A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder. Dianne Freeman

the world like a hawk poised to attack her younger siblings. “I’d expect you to behave better in company than you do at home.”

      Her rebuke seemed rather harsh. The two sisters jerked back in surprise, but in the space of time it took to draw a breath, they joined forces against Eliza, and the worst kind of caterwauling ensued.

      Through it all, Leo and his brother-in-law remained oblivious. The two men busied themselves with some documents, though how they were able to concentrate at all amazed me. I could take it no longer.

      “Anne.”

      All three young ladies turned their gazes on me, surprised to hear someone else speak.

      “Why don’t you trade seats with me? I believe the light is better here for your reading.” I stood before she could answer, giving her no choice but to comply. With the exchange made, I sat on the bench next to Clara, with Lily and Treadwell now across from me. Eliza pulled out some needlework and Anne returned to her book.

      Perhaps this new configuration would allow us some peace. I gave Clara a smile. Dressed in a tailored traveling suit of plum wool, her warm brown curls upswept and supporting a tiny hat with a matching plum feather, she looked very grown up. I had to remind myself she was still only seventeen and not yet “out.” “Have you spent much time in the country, Miss Kendrick?” I asked.

      She shook her head. “I really haven’t traveled much outside of London. Once to Oxford when Leo was at school there. My parents travel for business of course, but they leave us at home.”

      “Then this should be rather exciting for you.”

      But I’d already lost her attention. I followed her gaze to Lily and Treadwell, who were still in conversation and—heavens! His hand rested atop her hand, which rested atop her knee.

      It lasted less than an instant. Lily laughed and moved her hand. Treadwell pulled his back. In the next moment, he leaned forward to say something to Anne.

      Lily’s expression was perfectly calm—no blush, no glance about to see if anyone had noticed. Surely, my imagination had exaggerated his touch, blown it up into something more intimate than it really was. Lily loved Leo. Of that there could be no doubt.

      Treadwell was Leo’s closest friend and a gentleman. Not that a gentleman couldn’t be a bounder, but Lily had no interest in men who had nothing with which to occupy themselves but their own entertainment. She wanted a man like our father, who worked and made something of himself. I undoubtedly imagined the incident and should put it out of my mind. I glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed and caught Eliza just as she turned away, her lips tightly compressed. Perhaps I hadn’t imagined it. Would she say something to Lily? Or worse, to Leo?

      “Clara, can’t you see you’re crowding Lady Harleigh?” Eliza’s tone was sharp.

      This brought me from my reverie to see the girl leaning almost into my lap and nearly clipping my jaw as she shot back into her seat.

      “I am not,” she said.

      “You were.”

      The balance of the trip continued in this manner. A short silence, followed by bickering, followed by admonishments, and a full-scale argument. When Eliza snapped at her sisters, I wondered if she was truly annoyed with them, or upset by Treadwell’s forward behavior to Lily, and taking her anger out on the girls. By the time we arrived at the Harroway station, I had reached the end of my tether and could not have suffered their company for another mile.

      As the train came to a stop, I smoothed a hand over my skirts, chasing the wrinkles, and straightened my hat. Once I felt presentable, I glanced around the compartment and realized everyone waited for me.

      “Shall we?”

      Leo stepped around me and opened the door. Before my foot hit the first step, George reached up to hand me down. He had never looked better to me. With his homburg in hand, the sunlight cast a sheen on his dark, neatly trimmed hair. His suit was impeccable; a light gray with a darker waistcoat. And there I stood, rumpled from travel. His smile told me however disheveled I might be, he was delighted to see me.

      “How lovely you’ve come to meet us,” I said, loathe to release his hand once I’d reached the platform. “I thought you’d be shooting.”

      Apparently, George didn’t want to break the connection either. He brought my hand up to his chest and drew me away from my travel companions. “And miss your arrival? I wouldn’t think of it.”

      We paused at the end of the busy platform to wait for the others. “How was the trip?” he asked.

      “Next time, I think I’ll sit with Rose and Nanny.” I boggled my eyes. “Or perhaps the luggage.”

      I brightened at the sound of his laugh. “That bad?”

      “No, I am just feeling peevish.” With a sigh, I returned his hand and clasped my own in front of me. The rest of our group would soon catch up with us. “The Kendrick girls are not quite the traveling companions I’d hoped for, but all will be fine, I’m sure.”

      “Then you’ll be delighted to hear I have two conveyances to take us back to Risings.”

      “You are my hero,” I whispered as Lily and Leo brought the Kendrick party our way.

      “We’ll have to take the footbridge to cross the tracks to the carriages,” George said. “Shall we be on our way?”

      George led our little group off the platform toward the stairs with Leo by his side. I turned to see if Lily was nearby as I’d hoped to avoid sharing a carriage with the Kendrick sisters. Of course, she lagged behind. I parted my lips to urge her to keep up just as another train pulled into the station with a screeching of brakes.

      I chose to save my breath until the noise subsided, but then a new disturbance caught my attention—a rumble and banging up ahead. I glanced up at the stairway to see a cart full of baggage fairly flying down the steps directly at George and Leo. I gaped in horror as bags and trunks fell off the cart and tumbled down the stairs. In one fluid motion, George clamped a hand on Leo’s arm and jumped to the side as the bags and cart landed on the pavement with a crash and a cloud of dust.

      Chapter 3

      After an instant of shocked paralysis, the rest of us rushed forward as one, stumbling over and around the offending luggage. George and Leo climbed to their feet, brushing off their clothes. Certain as I was that we’d find them at the bottom of the heap of bags, I nearly sagged with relief.

      I looked George up and down, then turned to assess Leo. “I can’t believe neither of you were injured.”

      “Good thing Hazelton acted so quickly,” Leo said, “or that might not be the case. I’ll admit when I looked up to see those bags tumbling toward me, I thought that might be the end.”

      “I shall not be done in by a rogue baggage cart.” George drew me aside as Lily bounded past us and threw herself into Leo’s arms. I felt quite jealous as I could do no more than touch George’s sleeve while we were in such a public space.

      Indeed, the rest of our party stood around us, watching with interest. Treadwell stepped up and handed George his homburg. “We should call for the stationmaster, I’d say. Have him explain how the deuce such a thing could happen.”

      “I find it shocking we would have to call him,” Eliza said with a sniff. “He should already be here to see what caused all this racket.”

      Anne gave her sister a look of scorn. “The train was arriving at the same time. I doubt anyone on the platform heard a thing.”

      “Unless you’ve a mind to call for him, Hazelton,” Leo said, “I’d rather we just move on. Obviously, someone left the cart unattended.”

      “And at the top of a stairway.” Treadwell clucked his tongue. “Someone should lose his position for such a careless act.”

      “I