Mentor to the Marquess: A Victorian Historical Romance Mystery (The Seductive Sleuths Book 2) by Melissa Kendall

Author:Melissa Kendall [Kendall, Melissa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2024-11-19T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

JUSTICE DENIED. I cannot express my disappointment with Scotland Yard in strong enough terms. Despite being presented with ample evidence, they have allowed the murderous Lady Allen to remain a free woman. We must consider the possibility that she has lined the pockets of our local law enforcement officers. Perhaps it is time to take justice into our own hands.

No one could deny Lord and Lady Wintermoor’s masquerade was an absolute crush. Guests spilled out of the first-floor doors of the ballroom into the garden, and the sound of tittering laughter and even moans could be heard if one listened closely.

Olivia surveyed the mass of costumed revelers. Mr. Dawson was out there somewhere, if Constance was to be believed, and could spirit the girl away at any moment. She had only Constance’s assurances that she would stay on the grounds and do nothing that might jeopardize her reputation.

She bumped into a man wearing a Roman toga and muttered her apologies. In other circumstances, the packed crowd would have made her anxious, but her costume was like a suit of armor, allowing her to take on a different role.

She touched the lacy edge of the bonnet atop her head. She had finally convinced Madame Julian to create the shepherdess costume gown from the dress plate she had seen in her shop. It had cost her several times more than what she would have paid for such a garment only a year prior, and she’d vexingly forgotten her shepherd’s staff in her bedchamber, but she hoped Thel would approve.

Thel, who had asked her to be his wife. She’d spent the day avoiding him, using the excuse that she needed to prepare for the masquerade. She’d been trying to understand her own reservations. Thel was, on the surface, as far from the earl as it was possible to be. Yet some suspicious part of her refused to acknowledge he was genuine. She would not be his wife until she faced those fears. He deserved that much.

However, there was someone else she had to find before seeking Thel. The masquerade was the event of the season, which meant Mrs. Zephyr was sure to be lurking among the guests. Olivia did not know what costume the woman was wearing, but she felt confident she would recognize the woman’s nasal voice even if she wore a sheet over her head.

She analyzed the colorful masks and costumes as she slipped through the crowd, making her own guesses as to the identity of each. The woman dressed as Cleopatra with a ruby-studded mask ordered the servants about and moved with a confidence reserved for the upper echelon of society. It could be none other than their hostess, the Duchess of Wintermoor, which meant the Mark Antony at her elbow was her husband.

Olivia veered away from the brightly dressed couple. Mrs. Zephyr was the kind of woman who preferred to gather her own crowd, rather than linger at the fringes of another. She also loved to hear herself speak, which meant she would not be near the orchestra.

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