by Issy Brooke
“My dear lady, forgive my intrusion, but is everything all right? Is there anything at all that I can help you with?”
Lady Purfleet met Adelia’s gaze and Adelia was struck by how dark blue they were, reflecting very little light. They were deep, and did not sparkle. She said, formally, “Oh! Thank you for the very kind offer. Do give my regards to your dear daughters when you see them. I did enjoy hearing of your exploits but I am sure it is time for a rest now, is it not?” She stood up, and Adelia got to her feet too. Lady Purfleet pressed her hands very lightly, and departed, not just from Adelia’s company but from the whole assembly.
Mrs Ingram looked like she was about to burst. The Duchess had not even looked her way throughout the whole night.
Adelia had been publically marked as the favoured one. She smiled widely. She was a cultured woman, yes, but she was certainly not above a little light gloating.
She rubbed her sore wrist as she swept majestically past Mrs Ingram, deliberately letting the trains of her skirts brush the other woman. After what I have been through, Adelia thought, I have earned this moment.
And I have also earned a little more champagne. She headed towards a cluster of women she knew, and Lady Passmore turned to greet her.
“I just rushed back from Hastings the very moment I heard!” she burst out, extending her arms as the circle opened to allow Adelia to stand within. “Dear Lady Calaway, you simply must tell us everything again! Show us how you brought that scoundrel down! Was it really with a bow and arrow?”
“Alas, it was not, but would that not have been the most excellent thing? No. It was like this...”
THRINGLEY HOUSE WAS strangely quiet now all the guests had left. Adelia spoke at length with Mrs Cooper the following day, and agreed that the servants might be allowed a little party of their own to thank them for their efforts during the unusual time. It wouldn’t be much of a holiday for them, of course, as they would have to do all the work themselves, but they would be allowed a few hours at the end of the week to gather in the servants’ hall with extra food and drink, as long as they were restrained about it and did not allow things to get out of hand.
“We ourselves shall have simple dinners this week,” she instructed. “I think we are quite done with entertaining murderers for a while.”
She went up to her day room later and sorted through her correspondence. She picked up Charlotte’s note and began to write a reply, but she scratched it through and restarted it a dozen times. She was just balling up another effort and throwing it into the small fire when Theodore came in.
He was holding a letter too.
He sat down and said, “Where has your brother gone to?”
“Alf? I confess I don’t know and I don’t care. The moment that Froude was arrested, he left, according to the servants. I sent Roger out to the glasshouse where Alf claimed to have stashed the stolen goods. There was nothing there.”
“He lied?”
“You are so delightfully innocent. No, dear. He took it all anyway, in the end.”
“The thief! The scoundrel! Oh, I am sorry, dear heart, but my blood is quite boiling about the whole matter.”
“Mine too. Had we not agreed to have an argument about this at some point?”
“We had but I find my anger is mostly directed against him. I can barely remember why I was angry at you.”
“I lied,” she said, the words still burning.
“You were caught up in a web, I can see that now. I am not happy about it all but I have not behaved entirely well at all times.”
“That’s true. But your ridiculous reaction reassured me that you loved me, though I’d prefer you to express it in different ways, please. Storming off in the night is not good for us at our age.”
“Very true,” he agreed with a smile. “So how about this, instead.” He waved the letter to her but his smile faded. “I will admit this note has surprised me somewhat. I am not sure how to mention it.”
“Who is it from?” she asked. She wondered if it were from his son, Bamfylde. That would account for his awkwardness.
“Lottie,” he said, with a frown. “I don’t know why she feels she could not write to you.” He passed it to her. “She suggests we spend Christmas in London with her and Lord Lassiter.”
“Just as Lady Purfleet said!” Adelia was astonished. She read the note quickly. It was brief and polite and simply invited them both to their large mews house in London. The tone of the letter was strangely cold and impersonal.
“Theodore,” Adelia said as she set the letter down. “Do you think she is in some kind of trouble?”
“Not at all. What makes you think that?” he asked. “Not everyone is embroiled in scandal, you know. And I do think that our eagerness to see problems everywhere was one reason we went so wrong with this case, you know. We were so caught up in working out why the men were working together and what could link them that we missed the more obvious explanation.”
“That is true. But it was so close to home that it was painful to admit to it,” she said. “It was easier to think it was all about money and power than – than what it was. Do you think Mr Montgomery will be all right?”
“He will be fine. I don’t think he’ll ever achieve the success in either academia or business that he so craves but he will find a way to live, I am sure. Now, about London. Shall we accept?”
“Of course!” she cried. “That was never in doubt. You do realise there will be endless parties, Theodore? You will be expected to be sociable!”
“My dear, I can face murderers alone. I can wrestle with criminals and hunt down all manner of evildoers. But entering the glittering throng of the Ton – well, I admit the prospect fills me with dread and fear. Yet I can do it. As long as you are by my side, dear heart, I can face anything at all.” He reached out his hands, and she took them.
THE END
THANK YOU FOR READING! If you could leave a review where you bought this book, I would be very grateful indeed.
This was book four in the series. The others are:
Murder at Mondial Castle (already available)
The Viscount’s Deadly Game (already available)
A Murderous Inheritance (already available)
The Earl’s Mortal Enemy (this book!)
And, coming on 26th September 2020, is The Lord’s Fatal Mistake. You can pre-order book five now! Just follow these links:
Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089WJ9VHV
Amazon.co.uk https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B089WJ9VHV
Amazon.ca https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B089WJ9VHV
Amazon.com.au https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B089WJ9VHV
THE END
