A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder. Dianne Freeman

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СКАЧАТЬ this Leo turned an even brighter red, something I hadn’t thought possible.

      “Why do you hesitate?” I spread my hands. “Does this not provide the perfect solution?”

      “I would say it does,” Hetty said from her perch against my desk. “But this is rather a large favor, Frances, don’t you think? I’m just a little surprised at your willingness to accept it.” She eyed me suspiciously. “This is the type of favor a close family member might offer.”

      A hint of a smirk played at the corner of her lips. Aunt Hetty saw George as the perfect match for me and had hopes of a marriage between us. Knowing I had the power to send her into transports of delight tempted me sorely to tell her the truth, but with Lily and Leo in this awkward position, it was perhaps not the right time.

      “Mr. Hazelton is such a close friend to us all, he feels part of the family. And for Lily and Leo’s sake, or more for their mothers’ sake, I chose not to look too closely at the propriety of accepting his offer.” I raised a brow. “Call me a coward if you must, but I’d rather not have to explain to them why their children eloped.”

      Hetty’s smile gave way to a look of horror at the prospect of such a task. “No, I cannot blame you for that. But it brings to mind another bit of trouble. Daisy will be arriving with your brother in only three days. If we are all gone to Hampshire, how is she to know where to find us?”

      Daisy was my mother. Though she’d been christened Marguerite, her father, an amateur botanist, quickly dubbed her Daisy, a name that bothered her not a whit until we all moved to New York, and Mother tried to break into the Knickerbocker society. To her, the name Daisy seemed too indicative of the lower classes. But her secret slipped out, and much to her disappointment, once she was known as Daisy, the name stuck.

      “Leo’s parents won’t know either,” Lily said. She’d perked up a bit as if she was just beginning to realize this plan might actually work.

      “Can you send a message to your parents, Leo?” I asked. “I understand they have gone to visit one of your father’s factories.”

      “I’d rather not give them too much warning,” he said. “My mother would likely drag my father back home so she could orchestrate the proceedings or attempt to change our minds.” His lips twitched upward on one side. “Now it is my turn to be called cowardly, but I’d prefer to leave instructions with the butler and have them come to Risings upon their return home.”

      Lily nodded her agreement, and I suppose I understood. Armed with a plan, they wanted nothing to interfere with it. Even a well-intentioned mother.

      Which left only our mother to worry about.

      “I suppose I can do my part and take care of Daisy,” Hetty said.

      I turned to see her taking a deep breath as if bracing herself against the onslaught of my mother’s ire.

      “Define ‘take care of,’ ” I said. Visions of Hetty locking Mother in a spare guest room passed through my mind.

      “I’ll stay behind to meet them, tell them about the change in plans, and escort them to Risings the following day.”

      “That’s very kind of you, Mrs. Chesney.” Leo looked doubtful. “Though I don’t know how else we’d manage it, are you certain you don’t mind?”

      “I’m sure, my dear boy.” She leaned forward and patted his hand. “Lily’s brother, Alonzo, is accompanying Daisy on this trip. He’ll be a great help to me.”

      “What about Leo’s sisters?” Lily asked. “And Mr. Treadwell.” She turned to Leo. “He’s to be your best man, is he not?”

      Leo had not yet caught Lily’s excitement. His brow furrowed when he turned to me. “As long as you’re confident Mr. Hazelton won’t consider it an intrusion, I can see this is a much better solution than eloping.” The taut line of his jaw relaxed as he squeezed Lily’s hand. “And I would very much like to have my family at our wedding.”

      “They were all included in Mr. Hazelton’s invitation, so you can be assured they’ll be welcome.” I glanced around at my partners in intrigue. “Are we all agreed to this plan?”

      “Agreed,” Leo said with authority. “And thank you, Lady Harleigh.”

      I received nods from Lily and Hetty, and that was that. I left it to Leo to take care of the travel arrangements and round up his siblings. We had our own arrangements to make, and we’d best see to our packing.

      * * *

      Leo shared my love of organization, and between the two of us, we managed to shuttle a mass of luggage, five maids, a valet, one nanny, and one eight-year-old to Victoria Station in time to board the train to the town of Harroway early the following morning. The adult guests, we assumed, could manage their own transport to the station.

      Yet, as the time drew near to depart, six of us found ourselves on the platform, tapping our toes as we waited for Leo’s elder sister, Eliza, and her husband, Arthur.

      Leo craned his neck, hoping to spot his sister in the stream of fellow travelers. “Are you certain Eliza said they’d meet us?” This was the third time Leo had asked the question of Anne, his younger sister, and each time she answered with an increasing level of heat.

      “They are adults, Leo. If they don’t arrive in time, I’m confident they can find their way to Risings without us.”

      All the Kendrick siblings, at least the ones I’d met, resembled one another. The sisters both had a softer version of Leo’s chiseled features. All three had a downward tip to their noses, brown wavy hair, and the same eye color—coffee with a dollop of cream, yet I’d never say their eyes were alike. Leo’s were round and wide and the proverbial window to his soul. One had only to look into his eyes to know his mind and heart. Clara, the youngest had half-moon-shaped eyes that sparkled and tipped upward at the corners as if they were smiling even before she did.

      At the moment, Anne’s could only be described as impatient, and I didn’t think it was all due to her sister’s tardiness.

      “Miss Kendrick’s right, old man. I think we should board.” The suggestion came from Ernest Treadwell, another member of our party. We had a slight acquaintance as we moved in the same social circles. In his mid-twenties, he was tall, lean, fair, and wore an air of entitlement, hardly unusual among the young men of his class. The second son of a viscount, he would neither inherit the title nor ever want for money, as the family was enormously wealthy and his allowance generous. Nothing was expected of him but charm and good manners. He could meet those expectations when he chose to do so. He struck me as an odd friend for Leo, but they’d been close since their school days, so there must be something to Treadwell I didn’t quite see.

      Leo finally agreed we should wait no longer, but as Treadwell assisted the misses Kendrick into the train car, someone hailed Leo from farther down the platform. The Durants had finally arrived.

      “Just in time,” Leo said. He took my arm and assisted me up the step to the train, then turned to provide the same service for his sister.

      Once inside, Arthur Durant slipped across the compartment with a nod to acknowledge the group, while Eliza stood in the doorway blocking Leo’s entrance. Shifting her to the side, he moved around her and introduced the two of us.

      Eliza СКАЧАТЬ