‘Well, there you are then,’ Amelia replied, twitching her nose in a fashion that implied she was unimpressed. ‘It is as I supposed. He threw his money at the right people to get what he wanted for himself. Lord above knows, no one can accuse Ashton of lacking ambition. I am perfectly sure that he would pay homage to the devil himself it he thought it would advance his prospects. He comes from humble stock but puts on airs and tries to lord it over everyone. It strikes me that those with the most to feel superior about are usually the least pretentious. You are the son of a marquess—’
‘A younger son,’ Riley reminded her mildly.
‘Pah!’ She waved Riley’s assertion aside. ‘You can still trace your family’s lineage back generations, but don’t ever feel the need to shout about it. That is a sign of true nobility.’
Accustomed to Amelia’s propensity to chatter when she was angry or upset, Riley merely nodded at the appropriate points and allowed her to run on. ‘I don’t really need you to escort me home, of course, but I expect you want to pick my brains.’
‘These are dangerous times and a young woman alone at night is unsafe.’
‘Ever the gentleman, Riley. But you forget that I have young Jute on the box seat and I suspect that he and Lloyd are both armed.’
‘Undoubtedly.’ He allowed a small silence to stretch between them, during the course of which he made a mental note to have both coachmen questioned thoroughly. They would have had a unique knowledge of Miss Ferguson’s recent movements. ‘I was unaware that you were especially friendly with Mrs Ferguson.’
‘We are such close neighbours, and with her husband away we find ourselves both alone, so it seems sensible to join forces. We sometimes visit the shops together and if we accept the same invitations she usually offers me a lift.’
‘You enjoy her society. I know you must or you wouldn’t bother with her, neighbour or not.’
‘I seldom bother with people who bore me, that much is true.’ She flashed Riley a smile. ‘And, as you are aware, I bore easily.’
Amelia settled herself more comfortably on the carriage’s rather worn seat, her thigh briefly brushing against Riley’s. He had disregarded the proprieties and sat beside her rather than with his back to the horses. The uneven stuffing in the cushion threw them together constantly. He wondered if the contact had been a deliberate ploy on Amelia’s part, but quickly dismissed that possibility. Amelia was one of the few unattached ladies of his acquaintance who showed no romantic interest in him, which was one of the reasons why he enjoyed her society. He felt safe with Amelia, and if he did occasionally entertain thoughts of taking their friendship further, his duties seldom left him with enough leisure time to act upon that half-formed resolve.
‘Mary Ferguson is easy company, albeit not the sharpest of minds,’ Amelia continued. ‘But I do know that she loved her daughter to distraction and had pinned all her hopes on her making a good match.’ She sighed. ‘Poor Mary. I cannot imagine how she will recover from this tragedy.’
‘She will need a friend at her side, at least until her husband returns.’
Amelia wrinkled her nose again. ‘And more so when he does. But of course I will do all I can to help her through these initial days.’
Riley peered at her profile in the dim interior of the carriage. ‘What did you mean by your comment about her husband?’
‘I don’t care for him, since you ask. He rather sets me in mind of Lord Ashton. He is bombastic and domineering. Not that Mary ever said as much, of course, but I saw them together a few times before he left for India and could tell immediately that he is the most dreadful bully.’
‘With Emily, too?’
‘No,’ she replied in a considered tone. ‘Not that I am aware. I think he sees…he saw the value of her beauty and sweet nature and viewed her as a commodity who would seal his family’s fortune, nothing more. Emily seemed to adore him and was always doing little things to try and please him. In terms of temperament, I would consider Ferguson capable of causing Emily’s death—although he is in India, and is the last person who would have anything to gain from her demise. Quite the reverse, in fact.’
‘Unless Emily had decided to marry a penniless poet.’
‘I don’t think she knew any. Besides, Emily would never defy her family’s wishes. She simply didn’t have it in her.’
Riley didn’t contest that statement, but he was well aware that even the most dutiful of daughters could be persuaded to put her own interests ahead of those of her family if she was passionately in love. ‘What else can you tell me about her?’ he asked instead. ‘I wonder why she didn’t accept an offer at the end of her season. She must have received several.’
‘She did. All three of the young men at Ashton’s this evening made her offers, as a matter of fact.’
‘Did they, by gad! And she turned them all down?’ Riley was astonished. ‘Terrance is a bit of a prig, but a very wealthy prig.’
‘Quite. Mary Ferguson confided in me that she hoped Emily would have a change of heart in that regard. As you have probably observed, the family are not well situated. I expect you’ve noticed that this carriage isn’t exactly the last word in luxury,’ she added as they were again jolted on springs that no longer sprang. ‘It’s old and overdue for replacement but I don’t think there are sufficient funds in the family’s coffers. I do know that Emily’s dowry is small but I think her mama hoped that her beauty would attract a rich suitor whose interest in her wasn’t pecuniary.’
‘So they were pinning all their hopes on their daughter.’ Riley lifted one shoulder. ‘Ferguson is a viscount’s younger brother, I think, which gives him the edge on Ashton and his courtesy title, so I can’t see Ashton objecting if his son offered for her.’
‘But I can see him taking exception to Emily if she had the temerity to reject his son’s proposal.’ Amelia clicked her tongue. ‘He is such a snob, and I wouldn’t put it past him to have arranged it, if only because his son was besotted and probably not paying full attention to increasing the Ashton fortunes.’
‘Why did you accept your invitation tonight, as a matter of interest?’ Riley asked, endlessly amused by the forthright manner in which Amelia expressed her views. ‘I know you dislike Ashton, so why put yourself through it?’
‘Oh, I didn’t intend to but Mary begged me to bear her company. Emily is…was a proficient pianist and Mary was keen for her to show off her skill. Of course, we all knew that her real purpose was to try and persuade her to change her mind about Terrance. Ha, as though the prospect of being related to Ashton and living beneath that horrible man’s roof would sway such a sweet young thing.’
‘Having access to a large fortune brings out ambitions in the most unlikely people. Besides, I dare say Ferguson sent instructions regarding his daughter’s choice of a husband from India. And if his wife is as cowed by his opinions as you imply then she would be anxious to comply with those instructions.’ Riley took a moment to gather his thoughts. ‘Were Emily and her mother on good terms?’
‘They appeared to be so, but for Emily’s unwillingness to marry for money. Anyway, if they argued, which I doubt because they are both too sweet-natured to remain opposed for long about anything, then I wasn’t a-party to those disagreements.’
‘Everyone who has mentioned Emily Ferguson in my hearing agrees that she was a lovely girl, not given to vanity and eager to please.’
‘Which is unusual, I quite agree with you, but true for all that. Most females as lovely as Emily get carried away by all the praise heaped upon them and give themselves airs. But Emily wasn’t like that. She really was a naturally modest girl who found something to interest her in everyone she met.’
‘But does it not follow that if she knew of her family’s straightened circumstances, she would have been keen to make life easier for them by marrying a wealthy man.’
‘Mary told me that she had promised she would marry, and do so soon.’
‘S
he had a gentleman in mind?’ Riley asked, sitting a little straighter.
‘Not that I am aware. It was said more, I think, to reassure her mother that she knew her duty and wouldn’t neglect it indefinitely. She was probably enjoying being feted too much to rush into matrimony, sensible girl that she was. She might have remained modest but no one will convince me that she didn’t enjoy the attention. Her mother’s drawing room is like a hothouse, with all the flowers that arrive daily.’
‘Hmm.’ Riley subsided into momentary thought. ‘Was she especially close to any other young women? Someone whom she might have confided in if she had settled her interest upon a particular gentleman? Girls tend to trade secrets, do they not?’
‘Why ask me? My days of being a girl are long behind me.’
‘Amelia!’
‘Sorry,’ she replied, not sounding the least bit sorry. ‘Most of the girls she came out with have gone to the country for the summer.’
‘Gloria Dalton has not.’
‘Her family live permanently in London since her father is something to do with the government. She has spent a fair amount of time with Emily since the others left the city, come to think of it. I have seen them with their heads together on several occasions, although they weren’t as close beforehand. But I don’t suppose Gloria enjoyed being seen beside Emily since she wouldn’t get her share of the attention. She is not unattractive, but when directly compared to Emily…’ Amelia let the sentence trail off, and the two of rode in silence for a few moments—a silence broken only by the creaking of the coach and the clop of the horses’ hooves, muffled in the heavy night air.
‘And yet Miss Dalton has her sights set upon Terrance,’ Riley said eventually. ‘The field will be clear for her to comfort him now.’
‘I noticed her watching him this evening, but I don’t think her interest registered with Terrance. His entire attention was for Emily.’ Amelia sighed, falling against Riley’s shoulder as the carriage hit a pothole. Riley put out a hand to steady her and was slow to withdraw it from her slender shoulder. ‘The games the young must play. How glad I am to be beyond all that nonsense.’
Riley chuckled. ‘You are positively an old crone.’
‘There are advantages to being widowed at a relatively young age. I have freedom, financial independence, and can do more or less as I please without raising eyebrows.’
‘I cannot imagine you ever not doing so, regardless of the circumstances.’
Amelia’s short marriage was not a subject they had ever discussed in great depth. Riley hadn’t met Cosgrove but knew the marriage had been arranged for Amelia by her family and that they had exchanged vows the moment Amelia reached seventeen. She spoke of her late husband with no signs of regret, leading Riley to suppose that there had been little love lost between them. Perhaps her experience of marriage had not been a happy one, since she maintained a cynical attitude to matrimony and appeared reluctant to repeat the experience.
Riley examined his feelings, wondering how he would feel if Amelia suddenly declared her intention to remarry. He decided he wouldn’t be at all happy about it, and realised for the first time that the wriggling worms of jealousy were ugly, tenacious and persistently inconvenient little beasts. But since, to the best of his knowledge, Amelia had no plans to reembrace matrimony Riley decided not to torture himself by dwelling upon the possibility. Whoever became his wife—if indeed anyone ever did—would soon discover that Riley’s job was his mistress. She would need to be independent, adaptable and willing to cope with prolonged absences without falling into ill-temper or feeling resentful. She would need to be someone rather like Amelia…
‘I felt a little out of place this evening.’ Amelia’s voice recalled Riley’s wandering attention. ‘I wanted to stroll outside once supper was over to take the air and remove myself from the tedious conversation of the older set. But I thought the young ones might think I was trying to chaperone them.’ Amelia gave a little laugh. ‘It was not that long ago that I required the services of a chaperone myself, and went to extreme lengths to escape from them.’
‘Do tell,’ Riley encouraged.
‘Not a chance! Adolescent indiscretions are generally excruciatingly embarrassing and ought never to be revisited.’ She sent Riley a sparkling smile. ‘Anyway, in the end, I compromised by wandering off to the end of the terrace on my own and leaving the children to play their games unobserved.’
‘Did you see Emily return to the music room alone?’
‘No, I was round the corner.’
‘Shame. Did you hear the woman who called her name?’
‘Actually, yes. She called several times, quite loudly. Well, it must have been loud because I was a distance away and wouldn’t have heard otherwise.’
‘Did the voice call for Emily or Miss Ferguson?’
‘Emily.’ Amelia thought for a moment and then nodded decisively. ‘Definitely Emily.’
‘Did you recognise the voice? Was it Mrs Ferguson’s?’
Amelia thought for a moment and then shook her head. ‘Sorry, but I can’t honestly say that it was. Although, I cannot think of anyone else present who would have addressed her so informally, other than the rest of the young ladies and they were with Emily at the time.’ She gave a wry little smile. ‘Not terribly helpful, am I.’
‘You are helping more than you realise.’ Riley looked out of the window for a moment as he considered his next question. His mouth was parched and dry, and his eyes felt as though someone had thrown dust in them. Symptoms of fatigue, he knew from experience. The streets were largely deserted but the air that wafted into the carriage through the open window was still cloyingly hot. He sensed a subtle change from the unrelenting humidity and lived in hope that the long heatwave would soon break. But perhaps it was just the lateness of the hour, which would soon become the earliness of the day. ‘Were there are tensions amongst the young men this evening?’ he asked, returning his attention to their discussion.
‘What do you mean by tensions? There are always subtle tensions at these events.’
‘I’m a humble policeman clutching at straws, Amelia. Indulge me.’
Amelia laughed. ‘There is absolutely nothing humble about you.’
It would be so easy to turn their conversation down a flirtatious path, but Riley resisted, mindful of the fact that he had a murder to solve. ‘If the three young men in attendance this evening had offered for Emily and had not abandoned hope of winning her regard, presumably there was a degree of not-so-friendly rivalry amongst them to have her to themselves. You just referred to the stratagems young people invent in order to have a few snatched minutes alone. I cannot persuade myself that something of that nature wasn’t attempted this evening.’ He thought of the two almost empty champagne glasses in the music room. ‘Musical evenings are, as you know, often dreary and almost always excruciatingly painful. I imagine only the knowledge that Emily was to attend this one managed to persuade our three lovesick swains to present themselves. There are more congenial amusements on hand for the young, rich and unattached.’
‘You are far too quick on the uptake for my liking—and you are right, as usual.’ Amelia flashed a mischievous smile. ‘All three of them trailed behind Emily like puppy dogs. I thought they would resort to fisticuffs when it came to deciding which of them would turn the pages for her when she played the piano.’
‘Much to Miss Dalton’s dismay, no doubt.’
‘Well yes, none of them were nearly so keen to provide the same service for her.’
‘Which cannot have gone down well with Gloria. Which of them did the honours?’
‘For Gloria?’ Riley nodded. Amelia closed her eyes in an effort to recollect. ‘Mr Granville, I think.’
‘She wouldn’t be the first young woman to convince herself that if her rival was out of the way, the path to true love would be clear for her.’
‘Good heavens! Surely a woman didn’t commit the crime? Oh lud, I sound li
ke Ashton but really, if she was strangled—’
‘Someone with a great deal of passion committed the crime…or commissioned it.’
‘Well yes. As you say, it wasn’t a spur of the moment act, despite Ashton’s determination to make it appear so.’
‘It seems convenient that everyone can account so precisely for their whereabouts at the vital time.’ Riley thought of Danforth’s delay in calling him in and cursed. His superior’s tactics had provided Ashton and his guests with ample time to recover from their shock and perfect their stories. ‘The young men were all playing billiards and the girls had returned to the drawing room. That requires further investigation,’ he said, thinking aloud.
‘I wish I could be of more help. If I had known poor Emily was going to die, I would have taken a great deal more notice of where everyone was at the vital time.’
‘You have helped immeasurably.’ Riley paused. ‘Ashton discovered the body, so he tells me.’
‘Yes, I think he wandered outside with the intention of smoking a cigar. Either that or he was snooping on the young people.’
‘But the men were playing billiards and, presumably, the young ladies had returned to the drawing room.’
‘To be honest, Riley, I can’t recall where everyone was. When Ashton and Terrance broke the news to us—’
‘Terrance?’ Riley spoke sharply. ‘Ashton led me to believe it was he who discovered the body. Besides, Terrance would have been playing billiards with the other two.’
Amelia lifted a shoulder. ‘Sorry, I didn’t stop to think. The shock, you understand. My attention was all for Mary, who fainted when she heard the news.’
‘Of course.’ But still, Riley thought, he had already established that not everyone had been where they said they were. At least not all of the time. ‘Did Ashton try to tell you all what to say to me when I arrived?’
Death of a Debutante (Riley Rochester Investigates Book 1) Page 5