A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder

by Dianne Freeman

  * * *

  When George left in pursuit of swindled investors, I returned home to find an empty drawing room. I alternately basked in the silence and wondered where everyone had gone as I crossed the room to the card table and dug into the stack of Mary’s documents. It took only a moment to find an old account book, which included regular payments to her servants—one John Milton among them. Through process of elimination, and the comparison of wages, I determined him to be Jasper’s valet. Though I was rather pleased at discovering this bit of information, I still had no idea how I was to locate the man. Then I realized I had a source at Mr. Norton’s house.

  I rang for Mrs. Thompson and penned a short note, stopping just before my signature. Heavens, what if Mrs. Wiggins couldn’t read?

  “Yes, my lady?”

  Mrs. Thompson stood in the doorway. What to do? “Do you know if our kitchen boy is able to read, Mrs. Thompson?”

  “Young Jamie?” She bobbed her head. “He reads some. Practices when he can.”

  “Excellent.” I handed her the note. “I need him to deliver this tomorrow morning to the housekeeper at that address. Early, before she has a chance to leave. He may have to help her with the note, and the reply. Is he up to that?”

  “I’m sure he is. I’ll see he gets off early in the morning.” Mrs. Thompson nodded and made as if to take her leave.

  “Wait, Mrs. Thompson. When I left, I had a drawing room full of guests. Do you have any idea where everyone is?”

  “They’ve all gone up to visit Lady Rose.”

  I raised my brows. “I think I will as well.”

  I thanked Mrs. Thompson and headed up to the nursery. Rose’s room was across the schoolroom, next to Nanny’s. A strip of light shone under both doors. Laughter greeted me as I opened Rose’s door and stopped immediately upon my arrival. Hetty sat on the end of the bed, with Lottie, Charles, and even Lily gathered around. Each one wore a guilty expression. Poor Rose just looked pained.

  “All right, I think Rose has had all the entertainment she can stand for one evening.” I made a shooing motion to the adults. “Once her pain has subsided, she’ll better appreciate your humor. For now, the doctor has asked her to be still and quiet.”

  Rose winced as Hetty leaned forward to kiss her cheek. To my surprise, they all departed without a word, though Hetty threw me a warning glare. I couldn’t help smiling, pleased Rose had a champion in her aunt. When the door closed behind them, I pulled up a chair next to her bed. Folding my hands in my lap, I gazed down at her.

  “It can be very difficult to entertain when one is in pain.”

  She gave me a wary glance. “It hurts.”

  I wanted to gather her into my arms and magically take all her pain away. Knowing I didn’t have that power, I took her hand. If I couldn’t protect her from hurt, I could at least arm her against it. But first I had to know why.

  “Rose,” I began.

  “I’m sorry, Mummy.” Her little face crumpled and tears squeezed out from her closed eyes. “I know you told me Pierre wasn’t a jumper, but Eldon thought he’d do it and I wanted to be like the boys.”

  I shushed her and murmured comforting words. “I understand, dear.”

  Her tears stopped as if someone had turned off the tap. “Then you’re not angry? I’m not in trouble?”

  “Just because I understand does not mean I approve. You are seven years old and I will be making decisions concerning your safety for the foreseeable future.”

  She sniffed and gazed up at me with watery eyes. “I’ll be eight next month,” she whispered.

  “That’s still too young to make such big decisions, but . . .” I paused, wondering how I should state this. I didn’t want her to feel she was being rewarded. “I believe eight is old enough to take riding and perhaps jumping lessons.”

  She gasped and I had to suppress a chuckle.

  “For your birthday I’ll hire a professional instructor so you learn the proper technique for jumping.”

  “Really?”

  “You are clearly a horsewoman, Rose. I won’t take that away from you, but I insist you have proper instruction so you know what you’re doing. And you will never do anything so reckless again. In fact, I may take those lessons with you. Would you like that?”

  Her hand squeezed mine, and if she were able, I’m certain she would have jumped from her bed and danced a jig. Instead she wrapped her arms around my neck and squealed. The pain in her ankle made her settle down quickly.

  “As for your punishment,” I said, “I’d say you brought that on yourself with your injury. You will remain in bed until the doctor says you may leave it, and no riding without his approval as well. The only thing I will add is a letter to the boys’ tutor. Because you were injured while in his care, the poor young man may be worried about keeping his position. So, when you see Uncle Graham, I expect you to explain the situation to him as well. Agreed?”

  She nodded vigorously. “I’ll tell him, Mummy. And thank you for the birthday gift.”

  I gave her a kiss and told her I’d send Nanny in to read to her. Perhaps the riding lessons would be a good thing for me, too. If I were a better rider, I might not worry so much about Rose. I let out a small snort. And the sun might rise at midnight.

  * * *

  The next morning, I shared a lovely breakfast with Rose, eating off trays in her bed. Her lively spirits were due, I was sure, to the anticipation of the riding lessons rather than any diminution of pain. Each time I moved she winced until I finally realized I was jostling her and pulled up a chair.

  I, too, was feeling a renewed enthusiasm for life in general, and our investigation in particular, as I gave Rose a kiss and headed downstairs. George had not come by with any news yesterday though that hope had been absurd. He couldn’t possibly have gathered enough information yet, so I assumed he’d still be working on that aspect of the case today.

  However, Mrs. Wiggins had proved quite helpful. Jamie had returned from his errand this morning with the name of John Milton’s new employer. None other than Sir Hugo Ridley, of all people. I planned to pay a call on Lady Ridley this afternoon, and with Jenny’s help I might find out what Mr. Milton knew about the Archer family business, and what Mary might have known about it.

  Hetty, Lily, and Lottie were enjoying breakfast when I entered the dining room. “What are everyone’s plans today?” I stepped over to the sideboard and poured a cup of coffee.

  “I’m meeting with Leo’s mother to discuss decorations for the engagement party.” Lily’s enthusiasm was bubbling over. “You’d be a welcome addition if you’d care to join us.”

  Oh, dear. I slipped into a chair next to Lottie. While I was happy to allow Patricia Kendrick to make all the arrangements regarding the party, I knew Lily would have some preferences and might not speak up to the woman she was trying so hard to please. What to do?

  I needed to speak to Lady Ridley, or rather have Jenny speak to Milton, assuming I could arrange that. “At what time will you be leaving?” I asked.

  “Almost immediately.”

  It was still too early for a formal call, so perhaps I could manage a decoration meeting in the morning and an interrogation by midday. I smiled at Lily. “Then yes. I’ll be happy to accompany you, but I have to pay a call this afternoon, so if we haven’t time to drop you off at home, you’ll have to come with me. And we must take Jenny.”

  She raised her brows in inquiry, but before she could ask why I was pulling Jenny off her household duties, I turned to Hetty and Lottie. “Are the two of you occupied this morning?”

  “I’m afraid we are,” Hetty said in rather a rush. I’m sure the thought of discussing decorations for an hour or two was enough to make her devise any other distraction. She glanced at her assistant. “I could spare you if you’d like to go, dear, but we do have some further calculations to make today.”

  “I’m happy to stay and assist you,” Lottie said. Clearly the call of engagement party decorations did not draw her
in.

  Hetty turned back to me. “I still need to know what to do regarding these fraudulent investments of Graham’s.”

  “I understand, but I’d prefer you do nothing until we hear from Mr. Hazelton. He’s trying to find others who may be in the same situation as Graham. If he can obtain any information about their investments, I’m certain he’ll want to talk to you about it. Then, of course, we’ll have to report to Delaney and find out how he means to proceed.”

  “Well, I hope you don’t intend to mention any of this to Mrs. Kendrick,” Lily said, waving the butter knife in my direction. “Can you imagine anyone else in Belgravia discussing the topics that come up around this table?”

  “I’ve never had any conversations like this in New York either,” Lottie said with a laugh. “They were all terribly boring and stuffy.”

  Well, this was an interesting turn of events—Lily taking me to task over my decorum. “I suppose this is rather unusual table talk.”

  “Far more interesting than discussing the weather or hunting,” Lottie said.

  “Or decorations,” Lily added. “But I’m afraid that is exactly what we should be doing right now. Are you ready?” She popped the last bite of toast in her mouth.

  With one more sip of coffee, I was. Jenny had been tending to our bedchambers and was delighted for the outing. Mrs. Kendrick had sent her carriage for us and it arrived just as we were ready to step outside. It appeared my morning was falling into place perfectly.

  * * *

  Fortunately, Mrs. Kendrick was an efficient planner, and very gracious regarding Lily’s wishes. With a stab of guilt, I realized this event was a mere week away and I’d done nothing to assist with the preparations. She swept us right into the plans upon our arrival, presenting us with lists of options for decorations, music, and refreshments. She urged Lily to choose and only offered suggestions when Lily seemed unsure. I decided my sister would be very lucky indeed to have such a woman as her mother-in-law. Within two hours, everything had been decided and Lily and I were off.

  As we took our leave of Patricia, I realized I could simply walk the few blocks down Park Lane to Curzon Street and the Ridley home. That would leave Jenny and me less than half a mile’s walk back home on a lovely afternoon. I let Lily take the Kendricks’ carriage, while Jenny and I proceeded to my next call.

  “Have you any idea what you’ll say to Mr. Milton?” I asked. We walked at a leisurely pace. The day was delightfully warm but it wouldn’t do to have a glow on one’s face when calling.

  “I really don’t, my lady. I suppose I’ll just ask about his former post and see if I can lead him into a good coze.”

  “That sounds like an excellent plan. Don’t push him if he seems reluctant to talk. I don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable position and I’d rather not draw attention to our investigation.”

  Jenny chuckled. “Don’t think I’ve ever met a man reluctant to talk about himself, my lady, but I’ll be careful, don’t you worry.”

  In no time at all, we arrived at the Ridleys’ townhome. Jenny stepped down to the service area, and the butler guided me to a sitting room at the front of the house, then left to inform his mistress she had a caller. I walked around the room as I waited. It felt like a well-used family room, but with a nod to Hugo’s wealth—silk upholstery, velvet draperies. The gilded frames on the paintings alone would wreak havoc on my budget. I’d just picked up some sheet music left on the piano when Miriam breezed into the room.

  “Frances.” She stretched out her hands as she glided toward me. “How lovely to see you.”

  “And you, dear.” We kissed the air near each other’s cheeks and settled ourselves on a nearby sofa. “I was just at the Kendricks’ going over some details for Lily and Leo’s engagement party, and I realized you were only a few doors down, so I thought a call was in order. I ran into Hugo the other day and realized I haven’t seen you for simply ages.”

  “It has been some time, hasn’t it?” Miriam returned my smile and her face took on a beatific glow. She was a lovely woman, blond and pink cheeked. Though a few years older than me, she would still be stunning at fifty, whenever that time should come. How Hugo, an agreeable, but rather irresponsible ne’erdo-well, ever won her, I’d never understand. Perhaps he had more charms than I could see. On the other hand, they may be quite obvious. This room for example. Such a large house in this neighborhood would come at a lofty price. He must be more careful with his finances than Graham.

  “Hugo mentioned speaking to you. I think he said you were discussing investments.” Her laugh tinkled like the sudden movement of a chandelier. “I was terribly impressed when he told me about it. I have absolutely no head for that sort of thing.”

  “I’m sure Hugo must have realized I am only just trying to understand it myself.”

  “He said you were talking about Gordon Archer.”

  “Yes, Graham has some investments with him.” I hadn’t expected the conversation to take this turn and blessed my good fortune, wondering how far I should take this falsehood. “Some of them profitable and some, completely abysmal. I wondered what Hugo’s experience with Archer was. I’d love to make a good profit, but I must be careful.”

  “Then I must advise you to keep your money in the five percents, my lady.”

  We both turned as Hugo strode into the room, his pleasant smile bestowed on us equally. He lifted his wife’s hand to his lips, and gave me a gracious bow before dropping into a chair across from us in a relaxed attitude. “As I told you the other day, every investment comes with some risk. It’s very much like gambling.”

  “That is precisely what Archer told me.” I feigned confusion. “I would have thought investing with a banker might contain the risk. That is, if I explained I was willing to take a slight risk, for reasonable profit.” I wrinkled my nose. “Five percent is so meager a return.”

  Ridley stroked his chin as though he were considering my position. “You could certainly ask him to watch out for something for you. Like the earl, I’ve had both good and bad investment experience with Archer. He can’t predict every outcome, but I trust his judgment. You might start with a small investment in something secure. Then if you realize some profit, take a little risk with that and don’t touch your principle.” He tipped his head to the side, trying to determine if I was following his logic. “Archer’s not going anywhere and you are young. I suspect you want your income to last as long as you do.”

  Considering my suspicions about Archer, I wasn’t so sure how long he’d be around, but I could agree with Hugo on one point. “You understand my intent completely. I want an income that will last into my old age.”

  “Which is many years away,” Miriam said. “But your sister’s wedding, it must be coming up very soon. I’d much rather hear about that.”

  “Ah, so the announcement’s been made, has it?”

  “Indeed. They won me over to their side.”

  Miriam smiled. “Young people are always in such a hurry. We received the invitation to the engagement party a few days ago. Is there a date for the wedding?”

  We fell into discussion of weddings and whether a town ceremony is a better setting than one in the country. After another fifteen minutes I decided Jenny had had enough time to pry information from Mr. Milton and it would be safe to take my leave. For my part I’d learned very little. Ridley’s investments with Archer seemed to be no more or less than he’d expect from any banker. Apparently, he hadn’t suffered any great losses. I was hoping Jenny’s inquiries had proved more fruitful than mine.

  Chapter 21

  After bidding the Ridleys a good afternoon, I collected Jenny at the door and managed to restrain myself until we reached the pavement. Finally, I turned the full weight of my curiosity upon her.

  “Did you have an opportunity to speak to Mr. Milton? Was he at home?”

  “He was, my lady, and I did. It was easier than I’d imagined as he’s quite a talker, and happy to speak about Mr. Jasper, too. Re
al fond of him, he was. It doesn’t sound like he and the missus disagreed about anything, leastways no more than any other couple might.”

  I considered her words. “I’d imagine if Jasper was involved in an unsavory financial scheme, and Mary found out about it, there would have been quite a row. Milton might not have known what it was about, but as Jasper’s valet, I don’t think he could have missed it altogether.”

  Another suspicion dashed. We turned into Hyde Park and took the Ring Road toward Belgravia. Even in my despair, I held one pathetic thread of hope. “Is it possible he simply didn’t want to speak ill of his employer?”

  Jenny shook her head in a decided negative. “Mr. Jasper is a former employer. Mr. Milton wouldn’t worry about what he said. Since he doesn’t work at that house anymore, his reputation and job aren’t in danger.” She shrugged. “He didn’t hold back when he was talking about Sir Hugo, so I think he would have told me if there was anything bad to say about Mr. Jasper.”

  We approached Hyde Park Corner and paused for the traffic to clear. I gave Jenny a curious glance. “Did he say anything interesting about Ridley?”

  She put a bounce in her step, warming to her story. “Well, when I was asking about the mister and missus arguing, he laughed a bit and told me the biggest argument he ever heard in that house was between Mr. Jasper and Sir Hugo. Said that was a real donnybrook.”

  “How very interesting. Did he say what they fought about?”

  “I asked, of course, my lady, but he said he didn’t know. He might have picked up a few words, but he didn’t really remember them. He did remember when it happened though. It was just before Mr. Jasper quit working at the bank.”

  “Really, just before he resigned?” My heart added a little flutter to its usual beat. I had only just learned Jasper worked with his brother. I had no idea he’d resigned that position.

  “Yes, ma’am. Right after the argument. The next couple of days he and the missus even talked about moving to Edinburgh as he thought he could find work there. He took a trip there soon after, and I suppose you heard what happened then.”