A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder

by Dianne Freeman

  From a more personal perspective, I was delighted to see Lily enjoying herself. I doubt she sat down once. After dancing with Caroline’s brother and George, Lady Georgianna found us, and introduced another young man, who then requested a dance. After that, as Hetty had predicted, the men swarmed.

  To my surprise, I also had my share of dance partners, and Fiona graciously took over my responsibilities of vetting Lily’s. About halfway through the first hour of dancing, it occurred to me that my dance partners might well consider me back on the market. The wink Hetty gave me, as she whirled past in the arms of Sir Robert, led me to believe she considered it so. At twenty-seven, I suppose I was still relatively young, and I’d had experience in running a household, something the landowning gentlemen might consider an advantage. Of course the biggest advantage to any of them would be my father’s fortune. No one here would know it was not quite what it used to be.

  Neither would any of them suspect I might soon be accused of murdering my late husband. I imagined that would send them scattering. Regardless, I was not ready to be someone’s potential bride. After all, I had only just gained my tenuous independence. Challenging myself to assert that independence, I rejected the next eligible bachelor, making my need to chaperone Lily my excuse. As a result, I found myself momentarily alone, scanning the crowd for a sight of her. I didn’t notice my brother-in-law approach until hearing his voice from behind me.

  “So, you’ve decided to rejoin society, I see.”

  The words were spoken in a pleasant tone, but the countenance I saw when I turned toward him was anything but. With his lips twisted in a sneer and his eyes glaring, he was a fearsome sight. I might have taken a step back if I hadn’t been so angry myself. I was aghast that he would dare speak to me after attempting to lay claim to my bank account. I wanted to snub him completely, but as we were surrounded by the cream of society, many of whom brushed close enough to leave the scent of their cologne, I didn’t wish to provide any fodder for gossip.

  “Graham.” I choked out his name and gave him a stiff nod.

  “I understand you are sponsoring your sister this spring.” He stepped beside me, hands linked behind his back, both of us gazing out at the dancers. “A costly prospect, I’m given to understand.”

  “That is hardly your concern,” I replied, my lips frozen in a smile. “And rather a vulgar topic for polite conversation.”

  “Unfortunately, between us, money has become an important issue.”

  “Unfortunate, you call it?” I struggled to keep my voice down. “You are attempting to steal from me. I consider that more than just unfortunate. Your actions are reprehensible.” I would have moved away at that, but Graham placed a staying hand on my arm.

  “Any property you had upon your marriage belongs to the Wynn family and is therefore under my control. You have no right to draw on those funds without consulting me first.”

  Oh, if only I could slap the man. “Those funds are mine alone,” I hissed. “As your solicitors will soon inform you. My father set that account up for me, as he didn’t entirely trust the Wynn family, much to his credit. All you are doing with this suit is delaying the inevitable. You will not win, nor would it do you much good if you did. With the expenses of Harleigh you’d be lucky if it saw you through the year, but Rose and I could live comfortably on it for many years to come.” I allowed myself one angry glare. “Withdraw your claim and leave us alone.”

  “Of course we won’t leave you alone, my dear sister.”

  I turned my head at Graham’s words and saw our hostess had joined us. A rush of heat reddened my cheeks. Regardless of his attempt to cover up our argument, Alicia had likely heard at least some of it. She was wearing her society face however as were we all: polite smile, and every other feature a mask. There was no reading the thoughts behind it.

  “Such devotion to family does you great credit, Lord Harleigh.” Her voice was smooth and sweet as cream, as she moved around Graham to my other side. “I hope you’ll forgive the intrusion, but I hoped to steal Lady Harleigh away for a little chat.”

  “Of course,” Graham replied. With a bow to each of us, he walked away, and was soon swallowed up in the crowd. If only the trouble he caused would disappear with him. I turned to Alicia.

  She lifted her shoulder in a shrug. “Forgive my interference, but your brother-in-law appeared to be making a nuisance of himself. As hostess, I must make sure my guests are enjoying their evening.”

  “And you believed I was not?”

  “Your claws were out, dear. Besides”—she gave me a charming smile—“if you wished to be in his company, I hardly think you would have changed your residence.”

  I was tempted to smile along with her, but I reminded myself that this was Alicia, not a friend. She was the only person who had been with Reggie at his death. Is it possible she’d done something to cause it? I frowned, bringing the emotions of that night to mind. Her grief and fear were so real, she couldn’t have been playing a part.

  Her smile faltered. “Something wrong?”

  I forced a pleasant expression. “Only that I’m here to chaperone my sister, and I have been negligent in my duty. I should find her.”

  “Shall we take a stroll?” she suggested. “We are bound to see her.”

  I could hardly refuse. She nodded to our left, and we set off around the perimeter of the room. Uncomfortable though I was, at least I had the satisfaction of knowing Fiona would approve. I finally caught a glimpse of Lily on the dance floor and stopped short. Alicia let out a little squeak as someone bumped her from behind.

  “Forgive me, dear lady.” I turned to see Viscount Ainsworthy, holding Alicia’s hand, and begging her forgiveness.

  “The fault is mine, sir,” I countered. “I drew up short, and you had no chance to move around us.”

  He graced us with a heart-stopping smile. Goodness, I nearly forgot to breathe for a moment. In evening dress, the man was a sight to behold. “As long as you are uninjured, ma’am?”

  “Quite,” Alicia replied, gazing up at him with hunger in her eyes.

  With a bow, the viscount moved on, breaking the spell. I blew out a long breath. “I can’t believe you didn’t claim an injury,” I said, watching him move through the crowd. “You might have kept him by your side for the rest of the evening.”

  She turned back to me, and on seeing my smile, burst into laughter, eyes crinkling, one gloved hand coming to her mouth, to smother the sound. It took all my determination not to follow suit. A few curious glances turned our way. “Stop it,” I admonished in a whisper. “Or I shall not be able to control myself either.”

  Alicia was soon back to her senses. “He is devilishly handsome, is he not?”

  “And as tempting as the devil himself,” I agreed.

  “I hope he will not prove to be that.” She gave me a sidelong glance. “He has danced twice with your sister.”

  “Oh, dear. I have been neglecting her. If he’s turned our heads, I can only imagine the impression he’s made on her.” I scanned the dancers once more, spotting Lily and her partner nearby. “Who is that she’s dancing with now?”

  Alicia turned to follow the line of my gaze. “Daniel Grayson,” said a voice from beside me. “Lord Ballymore’s son.” I turned to smile at George Hazelton, then remembered who was standing on my other side. Oh, dear God! The three of us together again. What does one say under these circumstances? Hello there. Moved any dead bodies lately?

  I glanced at Alicia, who was leaning around me to see who was speaking, then back at George. His look of shock was almost comical, but good breeding won out, and he soon recovered, schooling his face into a more bland expression. He gave Alicia a nod, clearly at a loss for anything to say.

  Alicia put on a bright smile. “Well, this is rather awkward. I’m sure there’s something else I should be doing.” With that she hurried off, leaving George and me alone. “She’s right. That was rather awkward,” I said, without looking at him.

 
; He moved closer until his shoulder touched mine, and I looked up into his face, seeing nothing but his usual inscrutable countenance. “The three of us shared a rather dark moment,” he said. “It would be surprising if we could meet again with equanimity. Mrs. Stoke-Whitney has actually risen in my opinion, in that she hasn’t been able to shake that moment off.”

  As we stood so close, I could speak without fear of being overheard. “I had another visit from Inspector Delaney. He asked permission to autopsy Reggie’s body.”

  “Really? Rather a gruesome hobby for the man, but who am I to judge?”

  I gave him a scowl. “Mr. Hazelton, you must take this seriously. The police certainly do. What if they come to question you?”

  “As I had nothing to do with his death, I’m not overly concerned. But I do take this seriously. I’ll see what I can learn about this investigation.”

  I shook my head. “Please don’t involve yourself further, George. I should never have dragged you into my troubles. You were kind to help me, but now that the police are investigating, I’ve put you in a terrible situation.”

  “Your troubles were no fault of your own, Frances. You should be aware I am rarely kind, but I was pleased to be of service to you.”

  His words, the silkiness of his deep voice, and his use of my Christian name all took me by surprise. He must have noticed it, for he raised a brow in question. “Did you not realize you just called me George?”

  I hadn’t. “Did I? You must forgive the familiarity, Mr. Hazelton.”

  “Oh, no. We are now Frances and George. There is no going back.” With that he lifted my hand to his lips. “I’m glad we were able to clear the air.”

  As he turned away, I found myself rooted to the ground, staring at his back, wondering why I felt like purring. Perhaps the air was cleared for him, but my head seemed to be wrapped in a blanket of fog. I snapped my mouth shut, and glanced around, wondering if anyone had taken in that scene. I would have to think about it later as this was not the place for contemplation.

  The music had stopped, and the dancers were moving off the floor. I made my way to where Fiona stood, at the opposite side of the room, and arrived just as Mr. Grayson returned with Lily. How they’d been able to dance at all was a mystery as the man towered over her. He was blond and quite handsome though, and I’m sure that was enough to turn her head.

  “Frances, do you know Lord Grayson?” she asked, once we were all assembled.

  I blushed, and was about to correct her, when Grayson stepped in. “Miss Price is too kind in her attempt to elevate me, but as it happens, I’m a mere ‘mister.’” He gave me a nod and a winning smile. “I believe we met a few years ago at Lady Nash’s country home.”

  “Ah, yes. You are a friend of Sir Robert’s brother.” And if I remembered correctly he caused some sort of incident during that visit, though I couldn’t bring the details to mind.

  He took Lily’s error with good humor and that was a good sign. “Since we are Americans, a ‘mister’ is not a mere thing to us.”

  “Ah, I’m relieved to find you are not title-mad Americans.”

  I was surprised to find myself laughing at his quip since that was precisely the type of American I was nine years ago. “I’m equally relieved you don’t hold my sister’s confusion against her.”

  “A minor error and completely overshadowed by her charm.”

  He solicited another dance with Lily for later in the evening and left us soon after to find his next partner.

  Lily turned to me as soon as Mr. Grayson moved on. “Are you all right?” She searched my face with concern. “I saw you speaking to Mrs. Stoke-Whitney. Was it horrible?”

  I considered the conversation we’d had and was surprised to find it hadn’t been horrible at all. “Not at all. In fact she rescued me from a heated conversation with my brother-in-law.”

  Fiona wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Is that fiend here tonight?”

  “Yes, and making a pest of himself. He implied I was spending too much money if you can believe that.”

  “Bloody ass,” Lily hissed.

  Fiona’s brows shot up, as my jaw dropped, and I whipped my head around to face Lily.

  She took a defensive step backward. “Well, he is,” she whispered.

  “While I can’t disagree with you, please never use that phrase again, dear. Where on earth did you hear it in the first place?”

  Lily quirked her shoulder in a shrug. “Alonzo. He once said Reggie was a—well, that’s what he called Reggie.”

  I tried to hide my smile. It was good to know I had my brother’s loyalty. “Well, I can’t argue with that either, but as a lady, you should not mimic Alonzo’s vocabulary.”

  “Though it was appropriate,” Fiona muttered.

  I had to content myself with hoping Lily understood as just then her next partner came to claim his dance. I shared a look with Fiona as the couple took the floor. Her eyes sparkled with amusement. “Don’t be so hard on your sister, Frances. She felt she could speak freely to us and I’m glad of that.” She gave my arm a friendly squeeze. “I’ve spent much of the evening with her, and I find her openness and candor delightful. She may ultimately change her behavior as she mixes more in society; in fact, I’m sure she will, but I hope she never loses her spirit.”

  “Perhaps she will help me find mine.”

  “Ladies.” We both turned to find Lady Georgianna behind us. “It appears,” she said in a lowered voice, “the London jewel thief has struck again.”

  Fiona’s eyes grew round. “Do you mean here? Tonight?”

  “Indeed I do. Alicia Stoke-Whitney’s bracelet has gone missing.”

  “But that doesn’t mean it was stolen,” I replied. “The clasp could have broken, or it slipped from her wrist. I don’t believe the thief has even taken an object directly from someone’s person.”

  Georgianna shook her head and continued in sotto voce. “She said the clasp on the bracelet was both new and quite strong. Even so, she’s had a few servants searching for it, as inconspicuously as possible of course. She and I checked the ladies’ retiring room ourselves to no avail. She has just gone now to consult with her husband, but I don’t know what else she can do. She wouldn’t wish to cause a commotion, not while the prince is still here. And what can she do that would not appear as though she were accusing one of her guests of being a thief?”

  “If the bracelet has been stolen, then one of her guests is a thief,” Fiona replied quite reasonably. “How can she do nothing and let someone walk out with it?”

  Georgianna made a helpless gesture with her hands. “Would you call in the police to question your guests? After all, it could be one of the servants. She has hired some extra help for the evening, and I’m sure they will be questioned before they leave.”

  “I suppose that’s possible,” I conceded. Though I thought it unlikely, somehow it felt better than believing one’s own friends and contemporaries would steal the very jewelry from one’s wrist. Although how was that any different from what Graham, my own brother-in-law, was doing to me?

  “Alicia wants to keep this quiet, so please let it go no further, or at least no further than your sister, Frances.” I followed her gaze to where my sister was still dancing and wearing a lovely sapphire necklace. “I only wanted to warn the both of you in case the thief is still here.”

  The three of us shared an uneasy silence before Georgianna walked off to find her daughter. “Do you remember when a ball meant nothing but fun for us?” I mused. “Now we have to face our late husbands’ mistresses, our greedy relatives, and jewel thieves of all things. Rather takes the fun out of everything, doesn’t it?”

  Chapter 8

  The rest of the evening flew by and was comparatively uneventful. Georgianna had been correct. Even after the prince left, not a word was mentioned about the missing bracelet. Other than a quick, whispered warning to Lily, I gave it no further thought. The supper dance began, and Fiona encouraged me to accept Viscount A
insworthy’s request for the honor. I didn’t require much encouragement, I must admit. Ainsworthy was such a delight to the eyes, and, much to my surprise, he turned out to be quite amiable as well, without the calculated charm of a practiced flirt.

  “I find it very interesting you chose me as your partner for the supper dance,” I said as we executed a turn in the waltz.

  He smiled, and I nearly forgot to move my feet. “You suppose I have a reason other than a simple desire to dance with you?”

  “Oh, well said. But yes, I do believe you had another reason. I heard you have already danced twice with my sister, and therefore could not ask her for this dance, or take supper with her. But if you ask me to dance . . .” I let the sentence trail off. That he took my meaning was clear in his blush. I actually made a man blush! No, I made one of the most handsome men of my acquaintance blush. Of course his rosy cheeks had nothing to do with my charm, so I suppose it’s of no real consequence. For a few seconds I was quite jealous of Lily.

  “You give me more credit than I deserve, Countess. I admit to being quite taken with your sister, but I only thought to ask your permission to call on her.”

  The music ended and Ainsworthy guided me through the crowd, and down the stairs to supper, where another large crowd mingled. I caught a glimpse of Hetty in an animated conversation with a group of gentlemen. She was getting on well. I returned my attention to my companion.

  “Has Lily agreed to receive you if you call?”

  “I hadn’t actually asked her.” He gave me a wry smile. “It’s been a long time since I’ve lived in England. I’m not familiar with every rule of etiquette, so I decided to err on the side of caution. I take it I should have asked her first?”

  I nodded toward a table where Lily sat with Leo Kendrick, an acquaintance of Lady Georgianna. “It looks as though they have room at their table, so you’ll have a chance to ask her now. If she agrees, you may be sure that I do.”