"Angelstone, wait. I don't think this is such a good idea. There are so many clothes in here. Women's clothes. Good lord, this must be Lady Thornbridge's bedchamber."
"Get in there. Now, for God's sake." He seized her around the waist as if she were a sack of potatoes and tossed her into the wardrobe.
"Good heavens." Prudence nearly suffocated amid a pile of expensive silks, satins, and muslins. She flailed about wildly, trying to regain her balance.
"Move over," Sebastian muttered. His hands cupped her derriere as he attempted to shove her farther into the depths of the wardrobe.
"There's no room." Intensely aware of his hands on her bottom, Prudence pushed frantically at the clothing in an effort to shift some of it aside. But the wardrobe was stuffed with expensive garments. "Why don't you hide under the bed?"
"Hell. Maybe you're right." Sebastian released her and backed out of the wardrobe.
He closed the mahogany door, leaving Prudence in tomblike darkness. At that instant the bedchamber door was flung open with a resounding crash.
Prudence did not need Lord Thornbridge's outraged roar to know that Sebastian had not had a chance to get beneath the big bed.
"Angelstone. You? Why, you blackhearted son of a bitch, I never thought to find you here, man. I was certain't‘was someone else she would be meeting tonight. Devil take it, I thought… I believed… that is to say, I was told… How dare you, sir?"
"Good evening, Thornbridge." Sebastian's voice was amazingly cool. Incredibly, it was even laced with his customary cynical amusement. He sounded as if he had just encountered Thornbridge in his club rather than in Lady Thornbridge's bedchamber.
"I'll see you dead and in hell for this, Angelstone. Don't think I won't."
"Calm yourself, Thornbridge. I am not here for an assignation with your lady."
"What other reason could you possibly have for being here in her bedchamber? Don't you think I know she's disappeared from the ballroom? She's on her way up here to meet you, isn't she?"
"No."
"Don't try to deny it, you bastard," Thornbridge raged. "You're here to seduce my wife. Right here in my own house, by God. Have you no shame at all, man? No sense of decency or honor?"
"I have no notion of the whereabouts of Lady Thornbridge, sir. But I can assure you, I have no intention of meeting up with her here. See for yourself, she's nowhere in the vicinity."
"I suppose you've got a reasonable explanation for being in her bedchamber?" Thornbridge asked in disbelief.
"I was looking for the new water closet I'd heard you'd had installed."
"Do not think to fob me off with that banbury tale." Thornbridge was clearly infuriated. "The water closet is under the back staircase, exactly where it is in most respectable houses."
"My mistake, sir," Sebastian said politely. "I evidently got somewhat disoriented when I left the ballroom. I could have sworn one of the servants said it was on this floor. I believe I may have had a bit too much of your excellent champagne tonight, Thornbridge."
"You're not going to get away with this, Angelstone." Thorn-bridge's voice shook with the intensity of his emotion. "I don't care how good a marksman you are."
"If you're going to call me out, Thornbridge, I suggest you save your breath. In case you haven't heard, I've given up that sort of thing."
"You think I'll accept one of your mocking apologies?" Thorn-bridge's voice rose to a high, desperate pitch. "I'm not some stupid country squire to be taunted the way you're taunting young Mer-ryweather."
"Thornbridge, listen to me for a minute. I can explain everything."
"I don't give a damn about your explanations. And you can save yourself the trouble of having your seconds convey your apologies. I have no intention of meeting you on the field of honor."
"Then what do you intend to do?" Sebastian asked quietly.
"What do you think I'm going to do? I am going to put a bullet in you right here and now, you bloody devil. Right where it will do the most good. You may bid farewell to your ballocks, sir. They will be of little use to you after tonight. We'll see how well you rut with other men's wives in future."
"For God's sake," Sebastian said. "Put the pistol down, man. I swear I have no designs on your lady wife. My attentions are directed elsewhere these days."
Prudence froze. She realized from the way the conversation was going that Thornbridge had a pistol. He was working himself up into a state that would enable him to pull the trigger.
"Don't expect me to believe you're genuinely interested in the Merryweather chit," Thornbridge stormed. "You're hardly the type to be amused for long by an oddity such as her. You're using that poor young woman, aren't you?"
"Thornbridge, will you kindly listen to me for a moment?"
"You're making a show of courting her, but what you're really doing is using her to distract attention while you pursue your true goal. You're using the Merryweather female as a blind while you dally with my wife."
"I have no interest in Lady Thornbridge," Sebastian said. He sounded as if he had abruptly lost his patience. "I give you my word, Thornbridge, I am not here in this bedchamber to await your wife."
"There's no other possible explanation," Thornbridge declared. "She's so beautiful. God knows that every man who looks at her desires her. You think you can just take what you want, don't you, Angelstone? Bloody damn arrogant bastard."
"Thornbridge, I urge you to try to contain yourself. You're losing control."
Prudence knew she dared not wait another minute. It was obvious Sebastian was not going to be able to talk Thornbridge out of his rage. It was time to repay the debt that she owed to the Fallen Angel.
She took a deep breath and pushed open the wardrobe door.
"I beg your pardon, my lords," Prudence said crisply as the door swung open. "I believe it's time we put an end to this foolishness before someone gets hurt."
"What the devil?" Thornbridge swung toward her. In the light of the candle he had brought with him she could see the shock on his heavily jowled face. The pistol in his fist wavered precariously. "Miss Merryweather, by heaven. What are you doing here?"
"You must forgive Miss Merryweather, Thornbridge." Sebastian took a single step forward and deftly removed the pistol from Thorn-bridge's fingers. "She is still fresh from the country and has not yet learned the fine art of making a well-timed entrance."
Thornbridge ignored him. His astonished gaze was fixed on Prudence. His anger was rapidly turning to confusion. "What is going on here?"
Prudence blushed under the accusing stare, but she gave the baffled man a reassuring smile. "Isn't it obvious, my lord? Angelstone and I sought out a private place in which to discuss certain matters involving spectral phenomena and I fear we wandered in here by mistake."
"Spectral phenomena?" Thornbridge looked more mystified than ever. He also began to look doubtful.
Sebastian quirked a brow. "She has also not yet learned to tell a social lie. Not that there are many tales that could explain our presence in here. I believe we shall have to go with the truth on this occasion."
Thornbridge glowered at him. "The truth being that you brought this innocent young woman up here to seduce her. Isn't that correct, Angelstone?"
"Not precisely," Sebastian said.
"He had no such intentions," Prudence said briskly.
Thornbridge continued to scowl at Sebastian. "You should be ashamed of yourself, sir."
"You're not the first one to point that out to me tonight."
"My lord, you don't understand." Prudence jumped down from the wardrobe. "Angelstone did not bring me up here with the intention of seducing me."
Thornbridge gave her a pitying look. "My poor dear Miss Mer-ryweather. This business will well nigh break Lady Pembroke's kind heart. You are so pathetically naive."