by Kara Summers
I looked up at the building in front of me, marveling at its size. Scotland Yard might have issues with their detectives, but their budget did not show it. The mansion that served as tonight’s venue, was lit up with several hundred candles and lanterns that illuminated a path up to the stone columns supporting the roof covering the front stairs.
As I followed the lit path I glanced around, my cheeks going even redder underneath. People were whispering, staring at me and chuckling. I’d always been hyper aware and maybe even paranoid of people’s stares. I tried to ignore them as I walked through the doors of the main foyer, my eyes widening as I was met with a room full of people dancing in elaborate costumes. I was suddenly very glad that Victoria lent me one of her dresses. The one I would have worn would have been very much out of date and out of style.
As I watched people dance and laugh, I suddenly realized just how out of place I was.
Chapter Three
I was the type of person to put up a strong front. Even if I was unsure of myself, I could normally put up a pretty convincing act. Here, however, I was a fish out of water and I did not know what to do with myself.
The Yard was kind enough to provide libations and I drowned my unease in them, enjoying the strong burn of burn on the back of my throat. Many people gave me strange looks since women weren’t supposed to indulge in such things, but I could care less, honestly. It was making me feel better.
Soon the giggling started and I could barely control it. I’d drunk a little more than I should have. I felt light as air and I never would have felt that without the gin, or was it bourbon? I couldn’t remember anymore.
I stood to get another glass and stumbled just a bit, though thankfully there was a strong hand ready to catch me. I pitched forward, right into the waiting arms of a man that was at least a head and a half taller than me. He was as solid as a wall and when I tumbled into his chest I felt safe. I giggled a little and looked up at him, my eyes widening when I realized who it was.
The man who I’d stumbled into was one of the Leon brothers. I knew as much about them as everyone else in town. They came from a wealthy family and had some kind of royal blood in them. They were the Dukes of Wind shire. Their status gave them quite a bit of power and it wasn’t strange to see them at events like this.
I did not know much about them on a personal level, but I knew there were four of them, and this one looked rather young. I looked him up and down, taking in his thick, wavy black hair and intense steely eyes. They were the color of the ocean on a rainy day, and I hated that I found myself falling into them. I swallowed thickly and stood up, my legs shaky under my weight.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“Jasper Leon.”
“Don’t you mean Duke Jasper Leon?” I murmured.
He chuckled and shook his head. “I never liked such formal titles.”
Jasper was wearing a handsome, well-tailored set of tails and a fitted waist coat. The way it hugged the lines of his masculine body made me blush and become incredibly flustered. I had to look down and avoid eye contact as I straightened myself and cleared my throat.
“Well, Mr. Leon,” I stammered
“Jasper.”
I cleared my throat and looked at him. “Jasper,” I corrected. “I think I need to go.”
“So soon?” he smiled and offered his arm to me. “Would you walk with me?”
My cheeks burned again, but I found it difficult to say no to this man. I sighed and nodded. “Fine. I suppose I could use some fresh air,” I murmured, looking away as I put my hand on his arm.
“I could tell,” he teased softly.
I looked at him, eyes wide and indigent. “What does that mean?”
“You seem a bit tipsy,” he noted.
I scoffed and turned away but stumbled again, silently thankful when Jasper caught me. Again. “Come walk with me. The fresh air will clear your head.”
I hesitated but finally nodded, standing up and leaning into him so I wouldn’t fall. He led me out of the crowded ballroom and past the marble pillars. Soon we were walking through a garden that smelled of jasmine and other sweet flowers. I’d never been that interested in plants and flowers, but I could still appreciate their scent and beauty.
The wind hit me and I breathed in deep, already feeling better. That room had been far too crowded for my liking.
“You seemed a bit out of your element in there,” Jasper commented, looking down at me.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, accidently unpinning it. I cursed under my breath, but Jasper managed to catch the borrowed pin. He smiled and offered it back to me. I blushed and took it, tucking it haphazardly into my hair.
“Thank you.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before,” he said.
“I’m from London, but I don’t typically come to these types of events,” I said, waving my hand idly.
“I could tell.”
A sigh left my lips and I shook my head slowly. “Was it that obvious?” I murmured.
“You just seemed a little stiff. If we’re being honest with each other, I find these things to be rather droll.”
“Do we really know each other well enough to be honest?” I asked, suddenly coy.
“How well do you have to know someone to be honest with them? I assume that human beings should always be honest with one another,” he countered.
I chuckled and pointed a finger at him, stumbling over a stone as I moved forward. “Touché.”
He caught me again and smiled. “So who are you?”
“B. Martin.”
“B? Your name is B?”
“My name is Beatrice, but most people know me as Bea or B. Martin,” I answered.
“And why is that?”
“Because female detectives are a hard sell,” I explained. “My father’s name was Bernard and the name of the business has always been B. Martin. It made it easier to keep things going along after he passed.”
Jasper raised a brow and smiled. “Smart girl.” He chuckled and brushed a curl from my face, making my cheeks go hot. “I like smart girls.”
“That would make you the first,” I murmured, trying to deflect the compliment.
“I don’t make a habit of arguing with ladies, so you’ll have to forgive me, but I don’t believe you.”
I cocked a brow, a bit surprised at how forward he was. Usually rich men like him had a tendency to keep their mouths shut around women like me. Even so, I was hardly offended. I smiled a little and crossed my arms over my chest, moving to stand in front of him.
“And why don’t you believe me?” I challenged.
He closed the space between us and wrapped an arm around my waist, yanking me against his sturdy frame. He reached out with his free hand and cupped my cheek, smiling softly. For a moment, I couldn’t say a thing. My voice was trapped in my throat and all I could manage was a soft squeak. He was so strong and so masculine. My heart was slamming in my chest so loud I could hear it in my ears. I felt a sudden tingle between my legs that was completely foreign.
He offered me a disarmingly charming smile and kissed my cheek. “Because you’re as beautiful as an Irish rose.”
I hadn’t realized we made it back to the doors of the ballroom. He’d managed to distract me so well. He turned to walk back into the party, but stopped short and smiled over his shoulder at me.
“I certainly hope we meet again, Beatrice.”
The way my name came from his mouth made my knees weak and all I could do was stare at him, wide-eyed and trying to take in that silky voice and handsome face. I nodded numbly and he turned again, disappearing into the dancing crowd. The encounter left me confused, shaking and unsure of myself. I’d never met a man who could get into my head like that and I turned and did the only thing I could do.
I wretched into the bushes, thankful that I was alone on that patio.
Chapter Four
I left shortly after my encounter with Jasper. My stomach was r
olling violently and I was sure that if I stayed much longer I’d be sick again. I managed to make it out of the party without making too much of a fool of myself. I needed help to get into the carriage, weighed down by my intoxication and my dress. When I arrived to my small flat, I collapsed on the bed and fell asleep almost immediately. My mind was racing with images of Jasper. How had he gotten under my skin so quickly?
When I woke up the next morning, the pounding on my door was echoed by the pounding in my head. I groaned and sat up, glaring at the door as if it had wronged me. I threw the blankets off and stood, stumbling in the heels I’d forgotten I was still wearing. My hair was an angry mess and when I threw open the door, I’m sure I looked absolutely wild.
My assistant stood in front of me. She was a short woman with dark hair, brown eyes, and plain but pretty features. She spoke with a thick Russian accent and I was one of the few people who understood her. She wore men’s trousers and a men’s shirt that was far too big for her tucked into the trousers that hung on her wide hips precariously. She crossed her arms and looked me up and down, smirking just a little.
“It’s not like you to be hungover. Or wearing a ball gown,” she observed.
“I had an important engagement to attend last night.”
“Mmmm…You had fun? Did you meet a man?” she sang, circling her hips.
I rolled my eyes and waved her inside. “Don’t be vulgar, Ivana,” I murmured.
She mumbled something in Russian but I ignored it, locking the door and starting to strip out of my dress. Ivana and I all but lived together, the woman had seen me in various stages of undress and I could care less that she might desire women. I wasn’t concerned with that. I was far more concerned with her sharp mind.
“Did you get any new cases yesterday?” I asked.
“Of course. There are always cases. This place is a cesspool.”
“And Moscow is better?” I challenged.
Ivana shrugged and moved to sit on my desk, kicking her short legs. “All you talk about is work. Can we talk about the party? The one I wasn’t invited to?”
“You did not miss anything,” I assured her, slipping a much simpler, looser dress on over my slip.
“Then it shouldn’t be a problem for you to tell me about it.”
I sighed. “It was a ball thrown by Scotland Yard. I showed up, had a drink and I left.”
“A drink? I doubt that. I’m from Russia. If there’s one thing I know, it’s drunkenness and you, my love, had more than a drink last night.”
“You really aren’t going to leave me alone until I give you something interesting, are you?”
“Not a chance,” she smiled wickedly.
I sighed. “Well. I may or may not have danced with Jasper Leon.” Sure it was a bit of a lie, but the truth was far too embarrassing.
Her eyes widened just a little. “Of the Leon Angels?”
They’d gotten the nickname thanks to their sparkling personalities and handsome features. It was rare to find a family with that much money and kindness all rolled into one. I was sure they had skeletons in their closets, but that wasn’t the kind of investigating that I did.
“Yes.”
“You danced with him?”
“He chose me. In fact, he told me I was as beautiful as an Irish Rose,” I felt my voice drifting off, becoming more than a little breathy and excited.
“It’s a shame he did not come back here last night,” Ivana said with a shake of her head.
I turned to face her, jaw slack. “Ivana!”
She just shrugged and grinned at me, hopping off the desk and offering me her arm. “Come. Tell me all about it.”
I snorted but took her arm all the same. There were already rumors about us flying all over town, though I did not care. I knew the truth and I loved her dearly, though not in the way that people assumed. She was my best friend and as we walked, I told her about Jasper. I told her about how warm he was and how kind. I told her about the earthy smell that surrounded him.
The most unnerving thing to me, was the thousand-watt smile dancing across my face as we walked.
Chapter Five
The days passed and soon they turned to weeks. Jasper still occupied my mind, though it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been immediately following the ball. I was completely engulfed by him and the memory of our brief contact. I was glad that as the days went on I found it easier to focus on my work once again and I was thankful for it. I did not like the idea that I was so easily distracted from my life’s work by a man with a pretty face.
Ivana was curious about my reaction to the strange man, but she managed to stay rather quiet about it after I threatened to send her back to Moscow. We both knew I wasn’t serious, but I think she finally got the idea that I was doing my best to forget about him.
It helped that there seemed to be a crime spike in London at the time. My office was getting more and more murder cases every day. I was so swamped that I started delegating cases to other local detectives. I did not really like the idea of giving up my territory, but I knew I had to do it. Things were getting out of hand and from what I could tell, these murders weren’t being committed by one person.
Multiple suspects meant the criminals felt the police force was lacking. They felt like they could get away with what they were doing, and that was a terrifying idea. We needed to crack down on the scum that roamed out streets or soon no one would be safe.
I sighed as I sat at my desk and started shuffling through reports. I would have normally liked to be out on the streets, getting my hands dirty, but I knew I had to review the evidence and determine if there was any link between these murders. Maybe it was a small group of people doing the killing. The fact that the victims were mostly prostitutes did not tell me anything other than that the perpetrators were probably men.
The cases started to blur together and I groaned, throwing the files down in frustration. Just as I was about to step out for some fresh air, Ivana walked into my office with a file in hand.
“What’s that?” I asked, reaching for a flask.
“It’s ten in the morning,” she said with a frown.
“And I could have started drinking at nine,” I answered.
She sighed and offered me the file. “I thought you might want to get out of the office for this one.”
I frowned and took the folder, noticing the name at the top. “Jasper Leon?”
“His maid was murdered just outside the house. The family is very concerned and they specifically requested that you go out to investigate the case.”
I stared at the folder for a long moment. Of course I wanted to go, but I was more than a little nervous. Having Jasper there could throw my concentration, and that could be very dangerous for everyone involved. I sighed and put a hand to my forehead, closing my eyes.
“They requested me?”
“Yes.”
I sighed and dropped my hand. “Then I suppose I have no choice but to go.”
“This could be very good for the company,” Ivana pointed out. “If you could solve this case then I’m sure the Leon family would fund the business and research!” she said excitedly.
I nodded, though I wasn’t as thrilled as Ivana was. Even if this would be good for business, there was still a woman who was dead. I stood from the desk and sighed.
“I’ll go.”
“Should I send a messenger?” she asked.
“No. There’s no time. I don’t think formality really matters right now. They wanted me and they’re going to get me.”
Ivana nodded. “I can keep things in order here while you’re gone.”
I smiled and reached out, putting a hand on Ivana’s shoulder. “I know you can.”
Even though we joked often, I trusted her with my life. I knew she would take care of things while I was gone. She was a brilliant woman and just as capable of handling these things as I was. I dropped my hand from her shoulder and exited the office, turning to walk up the winding stairs that
led to my loft.
My father always said that detectives shouldn’t live in their offices. He believed that separation of private life and work life granted clarity. I did not really agree with that. I liked being surrounded by my work at all times. Maybe it was because it helped me forget that I had nothing else. I hated to admit it, but Victoria was right; soon enough detective work wasn’t going to be enough to fulfill me.
I went to my flat, packed my things and waited for a carriage with Ivana. I glanced back at her and sighed.
“Are you sure you have this under control?” I asked her.
“Don’t I always?”
“I suppose so. I just can’t help being nervous,” I admitted sheepishly.
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle all of this,” she assured, nudging me. “Take care of this case. Work your magic and get back here so we can figure out what the hell is going on around here.”
“Right, right,” I murmured.
“And focus. Don’t get distracted by Jasper. You have a job to do. That’s your main focus.”
“Of course. I know that,” I said as I got in the carriage setting my luggage on the floor.
As the carriage pulled away, Ivana put her hands on her hips and sighed.
“Good luck, my friend.”
Chapter Six
The ride to Jasper’s home was far longer than I expected. I knew that the family had land in the country, but I assumed that they would have resided primarily in the city with as many parties as they attended. Though with four brothers, the party attendance could be split up among them to take some of the pressure off.
As we traveled, I noticed that the houses got further and further apart. Some people might have been comforted by this fact, but since I was going to a place with an active murder investigation, I became nervous. The further apart the houses were, the fewer people there were to hear you scream. That made my blood curdle and I had to take a deep breath to calm myself down.