A Gilded Grave (13 page)

“But how can he, if it turns out to be one of the Bellevue Avenue people?”

“He’ll do the best he can.”

“They won’t cooperate.”

Joe shrugged and tried to nudge her back into the front rooms. “Will Hennessy will do what he has to do.”

She turned on him. “I’m staying at the Woodruffs’. I could ask questions. We’ve already found out more about Daisy’s movements that night.”

Joe skittered to a stop. “We?”

“Elspeth and I. We searched Daisy’s room, and Elspeth asked the staff who had seen her. I can look for clues. Maybe it was someone at the party.”

“You searched Daisy’s room? Why?”

“Well, Elspeth let the housekeeper think she was supposed to clean out Daisy’s possessions, so I went, too. Everyone said she died because she was meeting someone, and Elspeth
swears Orrin would never have asked her to leave her duties to meet him on a cliff. I thought there might be clues in her room that the police missed.”

“And did you find any?”

She shook her head.

“Dee, listen to me. Stop this now.”

“Why?”

“Because it might be dangerous. You don’t know whom you can trust. Please stay out of it.”

“You and Bob always said that when you thought I couldn’t keep up. But I always could.”

That was true. And he
could
use a pair of eyes in the Woodruff household. . . . But it was too dangerous. He took her by the shoulders. “Dee, listen to me. There are things you don’t understand.”

“Then tell me.” She fisted her hands on her skirt. Fierce, so like the young girl who used to follow them, got into scrapes just to be a part of the fun, attempted antics way beyond her size or ability. She knew no fear.

He smiled. “I see that coming out has done nothing to tame you.”

“Tame me? Tame me? Is that what you want?”

“An unfortunate choice of words.”

“Ugh. You’re as bad as Mama. I don’t want to be tamed or proper or any of those things. I want to be like Gran Gwen and travel, meet interesting people, and have affairs—” She stopped; heat suffused her face as Joe watched, tongue-tied. “Well, maybe not affairs, but you know what I mean. Let me help. I’ll be careful. Just tell me what I can do.”

“No.”

“If you don’t include me, I’ll do it myself.”

“Not if I telegraph your father and tell him to come get you.”

“I won’t go.”

“Dee—” How could he tell her that what he was looking into might ruin the family of her best friend or, worse still, ruin her own? Maybe Daisy’s death and his line of inquiry were unrelated, but that didn’t make one less dangerous than the other.

On the other hand, Dee was fully capable of taking matters into her own hands.

It might be better to enlist her help rather than let her blunder around stirring up trouble that she wouldn’t be prepared for.

His thoughts were stopped by a frantic knocking at the outer door. He went to open it.

Elspeth ran in and stopped in the middle of the room. “They wouldn’t let me see him.” She burst into tears.

Joe pulled out a straight-backed chair from under the scrubbed-wood table. Deanna sat Elspeth down, knelt down, and held her hands. “Tell us what happened.”

“I went to the station and asked to see him. That nasty old Sergeant Crum said to go away and that Orrin wasn’t allowed any visitors. I told them I was his sister and they didn’t care. Nobody cares about us.”

“Of course they do,” Deanna soothed. “Joe and I do.” She cast Joe a look.

“Of course we do,” he said. “I’ve already been to the judge this morning to arrange bail, but he was out of town. I went to the chief of police, but he said I had to wait until the judge returned.”

Elspeth looked up at him over her hands. “You’d do that for Orrin?”

“Of course. Grandmère is calling on the mayor today; hopefully, that will move things along. But, evidently, this envelope they found makes them think they have enough evidence against Orrin to hold him for trial.”

“Why? What was in the envelope?” Deanna asked. “Will wouldn’t tell me. Did he tell
you
what was in it?”

“In confidence.”

Deanna waited. “We’re not leaving until you tell us.” She crossed her arms. Elspeth crossed hers.

Joe sighed. “Will said the envelope was empty, but Orrin’s name was written on the outside.”

Deanna frowned, pulled one of the stools close to Elspeth, and perched on it. After a few seconds, she said, “How could that implicate him? If she was sending him a letter, it meant she wasn’t planning on seeing him. And if there was no letter in the envelope—”

“The police think the killer took it.”

“But left the envelope clutched in her hand? Why not take the envelope, too?”

Joe pulled up the other stool for himself. “I asked the same thing. And they don’t have much of an answer. They are saying that they may have struggled and she fell or was pushed over the cliff before he could get it.”

“So why not climb down after it? It’s an easy enough climb.”

“Orrin didn’t do it,” Elspeth said.

Deanna was glad to see her maid’s grief changing to anger.

“Besides, Elspeth says Daisy didn’t read and write that well.”

“She didn’t write at all?” Joe asked.

Elspeth sniffed and pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve to wipe her nose. “Some, but she only came over from Ireland a few months ago, and she hadn’t learnt to read or write much
over there. She couldn’t have written a whole letter. Miss Deanna saw her letters.”

Deanna nodded and rested her elbow on the table. “She would have had to ask someone else to write it for her. We just have to find out who, and then we’ll know why it was so important for the killer to take it.” She rested her chin on her fist. “And why he conveniently left the envelope addressed to Orrin behind.”

Joe stood, took a couple of steps away.

“What?” Deanna asked. “Don’t keep us in ignorance, please.”

He turned back to them. “I saw Daisy the night of the party.”

“We already know that thanks to Cokey.”

Joe gritted his teeth. “She was sneaking out to see Orrin as I was leaving. She said she needed to talk to him about something. I made her go back inside. That’s all I know or did.” He cast a look at Deanna, who met his eyes briefly but looked away. He couldn’t tell whether she believed him or not.

He turned his attention to Elspeth. “When did you last see her?”

“It was when we were watching the dancing from the oriel window. Miss Deanna was waltzing with Lord David. And it was so beautiful. Then Daisy just up and rushed off.”

Joe saw Elspeth’s lip quiver, and he hurried on. “That must have been right before I saw her. It was fairly early. I left right after . . .” He hesitated.

“Right after you saw me,” Deanna supplied.

Ignoring that minefield, Joe said, “A little later. And I sent her back inside. You didn’t see her again?”

Elspeth shook her head.

“Did she tell you what she had to do?”

“No,” Elspeth said. “Just that she had something she had to do. She would have told me if she was planning on sneaking out of the house to meet Orrin.”

“She may have just lost track of time,” Joe said.

Elspeth gave him a look. “That’s not the kind of thing that would have slipped her mind while she was watching the dancing. It was like she had forgotten to do something, like one of her chores. Like making up the fire in Mr. Woodruff’s room or turning down Lady Madeline’s bed. But when I went after her, I couldn’t find her. It was like she’d just disappeared. Just like—”

“What?” Deanna and Joe asked together.

“Nothing really, only that while we were watching the dancing, I felt like someone was watching us. I turned around and a shadow moved away.”

“Probably one of the musicians,” Joe said. “Isn’t that where they play?”

Elspeth nodded. “She must have left the house. That’s why I couldn’t find her.”

“Okay, so we know that she left after she was watching the dancing, then went back inside. Then what?” Joe knew he shouldn’t encourage them, but he had problems to solve, and frankly he could use some input.

“Then she went out again,” Deanna said. “But if you saw her on the street the first time, why did she end up on the cliff walk the second time?”

“Maybe she was afraid someone would see her on the street, like I did. Maybe when I sent her back inside, she went straight through the yard to the walk and planned to take the long way around, but someone stopped her.”

“No. She came right back inside the house.”

“How do you know?”

Elspeth looked exasperated. “I asked.”

“So she went out again later?”

“Must have. But I don’t know when.”

The three of them grew silent.

“We’ll have to find out,” Deanna said.

“Listen to me, Dee. Speculation is one thing; putting yourself in a possibly dangerous situation is not acceptable. Let Will figure it out,” Joe said. “He’s trained and he knows his job.”

“And he’ll do absolutely nothing,” Deanna said.

“You’re not being fair. He’s doing his best.”

“Perhaps,” Deanna said, sounding haughty. “But neither master nor servant will tell him the whole truth. But they will tell us.” She stood. “Come, Elspeth. We must be going.”

She headed for the door. Joe barely reached it in time to open it for her.

“Remember, what I told you about the envelope was told in confidence,” he said. “The less people know about the investigation, the more likely they’ll be able to find the real culprit.”

Deanna gave him an impish look. “Our lips are sealed.”

She swept past him, Elspeth following in her wake.

Joe opened the carriage door and helped them inside. Then he leaned in after them. “I mean it, Dee. Keep your eyes and ears open if you must, but do not get into any trouble.”

“We won’t.”

“And talk to no one about this but me or Will.” He shut the door and the carriage moved away. He watched them go—two women, one intelligent and energetic, one fiercely loyal to her brother and her mistress, and both staying at Seacrest.

It was infamous of him to even think of asking for their help. But it was obvious that he couldn’t stop them. He would just have to figure out a way to keep them from getting hurt.

“A
ll right,” Dee said as the carriage rattled along Thames Street. “A quick stop at Randolph House, and we’ll be back at Cassie’s in time for tea.” It was then that Deanna realized the coachman might be inclined to tell his mistress where he had driven them earlier. Unfortunately, she wasn’t carrying enough money for an adequate bribe. Perhaps she could ask Cook for a loan from the larder money.

The coach drew up at the door of Randolph House; Elspeth climbed down, then waited for Deanna.

“We’ll just be a minute.”

The coachman touched his hat brim. “Yes, miss.”

They went up the front stairs and rang the bell.

The butler answered. “Miss Deanna,” he said, opening the door for her to come in.

“I just need to pick up a few things I forgot, Dickerson. We won’t be but a moment.”

“Very good, miss.”

Deanna and Elspeth went upstairs. While Elspeth packed up a beach dress for the trip to Bailey’s, Deanna emptied a lacquer box Bob had once given her for her pin money. It only took a second to pour the few coins and bills into her reticule, and she spent the rest of the time waiting for Elspeth, looking out the window, and thinking.

There must be someone who knew more about Daisy’s movements the night of the ball. The house had been crammed full of people, not only guests but servants and visiting maids and valets.

She just had to figure out a way to get them to talk.

Dickerson stopped them as they were leaving. “Miss Deanna, a telegram came for your father yesterday evening after he’d left for Manhattan. Shall I keep it until his return?”

Deanna looked at the yellow rectangle of paper. “I’ll take it, Dickerson. Mr. Woodruff will know what’s best to do.”

Deanna and Elspeth returned to Seacrest. Elspeth immediately took her things upstiars; Deanna stayed behind and had just emptied most of her purse into the coachman’s palm to pay for his silence when Cassie opened the front door.

“Where have you been? You missed lunch and Mama was beginning to worry.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll go apologize to your mama.”

“Fine, but later. The carriage is already here. We’re going to take the air, and today you’re coming with us.”

“I’m not dressed.”

“You look fine. Neville, please tell mama that Miss Deanna has returned and we’re all going out.” Cassie took her arm and propelled her across the drive to where Lady Madeline sat in the open carriage looking a little like Cinderella in a white-and-peach voile frock.

Deanna felt dusty and rumpled in comparison, and she was
sure her hem was loaded with dirt and machine oil. She patted at her hair and climbed into the carriage.

For the next hour they drove up and down Bellevue Avenue nodding and smiling at all the other coaches whose passengers were also enjoying their afternoon promenade and gossiping about the passengers.

“Was Elspeth able to see her brother today?” Cassie asked. “Elspeth is Deanna’s lady’s maid,” she explained to Maddie. “Her family has worked for the Randolphs forever and she has, too. So we’re all kind of like friends.” Cassie puckered her lips. “I know you’re supposed to keep your distance from servants, but I don’t see why, do you?”

Deanna didn’t think so, either, but it was too seditious an idea to agree with out loud.

“But if you don’t,” Maddie said, with an air of worldliness, “they get confused about their status and their duties. It’s best to be the master and let them be the servants.”

“I suppose.” Cassie’s attention flicked to a passing carriage. The three of them automatically nodded as the liveried carriage rolled by in the opposite direction. “There’s Mrs. Goelet.”

Deanna smiled.

“What’s so funny?” Cassie asked.

“Just that one of the stories I read is about a lady detective whose last name is also Goelet. But she’s nothing like the one who just passed by.”

“Oh, one of your dime novels,” Cassie said. “
Our
Goelets own Ochre Court. He’s loaded, and she’s one of the marrying Wilsons.”

“The marrying Wilsons? Who are they?” Maddie asked.

“Three sisters whose mama was ‘dead on the money,’ as my papa said. Made fabulous matches for all her daughters, each husband richer than the one before.”

“You certainly have colorful neighbors,” Maddie said. “And they’re all millionaires?”

“Multimillionaires.”

“How about you, Deanna? Is your papa a millionaire?”

“I suppose so. I’m sure the business is worth several million.”

“The R and W that David is in partnership with?”

Deanna nodded. She didn’t know much about the business. Papa had taught Bob the fundamentals before he died, but Papa hadn’t passed any knowledge to his daughters. Which was usually the case with fathers, Deanna thought.

She became restless about halfway down the avenue. She tried pretending she was Adelaide, who could sit perfectly still even though she didn’t enjoy even the slowest carriage ride, since her head would begin pounding before they had gone half a mile. Perhaps that’s
why
she was always so still, because moving hurt her head. Deanna felt a pang of conscience. She’d always made fun of Adelaide, but maybe her sister had adopted that air of languor as a way to stave off illness. Deanna suddenly felt ashamed and vowed never to make fun of Adelaide again.

“You’re awfully quiet today, Dee. You’re not homesick?” Cassie said.

“Heavens no. I was just thinking.”

Cassie rolled her eyes. “Dee’s always thinking. I never knew anybody to think so much.”

Maddie laughed. “Don’t you think women should think, Cassie?”

“Oh, I suppose so. When there’s nothing else to do. Though, gee, there’s always something to do. I hope tea’s ready; I’m starving.”

And Deanna just hoped the ride would soon be over. But
as luck would have it, they were stuck driving behind Mrs. Leggit, who stopped often to converse with the passengers of other carriages.

“I need my tea,” Cassie complained when they finally stopped at Seacrest. “I hope no one has come to visit. I’m too hungry to change.”

Fortunately, Mrs. Woodruff was alone, and she bustled them all into the lady’s parlor, where a tea tray had been laid with a variety of delicacies.

“How is Mr. Woodruff feeling today?” Deanna asked Mrs. Woodruff as her hostess handed her a cup of tea.

“Oh, much better. He and Charles and Lord David said that they were going down to Joseph Ballard’s to see his inventions.”

Deanna nearly bobbled her teacup. She thought they had decided on the polo match. Thank goodness she and Elspeth hadn’t run into the men at the warehouse. How could she ever have explained what she was doing there?

“But they went to see the match instead. I thought they might be back for tea, but you know how men get over sports.”

Deanna relaxed a bit, but she’d have to be more careful in the future. The future? What was she thinking? She couldn’t keep traipsing about like a . . . free person.

It had been exhilarating to be out on her own, to simply decide to drive down to the Fifth Ward and then do it without asking anyone’s permission, knowing that she would never have been allowed to go if her mama or even her papa were here. And what Mrs. Woodruff didn’t know . . .

She knew it wouldn’t last, but until her mother’s return, Deanna planned to take advantage of her absence.

After tea, the ladies went to their rooms to rest before
dinner. Deanna was curled up in the bay window, reading the further adventures of Kate Goelet when she heard Elspeth go into the dressing room. A minute later she came to the door of the bedroom and cleared her throat.

“Can you come here for a minute, miss?”

Deanna frowned, but she closed her book and went to see what Elspeth wanted.

As soon as she stepped into the small square room, she understood why Elspeth had called her. A young maid with red hair and freckles so thick across her nose that each one ran into another, stood timidly by the door.

“This is Claire. Tell Miss Deanna what you told me.”

The girl ducked her head and kneaded her apron.

“Go on,” Elspeth prodded. “You won’t get in trouble, I promise.”

Claire flicked an anxious look at Deanna, then lowered her eyes.

Elspeth gave her a little nudge.

“When Daisy came back . . .”

Deanna leaned forward to hear her better.

“The other night—the night she died? She come to me and asked me to write something for her. She just come over from Ireland and can’t read or write much. I can. I was born here and I study in my spare time. I was helping her.”

Deanna couldn’t imagine that she had very much spare time.

Claire seemed to have stalled.

“And did you write something for her?” Deanna coaxed as gently as her excitement would allow.

Claire straightened her apron, shook her head. “We didn’t have paper. Then that awful valet to Lord David appeared in
the doorway, just like the devil himself, and Daisy ran off. I thought she was getting paper, but she never came back.” Claire gulped. “I didn’t ever see her again.”

“Did she say what she wanted you to write for her?”

“No, miss. Can I go now?”

“In a minute, if you please.” Deanna cast a quick apologetic look at Elspeth. “Did Daisy ever talk about Orrin?”

Claire nodded. “They were going to be married. She wanted to get out of service, try to get a place at a milliner’s in town. Now she—she won’t never make any hats.” Claire broke down into silent sobs just as a faint knock sounded at the door.

Deanna put her finger to her lips and hurried back into the bedroom, closing the dressing room door behind her. “Enter.”

The door opened and Cassie came in. “You haven’t even changed yet. What have you been doing all this time?”

Deanna sighed. “I don’t know. Thinking, I guess.”

“I hope what you mean is daydreaming about Lord David. Maddie says he thinks you’re charming.”

“I think he’s lovely, too.”

“Too bad they’re not going to be here for dinner tonight. They’ve been invited to the Stanhopes,” Cassie said in exasperated tones. “But Mama is having a few people over for drinks before they go, so wear something ravishing.”

“The Stanhopes? With your mother and father?”

“Heavens, no. Mama and Mrs. Stanhope don’t get along.”

Another knock.

“That must be Maddie. I told her to meet us here, since you’re always running behind time.”

“Am I?”

“Yes, what are you wearing tonight?” Cassie asked as she went to open the door.

Maddie came in wearing the most wonderful gown Deanna thought she’d ever seen. It had to be from Paris: gold
peau de soie
with diagonal brocade stripes and an overblouse of darker spangled chiffon. The pattern was repeated on the puffed sleeves that floated about Madeline’s head like clouds of spun sugar.

It made Cassie’s ruching and ruffles appear young and frivolous, though Deanna supposed they suited her.

“Oh, you’re not ready yet,” Maddie said.

“No. I—my maid—”

“I just saw her hurrying down the hallway with another maid,” Madeline said. “I hope she’s not up to things she shouldn’t be. Surely, we’ve had enough of that kind of thing.”

Deanna’s mind went blank. Elspeth must have spirited Claire away as soon as Cassie came in. Neither of them had expected Maddie to follow. “I’m sure she isn’t. She was probably on her way down to get my dress. I”—Deanna searched desperately for a believable lie—“spilled some cologne on it. It’s probably ruined, but Mrs. Oates—”

“The housekeeper,” Cassie interjected for Maddie’s benefit.

“—said she thought she had a remedy that might work. Elspeth is probably getting it now.” Fingers crossed that no one mentioned the nonexistent spill to Mrs. Oates.

Deanna heard Elspeth return to the dressing room and willed her to stay there. Elspeth stepped into the room.

“Ah,” Deanna said. “Was Mrs. Oates able to get the stain out of my frock, Elspeth?” She sent Elspeth mind bending thoughts.

Elspeth didn’t say anything for the longest moment, and Deanna’s heart threated to thump out of her chest.

“Not yet, miss,” Elspeth said, eyeing Madeline’s toilette. “I think the rose tulle for this evening instead?”

Deanna had to concentrate not to slump in relief. “Very well,” she said with an air of languor she didn’t feel.

Madeline pulled Cassie up from the chair. “I think we should go and let Deanna dress in peace.”

“Oh, all right. But hurry, Dee.” Cassie stopped at the mirror to adjust her waist and pull her neckline down, then shimmied her shoulders and flounced out of the room. Maddie looked at the ceiling and, laughing, followed after her.

“Someone oughta take that girl in hand,” Elspeth said. “Now, sit and let me dress your hair.”

Deanna sat and Elspeth began pulling pins from her hair. “Why did you lie to Cassie about why Claire was here?”

“Well,” Deanna said, “firstly, I didn’t want to get Claire in trouble, and secondly—”

Elspeth tugged a knot out of Deanna’s hair. Deanna grabbed her wrist and pulled her down so she could whisper in her ear. “I think we should take Joe’s warning seriously and not tell anyone about anything we find out. Not Cassie, not anyone.”