“Nonsense,” Cordelia said. “I’m the lady of the house and I have nothing for you to do at the moment, so it won’t hurt a single thing for you to dance with this gentleman. If anyone has a problem with it, they can take it up with me.”
“It seems Madame has spoken,” Maurice said, offering Patricia his arm. “Shall we dance, mademoiselle?” She looked at Cordelia, eyes wide, then nodded and slipped her arm through his. With a smile, Maurice led her out of the room and Cordelia was alone with Victor.
“I hope she’ll be all right,” Cordelia said. “Mrs. Richmond will probably lecture me for days about it but I couldn’t think of another way to keep her from following me around all evening.” Victor laughed.
“Mrs. Richmond?”
“She was my sister’s and my governess when we were girls, and when I married Arthur she came with me as my lady’s assistant.” She sighed. “I just can’t seem to escape her.”
“Why you and not your sister?”
“Birdie married the General before I married Arthur,” Cordelia explained. “Unlike my husband, the General fell in love with Birdie when they met at a party.” She pressed a hand to her face. “I really have to get used to calling him Richard.”
“So yours was an arranged marriage,” Victor said. “I see.”
“I was supposed to be married first, of course, but Birdie met Richard while Father was still talking to the late Lord Whittemore. They had a whirlwind courtship, very romantic, and were married before Arthur’s father and mine even came to terms. Since I was the last to leave home, I got saddled with Mrs. Richmond.” Cordelia sighed. “I keep gently nudging her toward retiring but she refuses. I honestly think she’ll be around forever.”
“I’m glad she’s not around right now,” Victor said, stepping closer. “That dress is almost as if it was made for you, Lady Whittemore.”
“Please,” Cordelia said, gathering all the courage that was inside her, “when we’re alone together, call me Cordelia.” Victor smiled at her, a very different one than his usual grin, and reached up to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. His finger brushed against her cheek and raised gooseflesh on her skin.
“All right, Cordelia,” he said. “Now, what should we do now that we’re alone together?” She didn’t dare tell him what she really wanted, but Victor closed what distance remained between them and put a hand under her chin. “If you don’t have any ideas, I certainly do.”
“Mr. Pembroke---“
“So formal,” he said, then kissed her. This time Cordelia put her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Victor pulled her close and their bodies pressed together. Cordelia could feel every inch of him through the thin fabric of the dress he’d bought her and it excited her in a way she’d never known.
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” she said when he released her. Victor smirked.
“Not here, certainly.” He reached down and grabbed a handful of the beads that dangled from the dress’ bodice. They slipped through his fingers and he grinned. “And this dress was far too expensive to ruin up against a wall.” His words made Cordelia’s face burn, but she had grown to like them and they made her feel bold. Unlike Arthur, he said exactly what he was thinking. “Is there somewhere more private we could go?”
“How private?” She looked up at him and he raised an eyebrow. There was no need for him to answer, and though everything she’d ever been taught about propriety was telling her to walk away from him, Cordelia nodded toward the door. She was tired of being the mature, proper one in the family. At least for tonight she only wanted to listen to her heart. “Follow me.”
Judging from the music and laughter coming through the ballroom, nearly everyone was enjoying the string quartet and the refreshments. No one was near the stairs and Cordelia led Victor toward them, turning back only to make sure he was following. Victor was right behind her and she pressed a finger to her lips as she led him upstairs.
Once they were in her bedroom, Cordelia locked the door. The only person who had a key was the houseman, and even he would knock before using it. Victor watched her do it with amusement.
“Are you expecting someone to join us?”
“I’m just being careful,” Cordelia said. Victor smiled at her and grabbed her waist to pull her to him. “I’m not like you, I don’t do this all the time.”
“That’s a shame. But I’ve never done it before in a Lady’s bedroom while her guests dance and drink her brandy.” Warmth radiated off his body and Cordelia tilted her face up to his in the hopes he would kiss her again. “For you, I’ll make an exception.” He pulled her even closer and this time she could feel that he was hard against her thigh. The thought that she had made him that way sent heat spreading between her legs and she reached up to brush his hair away from his forehead.
“Will you make love to me, Mr. Pembroke?”
“Victor, please,” he said, then leaned down to press his lips to hers. The dress he’d bought her left her entire neck and some of her chest exposed, so he was able to brush his lips from behind her ear to the hollow of her throat and Cordelia inhaled slowly, taking in his scent as he kissed her.
He backed her up against the bed and she sat down abruptly as her knees buckled, then lay back. Victor put a knee on the mattress and leaned over her kissing her again and again, his tongue slipping into her mouth in brief exploration as he cupped one breast through her gown. She wanted to feel his touch on her bare skin, and when he stood up to take off his jacket she did as well and turned her back to face him.
“Unbutton me?”
“With pleasure.” Victor undid her dress one button at a time, kissing her back each time until her dress fell off her hips and pooled on the floor. Each press of his lips inflamed her more and she couldn’t stifle a soft moan. While he undressed, Cordelia took off her underthings and lay back on the bed. This time when Victor climbed on top of her there was nothing between them and she put her arms around his neck. When she’d tried in vain to have Arthur do this it had been awkward from the beginning but Victor knew exactly what to do. He opened Cordelia’s legs and slid inside her, and the sensation of fullness made her lift her hips so he could go deeper, inhaling sharply at the brief pain. Victor stopped and looked down at her. “You’ve never done this before, have you?”
“No,” she said. “But please don’t stop.”
“As you wish, my darling.” He ran his thumb over her nipple and she shuddered. It was obvious he knew every way to please a woman and she was hungry to find out more. He stayed inside her and leaned down to put his mouth over her hard nipple and she gave a small cry of pleasure.
“Please,” she said. “Don’t tease me, Victor.”
“A little teasing never hurt anyone,” he said, but moved on to kissing her neck and pushed his hips forward again.
As Victor made love to her, Cordelia couldn’t stop thinking about how different it was from Arthur’s clumsy attempts. He wasn’t trying to get this over with as soon as possible, he was taking the time to make sure she felt every inch of him, every stroke, and it excited her more. She wrapped her legs around him to keep him inside her, even after his climax, and his groan of pleasure sent ripples through her own body until he rolled off her and pulled her into his arms.
“That was wonderful,” Cordelia said breathlessly. “I had no idea it could be like that.”
“It should be like that every time,” Victor said. “If I have my way it shall be.” He put a hand under his chin and kissed her gently. “As soon as Arthur divorces you, I want you to be mine.” Cordelia’s eyes widened. “You seem surprised, my dear.”
“I am,” she admitted. “I expected this to be like your other women.”
“You’re different,” he said. “I knew that the moment I saw you. I haven’t been able to get you off my mind. When Arthur said he wanted to divorce you I could hardly believe it. I was certain there must be something wrong with you. You have no idea how glad I was that the problem lay with him instead.”
> “We should get back to the party,” Cordelia said reluctantly. She sat up and slid off the bed, hardly able to believe what Victor was saying. Suddenly she didn’t care about what Arthur could or could not do for her after the divorce. All she cared about was being with Victor.
“You’re right,” he said. “They’ll be missing their hostess, especially with the host keeping to himself.” He stood up and picked up his pants. “Where is Arthur anyway?”
“I have no idea,” Cordelia said with a sigh. “To tell you the truth, I’m quite pleased by it.”
“Me too.”
They dressed quickly, Victor doing up her dress with surprising skill, and she gave him one last kiss as she unlocked the door.
“You go first,” she said. “If anyone asks, you were looking for the water closet.” Victor nodded and looked both ways before he left the room, leaving Cordelia alone to look at her bed. They hadn’t pulled back the covers but the duvet was a mess, and she tugged on it so that it was straight in case Mrs. Richmond or the housemaid came in. Once she was sure Victor was back downstairs she left her bedroom and followed. She was just stepping off the last stair when Patricia hurried up to her, looking rather more flustered than she had before.
“There you are, ma’am! I’ve been looking all over the house for you.”
“I was a bit too vigorous with my dancing,” Cordelia lied. “I had to go upstairs and fix my hair a bit. It’s an absolute mess and I wasn’t able to put it right on my own. I shall need your help for sure. What’s the matter?”
“I’m really quite worried,” Patricia said, biting her lip. “No one has seen Lord Whittemore all night, not since the beginning of the party. I’ve tried my best to look for him without letting anyone know what I was doing but I can’t find him either and people are starting to leave. Mrs. Richmond said that one of you really should be seeing them off.”
“Have you looked everywhere?” The last thing Cordelia wanted to think about at that moment was her husband but Patricia didn’t show any signs of giving up.
“Everywhere but his bedroom,” she said, lowering her voice. “I was honestly a little afraid to knock. Do you think he’s in there with someone? During the party?” Patricia looked scandalized and Cordelia could hardly imagine what her lady’s maid would say if she knew what had just happened between her mistress and the family solicitor while everyone was downstairs dancing.
“I suppose I’ll accompany you,” Cordelia said unenthusiastically. If Arthur was with a man in his bedroom it would be the third time she’d walked in on him and she wasn’t looking forward to it. Patricia started to walk away and Cordelia grabbed her arm. “Oh no you don’t. If I have to see it, so do you.”
Arthur’s bedroom was at the end of the second floor and Patricia lagged slightly behind her mistress as they went to it. The door was closed, of course, and Cordelia raised her hand to knock on it, steeling herself for whatever she might find. Her knock echoed through the hall and she waited for her husband to answer. When he didn’t, she knocked again.
“Arthur, are you in there? The guests are starting to leave and you need to say goodbye.” Still no answer, and Cordelia’s temper flared. She put her ear against the door and, hearing nothing, grabbed the knob. Patricia put a hand on her arm.
“Should we really just go in?”
“We absolutely should,” Cordelia said. “He’s acting like a child hiding in there and I’m sick of it. I don’t care whose arse I see, I’m going in right now.” Her choice of words widened Patricia’s eyes in shock and she twisted the knob. “Arthur, I’m coming in right now so you and whoever’s in there with you had best be decent.”
The bedroom was dark when the door swung open, and she could see that the sheets on the bed were rumpled and piled oddly. Cordelia frowned. The housemaid should have fixed the bed if the room was empty, even during a party, and she stepped into the room with Patricia on her heels.
As she got closer to the bed, she could see that someone was in it. From the position of the body, Cordelia could tell at once that something wasn’t right. When a hint of moonlight crept around the edge of the curtain, she knew for sure. She spoke to Patricia without turning away, her voice shaking just a little.
“Patricia, go downstairs right away and tell the houseman that we need the police.”
“Ma’am?” Patricia took a step forward, then pressed both hands over her mouth. “My God! Is that Lord Whittemore? Is he dead?”
“We need the police,” Cordelia said again. “Right away.” Patricia nodded and ran for the stairs while Cordelia moved closer to the bed. Arthur was indeed dead, and judging from the blood on his clothes and the sheets it hadn’t been quick. Cordelia felt sick.
Who could have done this?
Fifteen
By the time everyone was finally out of the manor it was well after midnight. Once the police arrived and turned the estate from a party to a crime scene, no one wanted to leave. They were all more interested in trying to get a glimpse of what had happened, though the police officers were doing their best to keep people downstairs. After hours of arguing with various partygoers, the police ordered them out of the house.
The only people left were Cordelia, Birdie and the General, and Victor, who was allowed to stay as he was the family solicitor. The staff had been confined to the servants’ quarters, protected by a pair of officers, and the manor was almost silent. Cordelia sat in shock on the loveseat in the study, with Birdie beside her holding her hands.
“When did you first notice your husband was missing, Lady Whittemore?” The police officer that stood before her was an older man, and Cordelia was certain he outranked all the others she’d seen. He had a large mustache and she tried to focus on it while she spoke to him.
“I did think it a bit strange that he wasn’t there to listen to my performance,” Cordelia said. “I suppose I assumed he would be along later. I didn’t think to look for him.”
“Why not?”
“To be honest, sir, he and I were not on the best of terms at the moment.” Her eyes flicked over to Victor, then Birdie. “We had an argument and things had been rather cool since then.” Birdie frowned at her.
“You didn’t tell me that, Delia. What were you fighting about?”
“Please let me ask the questions, Mrs. Ellison,” the officer said impatiently. “You had a fight with your husband, the people I spoke to downstairs said they hadn’t seen you since the piano performance, and you were the one to find him dead. You can see how that looks suspicious.”
“What on Earth are you talking about?” Birdie’s brown eyes were fierce. “My sister would never kill anyone. Besides, she was with her lady’s maid when she found Arthur’s body. It’s not as if she pretended to find him by accident.”
“We’ve spoken to Miss Parker,” the officer said, and for a moment Cordelia wondered who he was talking about. “Or rather we’ve tried to. She’s rather shaken up at the moment. Can’t stop crying long enough to say anything other than she’s never seen a dead person before.”
“If you’re accusing Lady Whittemore of something, then come out and say it,” Victor said. “Otherwise she will speak to you further in the morning. She’s had a long, difficult evening and needs to get some rest.”
“Fine,” the officer said, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked down at her. “You’re not to leave the estate tonight, though. I’ll be stationing a couple of officers outside the door just in case anyone tries to get in or out.”
“That’s not necessary,” the General said. “My wife and I will be staying with Lady Whittemore tonight.” He looked at Victor. “I assume her solicitor will want to return to his home but we will be more than happy to look out for her.” Cordelia looked over at Victor. She wanted him to stay more than anything but with the General and Birdie in the manor they wouldn’t be able to be alone together, so there was little point.
“If it’s all the same to you, General Ellison, I’d like to stay the night as w
ell. It seems there is ample room in the manor for all of us and I’d like to be close by in case the police feel the need to question Lady Whittemore again.” He folded his own arms across his chest and Cordelia was able for the first time to understand how intimidating he could be.
“There you have it,” the General said. “She’s in good hands with all of us here. You have nothing to worry about where Lady Whittemore is concerned.” He put a hand on Cordelia’s shoulder and she looked up at him, grateful.
“All right,” the officer said. “We’ll be back to speak to you again in the morning.” He started for the door and Victor followed him. The General stepped around the couch and went behind them.
“I’ll see you out.”
As soon as he was gone, Birdie leaned over and hugged her sister tightly. The warmth of her arms made tears well up in Cordelia’s eyes and a moment later she was crying. Birdie patted her back as Cordelia had done hundreds of times when they were children, murmuring that things would be all right. Cordelia sat up straight and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and Birdie opened her handbag and took out a delicately embroidered handkerchief.
“Here,” she said gently. “Wipe your face.”
“Thank you,” Cordelia said, taking the handkerchief. “I’m sorry for being so dramatic.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Birdie said with a smile. “You just found your husband murdered at your party. I’m surprised you haven’t been screaming since you opened the door.” She reached up and tucked Cordelia’s hair behind her ear. Between the long night and her tryst with Victor, it had fallen almost completely out of the updo Patricia had been so proud of that morning. “Do you have any idea who could have done this?”
“No,” Cordelia said. “I don’t. It had to have happened during the party, though. He was alive this afternoon.” She shook her head. “In fact, he rode down to town and came back just before people started to arrive. The last time I saw him was when he went upstairs to change clothes.”
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