The Imprudence of Prue

A spirited young noblewoman navigates social ambitions, debts, and romantic entanglements after being robbed by a charismatic highwayman; her attempts to secure favor at court lead her to negotiate with a discreet money-lender, contend with a demanding grandmother, and accept a suitor whose arrival promises rescue. A sequence of masked balls, misunderstandings, sold secrets, stolen packets, and revelations unspools through episodes involving a highwayman’s den, a parson who bargains in confidences, and family intrigues. The plot moves from comic social maneuvering to moments of danger and confession, culminating in travel, unmasking, and the recovery of what each character values most.