A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder - Dianne Freeman A Countess of Harleigh Mystery

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bit my lip, hardly believing my good fortune, or Lily’s good fortune as it were. Perhaps this could work after all. Risings was in Hampshire. Not far at all. We could gather the immediate family quickly. My mother would arrive in just a few days, and both she and Mrs. Kendrick could attend their children’s wedding. This could work. A quick but proper wedding. No disappointed parents. Society none the wiser.

      “If you are in earnest, and you really don’t mind.” I paused, giving him a chance to reconsider, but he merely cocked his head, awaiting my answer.

      I leaned my head against his shoulder, relieved to have a solution. “Thank you, George. That would take care of everything.”

      “I am always happy to help you in any endeavor. And I’d also hate to exclude a mother from her child’s wedding.”

      A grimace twisted my lips as I gazed up at him. “I confess, the thought of telling my mother she missed the wedding is largely what motivates me.” I shuddered at the thought.

      He nodded. “Yes, I’ve met your mother. I would not want to be the bearer of bad news either.”

      “Well, now neither of us has that onerous task.” I pressed his hand to my cheek. “Thank you, George. You always manage to have the solution to my problems.”

      “You offer the best rewards.” He twined his fingers with mine and brought us both to our feet.

      “I don’t recall offering a reward.”

      “You’ll be joining me at Risings at least a week before I expected you. I’d call that a reward.”

      He pulled his watch from his pocket, unaware he’d removed a letter at the same time. It fell to the floor while he checked the time.

      “Do you leave right now?” I asked.

      “Almost, I have a stop to make first, so I should be off.”

      As he headed toward the entry hall, I picked up his letter and trailed behind him. “Is your stop at Newgate Prison?”

      “What?” He snapped around so quickly I almost ran into him. “No. Why would you ask such a thing?”

      I pulled back in surprise, the letter dangling from my fingers as I handed it to him. “This fell from your pocket.” The lines of tension around his mouth faded as he relaxed his jaw. He took the envelope and shoved it back into his coat.

      “I couldn’t help noticing it came from Newgate. Are you corresponding with a prisoner?”

      He let out a sharp laugh. “Hardly that, but it does relate to my errand. I’m taking it to the Home Office.” He rested a finger against my lips. “Don’t even ask. You know I can’t tell you.”

      “I’m marrying a very mysterious man,” I said, the words distorted by the pressure of his finger on my lips. With a smile, he replaced the finger with his own lips, and I was reminded how much I loved him.

      A few minutes later, I’d seen him out the door and leaned back against it, considering the morning’s events. I’d been presented with a somewhat sticky problem, and with George’s help, managed to work through it. Holding the wedding at Risings was the perfect solution.

      Fiona, George’s sister and my best friend, would be there as her husband, Sir Robert, would be joining the shoot. She’d be a great help. Once I determined how to transport my mother to the country when she arrived, this should be a relatively simple operation. One small wedding to plan. How difficult could that be? Perhaps I’d broken my cycle of highs and lows.

      Chapter 2

      After seeing George out, I returned to the library to share the good news and was surprised to find Lily less than thrilled.

      “I can’t believe you told Mr. Hazelton.”

      Even Leo’s cheeks reddened, and once again he refused to meet my eye.

      Dear, perhaps I shouldn’t have told him. Though I considered George as almost my husband, these three were unaware of our engagement and understandably did not see him as family. I sat down on the window seat, facing my sister and her fiancé.

      And lied.

      “I told him nothing, Lily. I simply stated the two of you were unwilling to wait another eight weeks and were threatening elopement.” I made a mental note to ask George to forget he knew anything about Lily’s condition.

      “So he offered his family home for our wedding ceremony?” Leo looked unconvinced.

      “Well, I did mention my objections to the elopement.” I shrugged. “And then he offered.”

      Lily nodded and seemed to accept the idea, but Leo watched me with suspicion. “It’s possible he just guessed there might be more to your decision than impatience,” I added. “But since he made the offer of hosting the ceremony, and your family, at his brother’s home, he does not appear to be either judging nor condemning your behavior.”

      At 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

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