He needed to be stopped before he got himself
into trouble.
She took a last swallow of her punch and put down her glass with a firm resolve. Tonight she was going
to find out just what sort of unholy business the Fallen Angel was engaging in when he disappeared from
a crowded ball. When she discovered the exact nature of his amuse-ments, she was going to give him a
stern lecture. Boredom was not an excuse for engaging in mischief.
It was a simple task to slip through the crowd in Sebastian’s wake. The people who noticed her nodded
pleasantly, no doubt assuming she was on her way upstairs to one of the withdrawing rooms provided for
the ladies.
Prudence smiled and chatted briefly with one or two of Hester’s acquaintances, all the while edging
toward the hall where Sebastian had vanished.
Several minutes later she found herself alone in an empty corridor. She glanced quickly around, picked
up her mustard-colored muslin skirts, and hurried toward the back stairs.
When she reached the staircase, she paused again to check that none of the household staff was in the
vicinity. None of the Thorn-bridges’ handsomely liveried servants were in sight. At this hour they would
all be occupied in the kitchens or circulating through the crowds with trays of punch and champagne.
Prudence gazed uneasily up into the darkness at the top of the stairs. Perhaps she was wrong in thinking
Sebastian had come this way. She’d only had that last brief glimpse of him disappearing down this hall.
She started up the stairs, her soft dancing slippers silent on the wooden treads. When she reached the
second floor, she hesitated again, trying to get her bearings. Two hall sconces were lit, but for the most
part this section of the mansion was in shadow.
A small sighing sound from the far end of the darkened hall caught Prudence’s attention. Someone had
just closed a bedchamber door very quietly.
She went down the carpeted corridor until she reached the door. As she stood gazing at it, uncertain of
her next move, a thin line of candlelight appeared at the bottom. Someone was inside.
Prudence’s fingers trembled as she gripped the doorknob. If she was wrong in thinking Sebastian had
entered the bedchamber, her next move could prove extremely embarrassing. She readied two or three
logical excuses as she cautiously opened the door.
The glow of light she had seen a moment earlier disappeared in-stantly as she stepped into the room.
The
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