“Your suggestion that Drake specialized in blackmail and not theft has made us look at the death of Victoria Dutton-Cox.”
“Her death certainly started a lot of hushed talk at the time. It was all anyone could do to keep the gossip out of the papers.”
“Was her obituary printed?”
“Of course. That and nothing else. Still, her funeral was very well attended, more out of curiosity than grief.”
“What did she die of? I’ve just come from Somerset House, and her death certificate was uninformative.”
“Have you spoken to the doctor? I believe one was called immediately.”
“His death certificate was also on file at Somerset House. Typhoid.”
“Never trust a doctor who dies young. If he can’t keep himself alive, why should you believe anything he says? Take my advice, Georgia. If you want to live to an old age, stay away from careless doctors.” Lady Westover shut the volume and focused her pale eyes on me. “Why are you here, child?”
“I need you to call on Lady Dutton-Cox and take me along.”
“So you can stir up the memory of her daughter’s death again? You are ghoulish.”
“I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important. A man’s life is at stake.”
“Mr. Drake? I don’t care what Sir Broderick says, he’s just not important enough for me to risk my friendship with Honoria Dutton-Cox.”
“And if her husband or a duke is going to hang for his murder, is that important enough?”
“Heavens, yes! Think of the scandal.”
Some things Lady Westover and the Archivist Society would never agree on. Ignoring our differences, I said, “Good. Then we need to get moving to the Dutton-Coxes’. I don’t want to call on her while others might be present.”
“At least you’d save her that much embarrassment. Of course, she may not be home to anyone, not even me. By the way, Georgia, have you decided who you’ll be for this investigation?”
I’d already given that quite a bit of thought. “Georgia Peabody, your poor relation, here to see London, but there’s no danger of my seeing the inside of a society event. My mother made an unfortunate marriage, but you see no reason to cut me off entirely for her mistake.” I gave her a big smile.
“Don’t be too certain of that, young lady.” She tapped the table. “Mother is too recent. Your grandmother was the one who made the scandalous alliance. Your mother was properly married to a nobody; both parents are deceased. Yes, I think that should do, Miss Georgia Peabody, to keep you scandalous enough to stay out of society.”
Chapter Five
LADY Westover summoned coat, hat, gloves, and carriage, and soon we were off in more style than I was accustomed to to visit one of the suspects in the Drake investigation.
Luck was with me. Honoria Dutton-Cox greeted us in her empty parlor. Or rather, greeted Lady Westover. I did my best self-effacing act until I was introduced, at which time Lady Dutton-Cox gave a nervous giggle and said, “What a shame you’re here while the weather is so beastly and the season has barely begun.”
I gave the appropriate curtsy and said, “There’s no chance of my coming to London for the season, because I wouldn’t be invited anywhere. On account of Grandmama, you see. But Lady Westover wanted so much to see you today, with the second anniversary of your great tragedy coming up, and decided since you were a kind and understanding woman that you wouldn’t mind my being introduced to you in private.”
The woman blinked at my tale, but Lady Westover gracefully stepped in before she could organize her thoughts to throw me out. “We all have tragedies in our lives. You more than most understand the truth of that. So I thought you wouldn’t mind my bringing Georgia with me today, since I know how melancholy a season this is for you and I wanted to cheer you up.”
“That’s kind of you,” the woman said to Lady Westover, her dark eyes narrowing as she made a move toward the door.
She’s not going to talk to me. I decided to weave the story into a thicker cloth. “My sister died at about the same time as your daughter. I still miss her terribly, and not a day goes by that I don’t see something that I want to rush home and tell her about. But that can never be.”
The story was true, except it wasn’t my sister and it wasn’t two years ago. But my real feelings came through in my voice.
Tears sprang to Lady Dutton-Cox’s eyes and she wordlessly clutched my hands for a moment before motioning us to sit. In that moment, I smelled the liquor on her breath. I wondered if her family realized how badly she grieved for her daughter, and kicked myself for using her.
“How did your sister die?” she asked me.
I had read Victoria’s death certificate. “A weak heart.”
Instead of taking a seat herself, the woman paced the room. She spoke so quietly I had to sit forward to hear her words. “My daughter was murdered.”
Lady Westover gasped. I mentally applauded her timing while I said, “What a tragedy. Called not by God’s design, but by man’s. Have they caught the monster who did this?”
“No. Between them, her fiancé and her father made certain there was no investigation.” Remembering herself, Lady Dutton-Cox took a seat and rubbed her hands together. “I’m told this is only my fancy. She had a weak constitution and succumbed to a chill.”
“Still, a very troubling death,” I said.
Lady Westover shot me a warning look before saying, “And a tragedy for all of Victoria’s friends. But I suppose you still see them because they’d be Elizabeth’s friends, too.”
“Not so much since Elizabeth married. We’ve been quite alone since last summer.” The woman gave a wan smile.
“I suppose you haven’t heard the gossip about one of her friends that Lady Westover told me. A young man has vanished. A Nicholas Drake.” I hoped her loneliness or the liquor would cause her to speak freely and hated myself for increasing her misery.
“Drake. I didn’t think I’d hear that name again. He and Victoria were great friends. Along with Lord Naylard,” she quickly amended.
“Lord Naylard?” I turned a puzzled look from one lady to the other.
“Lord Naylard and his sister, Lucinda, introduced Drake to us. To Victoria, really. They thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company. Always telling jokes and laughing. Victoria loved to laugh.” Her mother sighed and looked away.
After a moment, Lady Westover glanced at me. It seemed Lady Dutton-Cox had forgotten us. “So the four of them made a little circle?” the older woman asked.
Another sigh. “Not Lucinda. She’s very serious. Very religious. High Church, almost Papist, I think. But Lord Naylard and Mr. Drake were both keen on Victoria before the duke asked for her hand. Then he wanted an immediate wedding and Victoria wanted to wait until summer.”
“Summer weddings are so beautiful,” Lady Westover said. “Elizabeth had one, I believe.”
“Yes. But the duke is very businesslike. I imagine that’s why he’s so rich. Why put off the wedding until summer when right now will do? But Victoria had her heart set on waiting. She didn’t want to give up her friendship with Mr. Drake and Lord Naylard, who were both more fun than the brooding duke.”
“The duke wouldn’t cut her off from her friends, would he? That’s so medieval.” Lady Westover’s tone didn’t allow for disagreement.