Murder at the Hunt Ball : A 1920s Historical Cozy Mystery

by Sonia Parin

  Taking a sip of her tea, Caro said, “I suppose we’ll be hearing from Cousin Ophelia soon. I… I mean, Caro told me you asked her to prepare some clothes for her. I’m guessing she survived the night.”

  Evie looked at Caro for a moment and wondered if Toodles had been right in expressing concern for her. She hoped playing the dual roles didn’t become too confusing in her mind.

  “If something happened to her, Sterling Wright would have informed us.” Evie turned to Edgar who lifted an eyebrow.

  “With all due respect, my lady, if I had heard any news, I would have conveyed the information to you without delay.”

  “Yes, of course. I have no doubt you would do so.”

  The door opened and they all turned only to be disappointed when a footman entered carrying a fresh pot of coffee.

  “Lotte told me being a private detective requires a great deal of patience because a lot of the time is spent simply waiting for something to happen.”

  “In this case,” Henrietta said, “We are waiting for something to happen to Miss Devon. Since she is being threatened, we have to assume the threats are real. I find that rather morbid.”

  “Does that mean we also have to assume she will not abide by whatever she’s been asked to do in order to be free of repercussions?” Sara asked.

  Evie brightened. Of course, the threats had to be related to something. Had Marjorie been asked to do something and had she ignored the request?

  “That’s just it,” Evie mused, “we can’t know for sure if she’s received demands. I think we have to assume someone is simply out to make her pay for some sort of transgression. There are numerous threatening letters but Lotte only read one of them.”

  Toodles set her cup down. “Why would Sterling Wright engage Lotte’s services and then withhold vital information that might help her solve the case?”

  “That’s a very good point, Grans. But he only hired Lotte to follow his fiancée.”

  Henrietta shuddered. “The mystery deepens.”

  “Or perhaps we’re reading too much into it,” Caro suggested. “Last night, I observed Sterling Wright and I came away thinking he struck me as being somewhat oblivious. You know, the type of person who thinks if you ignore something it will go away.”

  Evie shook her head. “I’m not so sure I agree. He did, after all, engage Lotte’s services.”

  “Yes, but he diminished her ability to do her job by not giving her access to the full picture,” Caro reasoned.

  Evie happened to catch Tom looking at her. When he raised his eyebrows, she assumed he thought Caro had made a valid point.

  Sara disagreed. “He’s a man and they don’t always know what’s best. Lotte should have pushed for more information.”

  At that point, Evie realized her venture into the world of private detecting would really become a family affair. Had they set out to make themselves useful on purpose?

  She glanced at the clock again and groaned under her breath.

  Annoyingly, she didn’t know enough about Lotte Mannering’s personal traits. For all she knew, the lady detective enjoyed sleeping in and they could be waiting all morning for her to make an appearance.

  “I think I’ll go out for a walk to clear my head.”

  “I’ll join you,” Tom said.

  “Yes, a walk sounds like a very good idea.” Henrietta stood up and nudged Sara.

  “Oh, yes. A blast of cold is just the thing to shock the body into responding.”

  They all turned to Caro and Toodles.

  Toodles lifted her cup of coffee. “We’ll be right along as soon as we finish our breakfast.”

  Evie walked out into the hall and realized she could not call on Caro to fetch her coat. “I suppose I can fend for myself,” she mused as she made her way upstairs.

  In her room, she selected a coat but had trouble finding her gloves and a scarf. After searching through all the drawers, she finally had what she needed so she made her way down only to find Caro overtaking her and rushing down the stairs. To her surprise, she had changed into her maid’s outfit again.

  “Cousin Carolina,” Evie exclaimed.

  “No, milady, it’s Caro.”

  Evie’s mind spun for a moment. Why had Cousin Carolina changed back to Caro? “I thought you were coming for a walk with us.”

  Caro didn’t stop. Continuing down the stairs, she looked over her shoulder at Evie and said, “I can’t stop now, milady. Must rush off.”

  “B-but why? Where are you going?” Evie found herself hurrying down the stairs after her. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she found the others all huddled around Caro who gave a firm nod and then rushed out the door.

  “Would someone please tell me what’s going on?” Heavens, she’d only been upstairs for a few minutes…

  What could possibly have happened during her brief absence?

  Henrietta stepped forward. “Mrs. Green just telephoned to say she has been asked to personally deliver a gown to Hillsboro Lodge. Sara had the bright idea of suggesting Caro go along as her assistant.”

  “But what if Miss Devon recognizes her?” Evie asked.

  “What nonsense. Miss Devon is not going to notice Caro. Women like her never pay any attention to servants.”

  Evie glanced at Tom. When he shrugged, she knew he hadn’t even tried to talk them out of it.

  “And how will she get there? Edmonds has already left, I’m sure he has.”

  “Mrs. Green has organized transportation,” Tom said.

  “Evangeline, I hope you don’t feel we have undermined your authority as a newly fledged lady detective.”

  “Oh, heavens… Of course not…”

  Henrietta continued, “We considered waiting for you.”

  “Oh, I… I couldn’t find my gloves.”

  Henrietta gave her a whimsical smile.

  Evie looked heavenwards. If she had trouble finding her gloves, what hope did she have of getting to the bottom of a mystery?

  Chapter 10

  The waiting game

  The drawing room

  Halton House

  Evie tried to use the time to catch her breath. With two people out there doing who knew what, they had unanimously decided to cancel their walk. Evie paced around the drawing room and kept glancing at the clock.

  It had been an hour since her maid, Caro, had left to join Mrs. Green to deliver Miss Devon’s dress.

  “How long does it take to try on a dress?” Evie fumed. “And where is Lotte?”

  The edge of Sara’s lip lifted. “You mean, Cousin Ophelia.”

  “Thank you for trying to humor me. I’m beginning to think I’m not cut out for this line of work. And… Where is Edmonds? He should have returned by now if not with Lotte in tow, then with news about her wellbeing.” Turning, she looked at Edgar only to realize he had made himself present all morning. Usually, if she wanted something, she had to ring for him.

  “I’m sorry, my lady. He has yet to return. Would you like me to send someone to Hillsboro Lodge?”

  “Oh, heavens, no. We can’t afford to lose any more people.”

  Henrietta laughed. “Evangeline, you are being very sensible to keep your troops in place. I fear you may be right in thinking we cannot afford any more casualties.”

  Rather than be annoyed by the remark, Evie took a bow. “I’m glad you’re amused, Henrietta. I can’t help fretting.”

  Sara said, her voice filled with understanding, “Only because you are worried you might disrupt Lotte’s investigation. I believe you are suffering from a bout of fear of failure. Don’t be discouraged by a lack of news. It will come soon enough and then…” Sara smiled, “you will mobilize your troops.”

  “Meanwhile, we could play a game of cards,” Henrietta suggested. “Any discussion involving Miss Devon will only lead you to become more frustrated.”

  Evie stopped pacing and swung toward the door. “Actually, there is something useful I could do.” She headed toward the library and,
not surprisingly, the others followed.

  Evie perused the shelves until she found what she wanted. “There are several road maps. If we all take one, we might be lucky and come across rosebud green somewhere.”

  Tom eventually walked in, his hands in his pockets. “What are we doing?”

  “We’re looking for rosebud green. Caro suggested it might be a place. And, the more I think about it, the more I believe she is right.”

  “Could it be a village green?” he asked.

  Evie looked up from her road map. “Yes! Yes, it could be and I hope it isn’t because those don’t seem to be listed in these maps.”

  Henrietta nodded. “I am reminded of Newington Green in north London. My nanny lived there after she retired and I visited her once. She had a great interest in history and I remember her telling me the area had once been a wilderness and Henry VIII had used a house on the south side of the green as a base for hunting wild boars and such that roamed the forest. I realize that information is of no use to us. Although, if we ask around, someone might recognize the name as a real place.”

  Ask around? Where? Evie frowned at her. “That would require leaving the house and, as you said, I don’t want to lose any more people.”

  Picking up one of the maps, Tom settled down on a chair by the fireplace. “England suddenly looks very big.”

  “Perhaps we should narrow our search,” Sara suggested. “And then spread out.”

  “And where do you suggest we begin?” Henrietta asked.

  “We could start near Hillsboro Lodge and follow our way back to town. Do we know how Miss Devon made her way from London?”

  “Most likely by train,” Evie said. “She might have seen a sign that read rosebud green on her way here.”

  Edgar cleared his throat. When Evie looked up, he said, “I have just spotted Edmonds driving up, my lady.”

  Everyone set their road maps down and surged to their feet.

  “At last,” Henrietta exclaimed. “I hope Lotte is with him and knows all about rosebud green. The prospect of combing through road maps is making me squint and I don’t need extra lines around my eyes. Also, I am of a certain age and I could expire at any moment. Rosebud green would be the last words I utter.”

  Piling out of the library, they headed toward the entrance to Halton House and stepped out, their arms crossed against the cold wind whipping about.

  To their relief, they saw Lotte jump out of the Duesenberg, laughing at something she said to Edmonds.

  When she spotted the welcoming party, Lotte adjusted her monocle, tipped her head back, and laughed again.

  “She’s still in character,” Henrietta mused. “I think I’d like to try playing the role of someone else. I’m sure it would feel quite liberating and as refreshing as going on a trip.”

  “Maybe we should all try it,” Sara said. “Since Evie is going to become involved in investigations and we are clearly going to lend our assistance, we should be prepared for the prospect of disguising ourselves.”

  When Lotte reached them, they all talked at once.

  “We were so worried about you,” Evie said.

  “Yes, Evangeline’s footprints are quite visible on the carpet. Do tell us what you discovered.”

  Toodles, who had finally joined them, asked, “Did you get caught?”

  “Rosebud green. Does that ring a bell?” Sara asked.

  Still laughing, Lotte looked at Tom. “I see Tom can’t get a word in edgewise.”

  Continuing to talk all at once, they all urged her to come in out of the cold.

  “What on earth took you so long?” Evie asked as Edgar helped Lotte out of her coat.

  “If you recall, I enjoyed quite a few glasses of wine last night.”

  “Are you going to tell me you spent the night and this morning sleeping it off?”

  “I spent part of the morning catching up on the sleep I missed out on last night when I roamed the hallways of Hillsboro Lodge.”

  “So while everyone slept, you lurked about? Looking for what?” Henrietta asked. A second later, she put her hand to her chest. “Good heavens, did you press your ear to people’s doors?”

  Lotte merely smiled. “A good detective never reveals her trade secrets.” Looking at Evie, she added, “Except to you, in due course.”

  “And us, as well,” Sara demanded. “We have been quite helpful.”

  Walking up to the fireplace in the hall, Lotte stretched her hands out to warm them. “What’s this about rosebud green?”

  “Clearly nothing of importance since you don’t know about it. Tell us what you discovered,” Henrietta urged.

  “Well… soon after you left, everyone had a nightcap. The conversation revolved around horses and the new racing season coming up. Pamela Prentiss excused herself saying she had a headache. While Marjorie Devon and Helena Lloyd sat without saying a word. I had the impression they were both deep in thought. When I glimpsed the first person make a move to retire for the evening, I made a point of stirring awake with a loud snort.”

  “How peculiar,” Sara observed.

  “Not necessarily. I wanted them to notice me. A polite yawn would not have achieved the desired result.”

  “Make the sound for us,” Henrietta invited. “I wish to hear it.”

  Lotte complied by tilting her head back, lolling it from side to side and then emitting a loud, garbled snort which had an impressive undertone of surprise. Henrietta said as much.

  Lotte smiled. “Thank you for noticing. That is precisely the effect I aimed for. Anyhow, saying it was too late in the evening to stir the chauffeur awake, Sterling Wright offered to put me up for the night and summoned a couple of footmen to assist me up the stairs. I remained in character by becoming a deadweight even as I sang a drunken ditty. I feel rather guilty because I believe one footman is currently nursing a sore back.”

  “Astonishing,” Sara declared. “I wish I’d been there to witness it.”

  Lotte looked up as if trying to organize her thoughts. “Oh, there was mention of a guest arriving today. I noticed Marjorie shifting in her seat and glancing at Helena Lloyd. Her eyes widened ever so slightly.”

  “Do you remember the name of the person?” Evie asked.

  “George Stevens. That set off a murmured discussion which I strained to hear because the conversation took place before I decided to wake up.” Lotte smiled and gave a knowing shake of her head. “Someone called him Gory George Stevens.”

  “You know him,” Evie exclaimed.

  “Yes, indeed, I do. Or rather, I know of him. According to rumors, you do not cross Gory George because if you do, you risk turning up in the Thames. He has the reputation for being short tempered, quite nasty and quick to act against anyone he thinks has wronged him. Despite the crimes he’s supposedly committed, he’s never been charged.”

  “And this man will be attending the ball?” Henrietta asked, her eyes slightly widened with surprise and shock that she would soon be rubbing shoulders with a member of the criminal world.

  “Wait a minute, I know the name.” Evie swung away and began pacing. “Sterling Wright mentioned George Stevens either last night at dinner or when we arrived for the foxhunt.”

  “Oh, dear. Evangeline is pacing again. Share your thoughts with us and spare the carpet, please.”

  Evie stopped pacing. “I’m just thinking… What if Lotte is right and there is something to the way Marjorie Devon reacted when she heard his name mentioned?”

  Toodles brightened. “We’ll be right there to witness… Something. That will be marvelous.”

  “Do you know when exactly he’ll be arriving?” Evie asked.

  Lotte shook her head.

  Evie thought about the telephone call she had made a couple of days before. She hadn’t told anyone about it and no one had bothered to ask. Now she wondered if she should make another telephone call...

  Tom sidled up to her. Lowering his voice, he said, “You’re nibbling the edge of your lip. Is ther
e something we should know?”

  “I’ll tell you later,” Evie whispered.

  Henrietta drew their attention back to the group. “I wish someone had mentioned rosebud green. It is irritating me to the point of distraction. Did anything happen after you retired for the evening?”

  “I waited for everyone else to come up.” Looking at Henrietta, Lotte smiled. “Yes, I had my ear pressed to the door. Twiggy Lloyd and his wife, Helena, were in the room next to mine. They argued in harsh whispers.”

  “What about?”

  “I could only make out the insults. She called him an imbecile and said he would ruin them both.”

  “Sounds as if there is something happening,” Toodles mused.

  Evie agreed. Could those remarks be tied in with the threatening letters?

  Lotte continued, “Anyhow, after an hour or so, I took a chance and stepped out.”

  Alarmed, Sara asked, “Oh, heavens. What were you going to say if someone saw you?”

  “I had a glass with me,” Lotte explained. “If I encountered anyone, I had planned on saying I’d been trying to find something to drink. And, of course, I used the glass to amplify the sounds through the doors.”

  Sara and Henrietta exclaimed, “You eavesdropped on the other guests? What did you hear?”

  Lotte lowered her voice and whispered, “We must do something.”

  “Who said that?” Sara asked.

  “Someone two doors down from my room. At first, I didn’t know who it was because I had no idea who had been allotted to which room. So I had to wait until morning and, of course, I slept in. That forced me to sneak into the room. There are only two couples staying at Hillsboro Lodge. I already knew the Lloyd couple were next to me. Then there’s Mr. and Mrs. Prentiss. But, for all I knew, it might have been Sterling Wright and Marjorie Devon. Anyhow, it finally occurred to sneak in and rummage through their clothes and, remembering what Pamela Prentiss had worn the previous evening, I found the dress and confirmed it had been them. So, why would Pamela Prentiss say they needed to do something?”

  They all fell silent as they tossed around the information Lotte had shared with them.