by Heather Boyd
“She did not sneak anywhere,” he protested, affronted on Miss Beasley’s behalf.
“What else could this be but an assignation?” Lady Windermere studied him carefully. “Or have I stumbled upon the acceptance of a marriage proposal from you? If so, I couldn’t be happier for Miss Beasley—my husband’s cousin.”
Anna Beasley was Lord Windermere’s cousin? He had not known that about her, and really, he did know very little about the Beasley family and their connections.
There was utter silence for a full minute as the ramifications of Lady Windermere’s second question filled him. There had been no talk of marriage or a future, only Miss Goldwell’s murder and one stolen kiss. Actually, several stolen kisses, but he couldn’t remember how many now. It wouldn’t be fair for them to marry under those circumstances and yet, as family, Lady Windermere would expect him to do his duty and hush up any scandal.
Devil take it! He’d have to offer for Miss Beasley.
Gilbert reached for Miss Beasley’s hand and cradled it tenderly against his chest. “We are found out, my love.”
Panic flared in Miss Beasley’s eyes as their gazes collided. She clearly hadn’t expected him to offer endearments, but after that kiss, and being caught in his embrace, he had no choice but to play the part of a smitten suitor. He would do the honorable thing and lie that he had intended this from the start.
He hoped Miss Beasley could pretend happiness well enough to fool Lady Windermere and Lord Wade that she had been with him for this outcome.
Thankfully, Miss Beasley squeezed his fingers, but a question formed in her eyes just the same. “Indeed.”
He covered her hand with his and held it tightly. They could talk about this later, after he’d spoken to her father and averted a potential scandal. The actual marriage could wait until the murderer was brought to justice.
Although…he couldn’t say he disliked the idea of marrying Miss Beasley, even if it was a bit sudden. He hadn’t come to London to find a bride, although he would need to marry in the next year or so if he wanted to see his sons grow to reach their majority. Miss Beasley was certainly a woman he would have considered, given time for a longer study of the marriage mart. He’d certainly enjoyed holding her in his arms tonight and kissing her witless. He could easily do so again. What might have happened if they’d not been interrupted? His pulse raced at the idea.
“I had hoped to speak to your father before anyone knew my intentions for us.”
A pretty blush flooded her cheeks. “I am sure my father will be very happy to meet with you tomorrow, my lord.”
“Why not speak to him tonight?” Lady Windermere asked with a bright smile. “He can announce the engagement before all our friends. My ball will become the talk of the season.”
Gilbert thought it would be already, given the number of guests who’d come. Society seemed stunned that Lord and Lady Windermere had set aside their differences and married in the first place. There’d been a lot of gawking done tonight at the couple—mostly due to Lady Windermere’s expanding waistline and this second pregnancy since the marriage began.
Miss Beasley released his fingers slowly. “I would not like to announce any engagement tonight.”
“Oh?” Lady Windermere said, one brow rising in surprise. “Why ever not, my dear cousin?”
“My father dislikes being put on the spot, and he hasn’t yet realized the depths of Lord Sorenson’s interest in me. Tomorrow is soon enough for him and Lord Sorenson to discuss the future,” she said firmly.
Gilbert suppressed a grin. Miss Beasley might seem quiet and prone to blushes but she wasn’t about to be pushed around by her relation. Bravo! Now he was really looking forward to getting to know Miss Beasley better.
Lady Windermere took Miss Beasley’s measure, and then nodded slowly. “As you wish, my dear. I will have to content myself with merely being the first to know of the engagement. If you need any assistance in planning the wedding or your trousseau, I’d be more than happy to help.”
“Thank you for understanding, and for your kind offer,” Miss Beasley murmured before looking at Lord Wade. “And you, my lord? I trust you are willing to hold your tongue, too?”
Lord Wade seemed vastly amused by Miss Beasley’s question. “As long as I hear Lord Sorenson has called on your father tomorrow, I will say nothing.”
“Thank you.”
Lady Windermere beamed. “Well, then, now that is settled, Miss Beasley will accompany me to the retiring room, and then return to her father with me. He will be wondering what is keeping her.”
Miss Beasley swayed a little, no doubt imagining the worst of how her father might take the news of her behavior tonight. Gilbert reached for her hand again, determined that her father would never learn of their interrupted kiss. “A moment.”
“I should go,” Miss Beasley begged.
“Very well,” he reluctantly agreed. They should discuss the mess he’d placed them in, in private, before he spoke to her father tomorrow, if possible. Although he wanted her to linger with him, there was sense in pretending they had not already kissed. He nodded. “We will speak tomorrow then.”
“I look forward to receiving you,” she promised, before joining Lady Windermere at the door. With one last look, she swept out the door and out of his reach.
Gilbert let out a heavy sigh when the door closed behind her. He turned to Lord Wade. “Thank you for not raising an alarm.”
Lord Wade raised a brow, all trace of amusement gone. “I trust my faith in you is not misplaced.”
“I will call on her father tomorrow,” he promised.
“Good.” A little of his amusement returned. “Miss Beasley is a rare one, isn’t she? Outwardly shy, but I detected no hint of that when she was kissing you back so ardently just now.”
“Consider your next words very carefully, Lord Wade,” he growled.
“So should you.” Lord Wade glowered right back. “I would not be happy if my friend was disappointed in any way.”
Gilbert frowned at the man. Anna Beasley had claimed no deep affection for Lord Wade existed. But with threats still tainting the air, he wondered if he hadn’t come between a romance in the making. “You care about her?”
“No surprise there.” Lord Wade shrugged. “She’s one of the few ladies in society worth speaking to. Platonically, of course. Miss Beasley is entirely too trusting, so I do what I can to educate her about scoundrels. Myself included. Once she’s happily settled in marriage, I’ll turn my attention elsewhere.”
Gilbert grunted in surprise. He’d never have pegged Lord Wade as anyone’s guardian angel but the fellow seemed to have his heart in the right place. “Thank you, I think.”
The man beamed. “I’ll be rejoining the ball now, and listening for news of an engagement announcement tomorrow.”
He sauntered from the room with a cheery wave.
Gilbert shook his head and returned the way he’d come, via the terrace window as the clocks of Windermere House struck midnight.
He quickened his steps. By all the reports he’d cobbled together, the time had come and gone for the killer to act. There had been no cry of alarm. However, he would still like to search for an undiscovered body just to be sure nothing had happened.
He met a few older couples outside on the terrace, but no one he considered a potential murderer as he skirted the house. He recognized few so he kept moving. Checking out-of-the-way places for bodies, discreetly conferring with the Bow Street men who had slipped into the crowd to act as extra eyes, and receiving the all clear from them.
He breathed a sigh of relief—until he stumbled upon Albert Meriwether, leaning against a garden wall in dark everyday clothes.
“What are you doing out here?”
“You took my case from me.” Meriwether’s expression soured. “But the magistrate also hinted that there seems to be a pattern developing. I’m here in my own free time to see you in action and step in when needed.”
“The k
iller did not strike down anyone tonight.”
The fellow brushed himself off. “That is disappointing to hear. But I’ll take my leave before I am seen. Expect to see more of me about.”
He wasn’t pleased by Meriwether’s intentions. He’d been told he had the lead in the investigation. He didn’t need the man under his feet. Gilbert drew near him. “If you beat another suspect to gain a confession on this case, I’ll do the same to you.”
Meriwether bowed coldly and then vanished into the night.
Having Meriwether around meant he could never fully trust any information he was given if it went through his hands first. Davis would not be pleased by the development, either. They’d worked well together without a third wheel. Davis was angling for a promotion, too, which Meriwether might not support.
On returning to the ballroom, he noticed Miss Beasley immediately. Anna. She and Miss Hayes were together again and talking with great animation. Lord Wade was some distance behind them—keeping watch yet again. The fellow caught his eye, but then wandered off into the crowd just as Carmichael came into the room.
Gilbert wasn’t sure what to do next about the killer, but he was absolutely sure of one thing—he really did want a chance to be alone again with Anna.
Chapter 10
Waiting was torture. Anna paced the little parlor on the first floor of her father’s London home, nerves jumping at every sound. The panic she’d experienced at Miss Goldwell’s murder had been eclipsed by even greater fears—what if Lord Sorenson did not come at all? What if he did?
She covered her face, glad that her father had gone to his study to read the newssheet and couldn’t see her in this wretched, uncertain state. She’d barely been able to eat anything at breakfast, but somehow she’d hidden that fact from her father. His only comment that morning was that she was unusually pale and tired looking.
That was no surprise. She hadn’t slept well in days.
The murder and now a suitor expected to call had both put her thoroughly on edge.
The knocker sounded on the front door, and she yelped out loud. Footsteps rushed down the hall and Anna strained to hear what was spoken. The next thing she heard was a woman’s voice, and then the butler appeared in the doorway. “Are you at home to Miss Hayes this morning, Miss Beasley?”
Anna let out a shaky breath. “Yes, of course I am. Always.”
He nodded and went away. A few minutes later, Portia Hayes swept into the room. “I simply couldn’t sleep a wink last night,” she announced as she grasped Anna’s hands tightly. “Could you?”
Anna gulped, wondering what Portia had already heard about her but too terrified to ask. “I was up very early,” she admitted. “Do sit down.”
“Thank you. It is all so distressing.”
She looked at Portia sharply. She must know. “What is?”
“Not being able to call on friends.”
Anna released the breath she discovered she’d been holding in. No one knew what she had been caught doing with Lord Sorenson. Her reputation was safe still. For the time being at least. “What other friends did you want to call on?”
“Well, you and I both know Angela Berry has disappeared from society. Her family has gone to the country without leaving a word if they were even coming back.”
“Have they?”
“So it seems.”
Portia tossed her head from side to side. “And now I find Miss Goldwell has fled the capital as well.”
At the mention of Miss Goldwell, cold clamminess swept over Anna. She had promised Lord Sorenson she would say nothing about it to anyone. “I haven’t seen her, either.”
Portia scrunched up her face. “Well, it is a nuisance to have friends and acquaintances that keep disappearing without a word of goodbye. We may have no choice but to make new friends if this decline continues.”
“Or be content with each other’s company and not need anyone else,” Anna added with a forced laugh.
Portia reached for her hand. “Don’t you dare disappear on me.”
“I won’t.” She smiled. “You will probably never be rid of my company.”
Portia smiled. “If you don’t find a suitable husband, you know you can come and live with me when I do.”
Anna laughed softly. “And the reverse applies. You can come and live with me, should the worst happen.”
“Oh, I would, too, but I must warn you, I do intend to bring one of my suitors up to scratch before the season is out.”
Anna leaned forward. Portia was a determined young lady, and she felt a twinge of pity for the poor fellow she singled out. “Who is the lucky fellow?”
Her smile grew sly. “It is a secret. For now.”
“Ah, so only you have decided. Does he know he’s in the running yet?”
“He will soon. He most definitely will.” She laughed heartily.
Anna wished she had half of Portia’s confidence when it came to men. But as the clock struck twelve, she feared she’d been foolishly hopeful. Lord Sorenson had promised to call in the morning but the morning was now gone. All that was left was a slow afternoon of knowing he’d deceived her.
Rather than think of her disappointment, she smiled at Portia. “How is your mother today?”
“She says she has a megrim.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Miss Hayes shrugged. “It’s her way of avoiding my father, I suspect. It’s either that or she returns to Soho Square to sort through Uncle Oliver’s cluttered townhouse.”
Anna laughed. “I thought the house would be cleared out by now.”
“Goodness, I should say not. It will take us years to sort through the rubble to find the house beneath. You must come with me next time I spend an afternoon there. My uncle’s collection is diverse and quite unusual.”
“I’d love to go with you,” Anna promised. Running away for an hour or two seemed a very good idea. “When and what time?”
Portia paused, peering around her shoulders. “It’s a bit of a secret that I go there, actually. Don’t tell your father, or anyone else for that matter. It’s become my escape. We’ll say we’re going shopping, take our maids, and go there instead if you’re willing to be a little naughty with me.”
Anna hesitated a moment before nodding. How bad could it be if there was no one else with them but their maids? “All right. We’ll say nothing more for now.”
Portia beamed. “Good. What are your engagements for the coming week?”
While they discussed the week ahead, Anna comforted herself that even if Lord Sorenson didn’t keep his word, she still had Miss Hayes’ company.
Portia agreed to stay for luncheon and they settled into the morning room to a small feast. Portia glanced at the other two empty chairs. “You know, this is almost exactly what happened to us last year. Do you remember us all sitting here together? You, me and Miss Berry, with her other friend, Miss Newell.”
Anna did indeed remember Miss Newell. The girl had made fun of her blushes. For a time, Anna had felt very uncomfortable, but forgave her when word reached them that she had died suddenly. “Yes.”
“We included her then she vanished without a trace, and then we discovered that she had been murdered, of all things. I mean, who would ever want to harm Miss Newell?”
“I thought she died of influenza?”
“No, no. That is simply not true. Carmichael told me all about it some time ago. She ran afoul of a villain on her way home from a ball, or at the ball. I forget the specifics now.”
“I thought she died in the country.”
Portia shrugged. “Well, anyway, she died and I feel very put out. We made room for her and Angela Berry in our circle, gave them the advantage of our companionship and advice, and ended up with nothing to show for it. I thought Miss Goldwell might grow our numbers, but if she isn’t at home when I call or doesn’t send a note to one of us that she’s going away too, I don’t know what to think of her.”
Another knock boomed
through the house, and Portia clapped silently, glancing toward the door expectantly.
Anna heard a male voice and shivered. Lord Sorenson. Since the door to the morning room had closed behind Portia, she could not see him but she imagined him standing in her hall, and her pulse raced.
Portia leaned close. “Who do you think that is?”
Anna did not really want Portia to be disappointed with her about last night and what she felt she must do today. Portia might not be at all understanding that she had stumbled upon Lord Sorenson alone last night. She might conclude her fast, or worse for having kissed him back.
“I suppose it is Carmichael come to call on my father again,” she said quickly, deciding misdirection her best course of action for now.
If it was Lord Sorenson coming to ask for her hand, she already had her speech prepared.
“Well, then. I suppose I should be on my way. Observing you two glaring at each other and squabbling over nothing became tedious last year.”
“We do not squabble.”
“You’ve never agreed on even a single topic. If you mention a chill, he will curse the heat. If you claim to be comfortably seated, he’ll suggest going out.”
“He is very childish sometimes.”
Portia nodded quickly. “Yes, and he’s not the only one afflicted with that ailment. Well, I will see you for our shopping excursion, or Friday night if our schedules don’t allow us to meet.”
Anna walked Portia to the entrance hall. “I’m sure we will see each other sooner than Friday. Besides, there’s always Almack’s on Wednesday, too.”
“True, but who can really talk there?” With a wave of her fingers, Portia swept out to the street and darted into her waiting carriage.
Anna watched her departure from the window then turned. Her father and Lord Sorenson stood behind her. Lord Sorenson was smiling, but her father appeared confused.
She did like Lord Sorenson’s smile and returned it. There was no reason to end today as enemies.
“Good afternoon, Miss Beasley,” he said, coming forward.