The Lady in Disguise

Chapter Seven (part 2)

"You simply had to go and read right there in the library," Pru could practically hear Emilia saying. "You couldn't wait a second. And you had to pull half the books off the shelves." 

Imaginary Emilia was right. It was all her fault they'd been found out!

Miss Poole moved away from the door and toward Pru, her voice quite severe and serious. "I'm glad you realize that this kind of thing can't be ignored."

Pru hung her head. "Yes, I suppose it can't." Still, she would not have Emilia blamed when the entire masquerade was her grand idea. "Really, it was all a mistake at first, but then—"

"Mistake?" Miss Poole scoffed. "It's too far gone for that. To get to this state takes more than ignorance."

Pru couldn't deny it. "You are right. There is no excuse for it."

"I support your efforts completely."

Pru glanced up, gaping at her. "You do?"

"Of course! This is a shameful situation," the girl sighed. "And it must be rectified."

Well, now she'd lost track. "I thought you just said you supported—"

"How can one contend with such a library?" She marched past Pru and plucked a book from the shelves. "Yes. We must do something."

"Yes," Pru said eagerly. "The library. That's what I was talking of as well." It was quite a relief, not only that her secret remained safe, but that someone else agreed this was an egregious error in shelving.

"Fordyce's sermons sitting next to Childe Harold. It's insulting!"

Prudence couldn't help but ask... "To which author?"

"Byron, of course!"

Pru quite approved. "Yes, precisely I... Aye, Miss. My mistress would agree."

"I rather wonder that Miss Crewe is not tending to this herself. I'd heard she was very well-read. Almost as much as myself."

Pru found herself blushing. "Well, she does try to... Almost?" she finished, slightly aghast.

"No matter. Someone must repair this damage."

Pru quite agreed with that. "I'd started to... Well, Miss Crewe had suggested they be shelved by subject."

"Wouldn't author be best?"

"Aye, for a home library where one knows whom to read," Pru supplied. "But for a gathering such as this... er... Miss Crewe suggests poets with poets and..."

"Playwrights with playwrights." Miss Poole nodded. "Yes, it would make it simpler for those unaccustomed to reading, as I'm positive Sir Anthony doesn't read more than the scandal sheets."

Pru snorted, then hastily pretended it was a sneeze. She was correct on that. Though Sir Anthony obviously remembered very little of their meeting in London several years ago, she recalled his attempts to claim — while staring at her sister and barely remarking Prudence — that he also greatly enjoyed reading as he read most of the paper every morning.

Miss Poole rubbed her hands together. "Where shall we begin?"

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"Don't you start!" Byrne growled as the dog started pulling at the rope, though he didn't blame him. He was getting quite bored with the entire thing himself. He'd only stayed because he knew very well Miss Crewe would end up planted in the stream again without his aid. Besides that...