He nodded. “Yes. Very soon, love. That is on my list.”
“Thank you.” She breathed a little easier. “Oh look. Is that Lady Weston? Over by the bookcase. Yellow hair…” Although the word ‘yellow’ could best be applied loosely, realized Kitty. It was a great deal more brassy than one might expect of human hair.
“Yes, that’s her.” Max led them that way, into an area that was less well-populated.
Lady Weston was apparently concluding a disagreement with another lady, who spun on her heel and walked off with an angry expression her face.
“Stupid cat,” said Lady Weston under her breath. “Hullo Max.” She looked at Kitty. “This is the one you bedded and wedded, is it?” She smirked. “Supposed to do it t’other way around, you cad.” She nudged him with what looked like a sharp elbow.
Seeing a look of impending displeasure on her new husband’s face, Kitty stepped in. “I am indeed the one, Lady Weston. We’ve met once before I believe, and have a shared sadness today.” She managed to look suitably saddened. “The loss of Mr. Miller-James is a terribly tragedy. Both Max and I would like to extend our sincere sympathies.”
Lady Weston’s expression changed. “I miss him.” The words were hushed and spoken with what seemed to Kitty like a very real emotion. “He was…he was a special man.”
“So I’ve heard,” said Max. “I knew him, of course, clubs and so on. But I am sorry to say I did not know him as well as I should have.”
“Damned carriages,” she muttered. “Damned bloody carriages.”
Kitty made a snap decision. “Come, Ma’am, let’s sit over here for a bit. It’s quiet and you can compose yourself. Such times are hard, and keeping them private can be even harder.”
Grateful for the suggestion, Lady Weston willingly sat on a sofa in the corner of the room, well away from the circulating guests. The music had started once more, so the sound of their conversation would be lost against the background noise of the ball.
“He was interested in carriages, you know,” began Lady Weston.
“Was he? How fascinating…” Kitty encouraged, feeling Max’s hand warm on her shoulder.
“Yes,” nodded the other woman. “He’d inherited a business, believe it or not. A carriage business…” A small sob shook her.
Kitty rested a hand on Lady Weston’s arm. “Tell me. Was he a good businessman? It seems unusual for a gentleman of his standing to go into trade…”
“Oh he didn’t.” The comment was immediate. “He was the first to say he knew nothing about running the company. ‘Got a good manager, Dorothea,’ he used to say. ‘Man knows what he’s doing.’”
“Ahh, so that’s the secret,” smiled Kitty gently.
“Well that, and make sure your competition doesn’t get ahead,” Lady Weston added. “Dancey always made sure that didn’t happen. I’m not sure how, of course, but I do know it wasn’t long before the other company fell behind.”
“Goodness, I wonder how that happened?” Kitty managed an innocent blink.
“I don’t know.” She frowned. “Occasionally he’d go off with some people that certainly weren’t members of Society, if you know what I mean.”
“You think they might have been helping him, Dorothea?” Max leaned over the sofa.
“If they were, they were up to no good. I’m not seventeen, you know. Dancey never realized that.” She pursed her lips. “I’d never say anything, of course, but now he’s gone…well I would not be surprised to learn those men had done something to the other carriages.”
“Really. Oh, my.” Kitty slumped. “I’m sure Mr. Miller-James couldn’t have countenanced anything bad…”
Lady Weston shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t care much about any of it. But since he was killed…well, one wonders.” She turned to Max. “And in your carriage, too. Such a surprise. I can’t believe Dancey would do anything to one of his own and he was thrilled you’d bought one.”
“Oh…” Kitty was about to speak, but Max shook his head.
“He knew about my carriage?”
“Well it was the design, you see. He pointed it out one day. Said the lines were identical, and although he’d not seen that use of color, he could tell it was one of his company’s. He was so delighted.”
“I’m sure he was.” Max’s voice was expressionless. “So he never mentioned anything about the other carriage company experiencing accidents?”
The yellow hairdo shook as Lady Weston turned rapidly to frown at Max. “No. Nothing. What are you saying? What accidents?”
“Never mind, Lady Weston. Or may I call you Dorothea?” Kitty patted her hand. “We’re just hoping nobody else is hurt or worse. Losing a bright and wonderful man like your Dancey…well, I am sure you understand.”
Lady Weston’s eyes narrowed. “Your sister was with him, wasn’t she.” It was not a question.
“Yes, she was.”
“And she’s alive. My Dancey’s gone, but that bitch is still alive.” The sad woman vanished and an angry lover replaced her. “There’s something very wrong there. He didn’t care for her at all, you know. No matter what she says. He was mine. All mine. He promised me…”
“Of course, Dorothea, of course.” Max came around and sat beside her, taking her hand, soothing her, while Kitty made good her escape to a more distant chair. “Nobody could imagine otherwise. We believe Dancey was probably escorting Hecate either back to Lady Allington’s, or to another event that evening. No more than that…”
“Oh. Well then…” She subsided a little, burrowing in her reticule for her handkerchief. “Forgive me. I am overset.”
“Of course. We completely understand.” He picked up her hand and kissed it, a little longer than necessary. “I am astounded at your strength, dear lady. It is matched only by your beauty. How lucky Dancey was, and how lucky some other gentleman will be. I am convinced of it.”
She managed a weak smile through her tears. “You are very kind, Max.”
“We will leave you to compose yourself. I am sure we’ll meet again before long.”
“Thank you.” She nodded, a smile for him, and a less than affectionate tilt of the head for Kitty.
“That was puzzling,” murmured Kitty as she and Max walked back toward the dancing. “But it would seem the accidents were indeed done on purpose. And possibly at Miller-James’s bidding. What an awful man he was.”
“Yes. Perry said it best. Vermin.”
“Most apt.” Kitty’s breath left her as Max whisked her through a door and into what looked like a large closet. “Max…mmmpf….”
His lips were on hers, his arms around her, and he kissed the dickens out of her before she could catch a breath. “I have been aching to do that for quite some time. You were brilliant with that woman, my sweet. I really do have an amazing wife.” He grinned from ear to ear and then kissed her once more, forcefully, preventing her from doing more than moan as his tongue met hers.