Love & Murder: An Eliza Winter Mystery

Lords and Ladies

With her parents out of her hair, Eliza spent her solitary hours meandering through the small back garden, seeking out the coolest, shadiest corners where she could curl up with a book. The late summer air hung thick with the scent of roses and lavender, but even the gentle rustling of the trees and the warmth of the sun filtering through the leaves could not distract her from her growing anxiety.

She had been waiting for a letter from Penelope, but none had come. It was time to telephone Lady Vanderwahl again before she dressed for the looming ball.

The conversation only deepened her unease. Rose Vanderwahl was now just as frantic, confirming that she too had received no word from Penelope. That meant her friend had been missing since either Sunday night or Monday morning. Nearly a full week had passed. Never in all their years of friendship had Penelope gone this long without some form of contact.

Eliza exhaled slowly, gripping the edge of the writing desk as she mulled over her next move. If Penelope had truly run off to elope, then her mother had the right to know. If she was living blissfully in the countryside, as Eliza desperately wanted to believe, then there was no harm in revealing her secret. She knew she would see Lady Vanderwahl at the ball that evening. Rose, like Eliza, was hoping Penelope would appear. If Penelope did not show and the right moment presented itself, Eliza resolved to tell her the truth.

***

"Still no word from Lady Penelope?" Lucy asked while tugging the corset laces tighter.

Eliza braced herself against the back of a chair, exhaling sharply as the boning dug into her ribs. "I'm afraid not," she admitted, adjusting her stance. "And I'm actually quite worried about her."

"'Tis not like her to be gone or silent for so long," Lucy murmured, her voice tinged with concern as she tied off the last ribbon. "I do hope everything is well."

It seemed even the lady's maids were growing uneasy. If this was some grand scheme for attention, Penelope certainly had all of it now.

Lucy straightened the folds of Eliza's gown before glancing at her reflection in the vanity mirror. "Are you ready to see Lord Bradshaw again?" she asked with a teasing smirk. "Lord of...where exactly?"

Eliza sighed, smoothing a gloved hand over her skirts. "I'm not entirely sure of Bradshaw's formal title," she admitted. "Andrew is the Honorable Andrew Tennyson because his father is a baron, but that's the only title I know of in that family. Not that I truly pay much attention to the who's who of London. Colin might be related to the baron, or the connection could be through his mother. If that's the case, he may not be a Tennyson at all."

Lucy tapped a finger against her chin thoughtfully. "So for now, he's...Lord Bradshaw of the thorn in your side?"

"For now, yes. I'll try to uncover where he hails from tonight at the Eriksons'," Eliza replied.

Once Lucy had finished her torturous work with the corset, Eliza shimmied into the silk gown, the fabric gliding coolly against her skin. Lucy fussed over a stray strawberry-blonde curl, tucking it back into the elaborate pinned-up style before straightening Eliza's long opal necklace. As Eliza gazed into the vanity mirror, momentarily transfixed by her own reflection, Lucy made a gentle suggestion.

"You could wear the family diamonds tonight, as your mother recommended."

Eliza hesitated. The glittering heirlooms, heavy with expectation, would only draw attention. And tonight, she wanted nothing more than to fade into the background—to be a wallflower.

"This will be my last ball of the season," she murmured to herself. No more being paraded about under chandeliers, no more agonizing over an empty dance card, no more witnessing yet another young lady flaunting a new engagement ring. She would have a peaceful winter, free from the relentless pursuit of love. At least until spring.