Chapter Eight: It's Plotting Time!

 

So, back at Hugh's apartment, he's still mad about Ravenclaw. Also, it seems like he's not fooled about that business with the glasses. Oh well. Phoebe gets sick of hearing about Ravenclaw again so they talk about some guy she liked. Well, Phoebe talks. No one else really cares about him. I'm wondering if this means she's over Penhurst and what he'll do when he comes back. Although... that would be a nice twist, if Ravenclaw really did kill his brother. I doubt it, though. The notable thing in this part of the story is that we see one of Phoebe's thoughts. She's noticing that no one's listening to her and everyone only cares about Ravenclaw. (Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!) I'm a little startled that we get her thoughts, even if they're not direct and it's only for a couple of sentences. It's a little disorienting to jump view points like that.

So the next day, or so, Hugh gets over it and takes the girls to historic sites in London. Prudence, of course, appreciates them, but Phoebe is booored...and hitting on her cousin. I swear, these two need to stop that! They both have guys, more or less, so they should stop hitting on/thinking in intimate detail about their cousin whom neither of them finds interesting. I mean really.

Ravenclaw sends Prudence a note basically asking her on a date. She's totes okay with it but Hugh hears about it and gets all high and mighty about it. Also, Ravenclaw is arrogant in his note, I'm assuming it reads not like he's asking her but like he's telling her they'll do something. Prudence thinks how in Hugh this is unattractive, but it's fine in Ravenclaw. I'm a little worried about how much she forgives in him. No one's perfect, I get that, but she seems to be letting lust rule her and...this is a romance novel. Right.

Hugh demands that Prudence have a chaperone. Hey, what's going on, Mrs. Broadgirdle? One point about Mrs. Broadgirdle's presence, Prudence thinks that it may be a good thing or she'll be tempted to kiss Ravenclaw again. So... she forgives him for lots of stuff, she's not sure that she wants to be alone with him when she's thinking about it away from him... All right, folks. I'm worried. If this weren't fiction, Prudence would probably be in trouble. Since it is, it'll be fine and she'll say yes. I mean, what? On that note, Ravenclaw stimulates Prudence in a way that nothing else, not even Wolfinger, had. He he. Wolfinger's a pretty obvious metaphor here. I'll explain when you're older.

When they first meet, Mrs. Broadgirdle opens by asking if Ravenclaw is the count (she means in The Book, but this took me a moment to figure out). Wow, nice manners, lady. Blah, blah, blah. Let's go to Hyde Park! And away they go! Ravenclaw makes Mrs. Broadgirdle stay with the carriage and the two saunter off together.

A little less conversation a little more action. Sorry folks, since they're in public and not a dimly lit library, they don't do anything physical. They just talk. Ravenclaw points out that Prudence's efforts to save his reputation are probs useless. Prudence tries to gather her wits the whole time because he's just so near and so pretty and so... yeah. She takes off her new glove to pick a flower and Ravenclaw asks if she's been writing recently. She's amazed that he noticed the lack on ink stains (after he tells her he noticed it). Of course, he has to touch her hand to make his point. It makes her all tingly...inside. Also, clearly, they share interests and spirits...they're kindred souls and nothing can keep them apart! Nothing! All right, maybe Prudence didn't think the last part, but I'm sure she meant it.

They talk a bit about Penhurst and how he's still missing. Ravenclaw tries to intimidate Prudence, but she successfully makes her intimidation check and he fails. She totes calls him out on it too. Prudence pulls out the old “expect nothing and always be content” philosophy as the one Ravenclaw's using. He stops dead and, apparently, looks like he wants to kiss her right then and there. Not the reaction I was expecting... He's struggling with his thoughts. Clearly, that part of him that's dead is coming back to life...and all because of Prudence. Aaaawwww.

They talk a bit more and Prudence concludes that Penhurst has gone to the West Indies to try to make money to pay back his debts. Ravenclaw gives her an indulgent smile and Prudence is elated that he didn't interrupt her or tell her she was dumb. Oh boy.

Then they get around to the topic of Wolfinger. Ravenclaw asks Prudence if she'd like to see it sometime, clearly to look for evidence of Penhurst's disappearance and not for the innuendo that creates. Prudence wants more detail about when Penhurst disappeared, but Ravenclaw says the park is too public for that. Oh my, sir. Then Mrs. Broadgirdle has to ruin everything. Ravenclaw says something about how she's Gothic and Prudence's mind begins spinning out another story with Mrs. Broadgirdle as the villain.

Let's look at this objectively for a moment. Prudence writes a story with Ravenclaw inspiring the villain. Everyone in London, who knows him or knows of him, believes it's true or close enough to it to give him an even worse reputation than he already had. Now Prudence wants to write another story with a chaperone-for-hire as the inspiration for the villain. Chaperones-for-hire rely on their reputations to get them work. Maybe this book wouldn't sell as well since it won't be about someone in Society, but there's a good chance it will, ruining this woman's career. Prudence, you're a self-centered jerk.

Prudence is swept up in her plans to ruin someone else's-I mean, write another book, and Ravenclaw has to yell pretty much in her ear to get her attention. Geeze, dude, try poking her or something. Anyway, they can't meet at Prudence's house because of Hugh and Mrs. Broadgirdle. Meeting at Ravenclaw's house would take the story too far along and be terribly improper. Balls and such are too crowded. They're going to have a secret meeting. Aw yeah.

Also, why was Mrs. Broadgirdle wanting their attention? I have no idea. That's not as important as their clandestine, moon-lit, screw-you-society meeting. Maybe we'll find out next chapter.