Murder at Blackburn Hall by Sara Rosett

Author:Sara Rosett [Rosett, Sara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sara Rosett

Chapter Fourteen

Lady Holt’s voice brought me back to the drawing room. “. . . glad you’ve recovered from your spill, Don. Oh, excuse me. I must have a word with Serena . . .”

I reached out to steady myself, pressing my free hand against the back of a chair. “Mr. Pearce, formerly of Mercer, Blackthorne, and Thompkins?” I asked.

The width of Pearce’s smile decreased several degrees. Beside him, a hiss sounded as his wife sucked in a sharp breath. Pearce asked, “Have we met?”

“No, but not for want of trying on my part. You’re acquainted with my father, Cecil Belgrave.” My tone was even, but my chest rose and fell, and my heart pounded. “In fact, you gave him some ghastly financial advice.”

Mrs. Pearce’s hands fluttered up to her hair and then to her pearl choker. Mr. Pearce’s smile became fixed. “I suppose you’re referring to the Hartman incident. Unfortunate business, that. Lost quite a bit of money in it myself, so your family has my sympathies. Most regrettable.”

Pearce looked over my shoulder. “Emily’s parched. We must get a cocktail. Pleasure to meet you.” He moved away, his wife trailing after him. He looked back at her, and his steps checked. When she came even with him, he put his hand at the small of her back and propelled her forward with a little push.

Jasper appeared in front of me. “You look as if you could use a fresh drink.” He removed my cocktail glass from my hand and replaced it with another.

The cool of the glass pressed against my hot palm. “That man is a charlatan. I can’t believe he’s moving about in society as if nothing happened. He convinced Father to invest all of my trust in some shady operation.”

“Ah, so that’s why you look like the illustration out of one of my schoolbooks, Avenging Fury, plate number five.”

I gulped the new cocktail. It had a sour edge to it, and I winced. Across the room, Pearce said something to Dr. Finch and everyone in their group laughed.

“Careful, you’ll scorch the furniture if you continue to glower at him,” Jasper said.

“I looked for him—Pearce, I mean,” I said. “After Father told me the trust was gone. I wanted to speak to Mr. Pearce, but he’d suddenly retired. I know he left his firm in disgrace. No one said as much outright, but I heard rumors Pearce got a kickback for every investment he procured for Hartman’s laughable ‘investment.’ Nothing was ever proven, but the fact he disappeared from town and hid himself away in a small rural village speaks for itself.”

Jasper touched the back of my hand, where I still gripped the chair. “I’m sorry, old thing.”

I’d been staring at the back of Pearce’s head as I spoke, but now I looked at Jasper. The sympathy of his gaze quenched some of the fury radiating through me. I turned my hand under his and gave his fingers a quick squeeze, then removed my hand and squared my shoulders. “If Pearce thinks I’ll drop it, he’s sadly mistaken.

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