Murder at the Hunt Ball : A 1920s Historical Cozy Mystery Read online

  Murder at the Hunt Ball: A 1920s Historical Cozy Mystery

  An Evie Parker Mystery Book 10

  Sonia Parin

  Murder at the Hunt Ball Copyright © 2021 Sonia Parin

  No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Epilogue

  Other books by Sonia Parin

  Chapter 1

  Something’s afoot

  1921 - the dower house drawing room

  “Tillie Leister. Now, there’s a woman who knows how to get what she wants. After all, she managed to get all five daughters married off to titled gentlemen. If memory serves, one of those gentlemen did not possess a title but Tillie Leister managed to secure one for him…” Henrietta tilted her head in thought. “Does she owe me a favor? I’m sure she does. I seem to recall a ball in the spring of 1899 when she stepped on her ruffles and, losing her balance, she sent a priced vase toppling over. To this day, I have not revealed her secret to anyone.”

  Sara, the Dowager Countess of Woodridge, and Toodles, Evie’s grandmother, stood at the entrance to the drawing room watching Henrietta holding up a dainty mirror and talking to her reflection.

  Sara wanted to withdraw from the room and make her presence known by calling out or clearing her throat. But Toodles wrapped her hand around her wrist and stopped her.

  It seemed Henrietta had a lot more to say and Toodles wanted to hear it.

  “Then, there’s Eleanor Bancroft.” Henrietta nodded. “She has climbed every social ladder in existence and has a reputation for always knowing the right people.” Henrietta chortled. “She knows me and I’m sure she has used that to her advantage. So, in a sense, she owes me.”

  In the next breath, Henrietta gasped and swung around. “Oh. I didn’t realize I had an audience.”

  Toodles laughed and walked into the elegantly appointed drawing room. “We were waiting to see if the mirror spoke back to you.”

  Sara and Toodles settled down on a settee while Henrietta rose from her place at her desk and joined them.

  “If you must know, I think I have developed a twitch,” Henrietta explained. “I’ve been trying to catch myself in the act.”

  “A twitch?” Sara asked. “Are you feeling ill?”

  “No, I’m perfectly fine. Except for the twitch. It has been catching me by surprise all morning. I suspect I twitched right throughout the night.”

  “What on earth is the matter with you, Henrietta?” Sara asked. “Should you see a doctor?”

  Henrietta shook her head. “Oh, no. I doubt it is fatal. Only an inconvenience. Earlier, the Vicar dropped by and, I’m not entirely sure, but I think he now believes he is privy to a secret. My twitching seemed to bracket all my responses. I became so self-conscious, I didn’t realize I’d lowered my voice.”

  Toodles laughed. “And he thought you were imparting a secret?”

  “Yes, I believe so.” Henrietta waved her hand. “He’s rather absentminded. I’m sure he’ll have forgotten all about it by now.’

  Toodles and Sara leaned forward and studied Henrietta’s eyes.

  “Which one is it?” Toodles asked. “The left eye or the right eye?”

  Henrietta looked concerned. “Oh, I don’t know. They seem to be taking turns. Either that or they’re playing a cat and mouse game with me.”

  “How often does it twitch?” Sara asked.

  “I couldn’t say with any certainty. I’ve tried timing it but it seems to be determined to keep me in suspense. Anyhow, I believe I am making some headway with our little project.”

  “Yes, we heard.” Toodles sat back. “Apparently, you are in the process of calling in a few favors.”

  Henrietta looked slightly affronted. “Favors are not something I can take to my grave, so I might as well make the best of them while I can.”

  “So you’re still determined to get Tom Winchester a title.” Sara shared a whimsical smile with Toodles. “Some would say he deserves a title just for putting up with us.”

  Sounding defensive, Henrietta said, “I would hate to think others might share your belief. We must put our heads together and find a way to get him a knighthood.”

  Sara gave her a small smile. “I hope you don’t mean to involve the Royal family.”

  “I doubt we’ll have to take such extreme measures. But I wouldn’t discount it.” Henrietta got up and rang for tea. “Have Tom and Evangeline set the date yet?”

  “No, they’re still being cagey about it. Although, I saw Birdie looking at a fashion magazine today, so she must be thinking about it.”

  “We can’t plan anything without a date,” Henrietta complained. “What about the reading of the banns? Oh, heavens. You don’t suppose they will procure a special licence?”

  “That might be just the way Birdie wants it,” Toodles mused. Her granddaughter’s first marriage to the Earl of Woodridge had been a grand affair. Perhaps too grand for Birdie’s liking. It wouldn’t surprise her if Birdie wanted to keep things simple by eloping.

  Henrietta gave a firm nod. “I shall have to have a word with the Archbishop and encourage him to decline the request.” She gave a pensive nod. “I believe he owes me a favor too.”

  Evie, the Countess of Woodridge, and Tom Winchester, the man who had been engaged as her chauffeur only to become a permanent presence in her life, had recently alluded to a possible engagement.

  No one could say with any certainty if this had only been part of a gambit or if they were indeed headed down the aisle. Seth, the young Earl of Woodridge, had offered his congratulations but he hadn’t been specific. For all anyone knew, he might have been congratulating Evangeline on a job well done assisting the police in their investigations.

  Henrietta had set her heart on Evangeline, as she preferred to call her, marrying a titled gentleman. However, she had no intention of interfering in her choice. In any case, she rather liked Tom Winchester. Truth be known, she had been engulfed with a rising fear which she simply couldn’t reason with. What if Tom took Evangeline away?

  “Oh,” Sara exclaimed. “I think I just saw your eye twitch.”

  “Which one?”

  “Your right eye.”

  Henrietta patted her right eye.

  “No, that’s your left eye.”

  “My left eye is my right eye from where you are sitting.”

  “Yes, I suppose it is.”

  Bradley, Henrietta’s butler, entered the drawing room and set the tea tray down on an intricately carved mahogany side table. He stepped back and, clasping his hands, he cleared his throat.

  “Shall I
pour?” Sara offered. “You might twitch at a most inopportune moment and burn yourself.”

  “I think I can manage it.” Without looking up, Henrietta asked, “What is it Bradley?”

  “My apologies, my lady. I do not wish to alarm you.”

  “And yet you have. Should I brace myself for bad news?”

  “Not at all, my lady. It seems there have been a couple of clandestine meetings in the village and I thought you might wish to be informed.”

  “And now you want me to encourage you to release the rest of the information or do I need to coax it out of you by brutal force?”

  “No, indeed, my lady.” Bradley adjusted his sleeve. “The Countess of Woodridge and Mr. Tom Winchester have been meeting with a questionable looking person.”

  “Questionable?”

  “One might say… dodgy, my lady.” Bradley looked up at the ceiling. “The type of person one might encounter in a dark alley or in the dingiest, seediest streets of London.”

  Surprised, Henrietta asked, “In our village?”

  Bradley nodded.

  “Describe this person of dubious character.”

  Bradley cleared his throat again. “The details are sparse and, one might even say, contradictory. Some have described the person as scruffy. Others believe the person is a foreigner.”

  “Man or woman?” Henrietta asked, her tone a confusion of intrigue and surprise that such a character would be lurking in their quaint village.

  “That too is hard to say, my lady.”

  “How can that be? It should be a simple matter of determining if the person in question is wearing trousers or a dress.”

  “Indeed, my lady. One would think so. However, some ladies have taken to wearing trousers and that makes the task of clarification difficult.”

  Sara and Toodles’ attention bounced between Henrietta and Bradley, both expressing intrigue and delight at the exchange.

  Henrietta’s eyebrow lifted by tiny increments but it failed to have the desired effect. Instead of bowing and removing himself from the room, Bradley stood his ground.

  “What else might one think? Meaning… what other information do you have at hand?”

  Bradley gave it some thought. “To date, there have been several clandestine encounters.”

  “And for how long have these meetings been taking place?”

  Bradley counted on his fingers. “Let me see… The first sighting occurred on Monday, today is Thursday. Four days, if you count Monday.”

  “And do these encounters occur at the same time and place? In other words, you need to provide details, Bradley. If I am to stir from the comfort of my drawing room, I need to be sure we will not be rushing into a wild goose chase.”

  “We?” both Toodles and Sara asked, their eyes brimming with amusement.

  “My apologies,” Henrietta said. “I should have been clearer. I am far too busy organizing a title for Tom. You should both set out as soon as Bradley gives you more detailed information.”

  “We should?” Sara asked. “Even if we’re not the least interested in these curious meetings?”

  “If you are not interested,” Henrietta replied, “then why did you refer to them as curious?”

  Sighing, Toodles looked at Bradley. “Henrietta makes a valid point. If I’m to trudge out, I’d like to know if I should head east, west, south or north.”

  Bradley gave a pensive nod. “I see. Well, the fact is, these meetings have been taking place all over the village.”

  Henrietta scoffed. “Lady Sara and Toodles cannot set out to seek them here and seek them there. How do you come by the information?”

  “It reaches me via several sources, my lady.”

  Henrietta’s voice hitched and filled with disapproval. “You have spies in the village? And how do you receive this information?” She looked out the window and toward the quiet village beyond and had no trouble picturing people peering through keyholes or keeping observant eyes on everyone as they went about their daily business.

  “Henrietta,” Toodles chided. “We all know news travels. How it travels is a matter of practicality, resourcefulness and opportunity.”

  Henrietta lifted her chin. “I won’t even pretend to understand what you just said.”

  “It’s simple. As an example, a maid employed in a household on the edge of the village will not be able to abandon her post in order to rush here and inform Bradley of all the goings on in the village. She needs to be practical and find a way to convey the message without disrupting the household.”

  “I’m still in the dark. How is she resourceful?” Henrietta asked.

  Toodles shrugged. “She might engage the aid of one of the other maids. That leads to her taking advantage of an opportunity and engaging the assistance of someone setting out to run an errand.”

  “Why didn’t you say so in the first place?” Henrietta turned to Bradley. “How can you be sure the information hasn’t been diluted?”

  Bradley looked puzzled.

  As she’d understood Henrietta’s meaning, Toodles explained, “In the process of changing hands and making its way to you, the news might be exaggerated or distorted.”

  Understanding, Bradley nodded. “I believe the messages were relayed with expediency and brevity, my lady.”

  “And yet, we don’t really know if Lady Woodridge has met with the same person or with several people on numerous occasions.”

  Bradley gave a hesitant nod. “That appears to be the case, my lady.”

  “Well, then. What are we to do?” Henrietta turned to Sara and Toodles.

  “My granddaughter often appears to be spontaneous but she likes to think things through. We could wait and let Birdie tell us what is happening in her own time.”

  “By then, the ship might have sailed,” Henrietta said.

  “Oh,” Sara exclaimed. “Do you think Evie is planning a voyage without us?”

  “I did not mean it in the literal sense, however… She wouldn’t. Surely, she wouldn’t.”

  “Good heavens.” Sara slid to the edge of her seat. “What if she is planning her honeymoon?”

  Unperturbed, Henrietta said, “Planning her honeymoon? Do you think she has engaged the services of a person of dubious character to organize it all for her?” Henrietta scoffed at the idea. “In any case, I already have my clothes selected and I’m ready to leave at a moment’s notice.”

  Sara relaxed. “I’m almost done with my packing.”

  Puzzled by the conversation, Toodles sat forward. “Are you both serious? Do you really expect to go on honeymoon with them?”

  Sara and Henrietta nodded.

  “Oh, absolutely. Knowing Evangeline, she will most likely run into some sort of trouble and we would like to be there to help her in any way we can.”

  Still surprised, Toodles asked, “When did you decide this?”

  “I think we both came to the decision individually.”

  Sara nodded in agreement.

  Henrietta looked up at Bradley. “Do you have an inside connection at Halton House?”

  “I’m afraid not, my lady.” Frowning, he added, “They are a tight lot.”

  “You should work on that, Bradley.” Henrietta gave him a nod to signal he could leave. When they were alone, she turned to the others. “It really will be up to you to discover what Evangeline is up to. I’m afraid I’m busy pulling strings and planning how best to call in favors.” Henrietta drummed her fingers on the armrest. “I believe I can rustle up a title for Tom Winchester but then… we’ll have to give some thought to their situation. Of course, Evangeline will always outrank Tom Winchester and then there’s the matter of, dare I say it, money.”

  Toodles scoffed. “You needn’t worry about that. In fact, I believe, in that department, he outranks Birdie.”

  Henrietta and Sara gaped at her.

  “My grandson confirmed it. That story about Tom striking it lucky in the Oklahoma oilfields is all true.”

  “Exactly how much
is an oilfield worth?” Henrietta asked.

  “A lot. And, before you suggest it, Tom would laugh at the idea of buying a title.”

  Chapter 2

  A simple yes or no will suffice

  A clandestine meeting

  Somewhere in the village of Halton

  “It’s a simple yes or no answer. I don’t understand what is holding you back. Clearly, you want this as much as I do.”

  Evie brushed a finger across her chin. Four days of digging in her heels and putting off making a final decision. This had to be a record for her. “I understand this is time sensitive. However, there’s a lot to consider. I wish I could give you a straight answer but my life is rather complicated. Such a commitment requires careful consideration.”

  And, Evie thought, yes or no answers were not always possible. For instance, did she like the color blue? The answer should be simple but it actually depended on the shade of blue in question.

  Evie glanced at Tom’s blue eyes.

  She’d always thought of them as deep ocean blue, harboring great depth and mystery. She’d also heard the color referred to as indigo blue. Indigo. Deep ocean blue. It didn’t matter what name it went by. She loved Tom’s blue eyes. However, while the color reminded her of the ocean and Tom’s eyes, it also brought back memories of her first tutor’s indigo blue dresses. She’d been a hard taskmaster and quite liberal with her threats to withhold meals until her lessons were all absorbed.

  Swallowing hard, Evie recalled the many lunches she had been forced to forego all because of her negligent attention span. So, since the color also made her think of hunger and punishment, she found herself in two minds and quite unable to provide a yes or no answer.