Cecilia excused herself and stepped away, letting Elinor continue to lead the discussion regarding Mrs. Jones and her role in the community.
James led her over by the fireplace. “Mortlake has asked if we might host the post-burial gathering,” he said, his voice low.
Cecilia frowned. “Us? Why?”
“Because we are the closest property of importance to the cemetery, and it would be neutral ground for all.”
“Neutral ground? Interesting turn of phrase,” she said, contemplating both the rationale and the work involved.
“Only we and the Aldriches are not involved—in any way—with the events that led up to Mrs. Jones’ death.”
“Meaning Georgia Inglewood’s death.”
“If we discover who killed Miss Inglewood and why, we discover who killed Mrs. Jones.”
“You believe that?” Cecilia asked.
“I do.”
Cecilia nodded. “I’ll set Mrs. Vernon to preparing for a gathering of the parish. Do we know yet when the funeral will take place?”
“The day after tomorrow.”
“Almost a full week since her death.”
“But at least before Sunday.”
“I hope we are not putting too much confidence in Miss Inglewood’s diary for the truth.”
“Not too much. We’ve learned enough about Miss Inglewood to understand she would have needed to brag in some way, and in what better place than her diary?”
“True. –Oh, look, James. The vicar is sitting alone over there. I don’t like how the girls have ignored him. Since Lady Mortlake uses dinner place cards, I’m going to ensure they cannot ignore him.”
“Don’t get caught,” James admonished.
She raised her brows at him. “Me? –Go speak to the vicar while I do a bit of table arranging.”
CHAPTER 13
THE DIARY OF MISS GEORGIA INGLEWOOD
At breakfast the next morning, James brought with him the diary of Georgia Inglewood. He’d dropped it into his pocket when they left the gamekeeper’s cottage the day before. He laid it on the table between himself and Cecilia.
“Have you peeked into it yet?” Cecilia asked.
“No. Truthfully, I find myself loath to do so after all we have learned of this young woman.”
“Not a pleasant person,” Cecilia suggested. “And yet she had a circle of friends that deferred to her.”
“More than deferred, idolized,” James said.
“Hmmm, yes. But she must have had some redeeming traits or these young people wouldn’t have liked her so. Let’s finish breakfast before we delve into it. Best to relax with coffee in the library while we go through the book. I don’t know what I wish to find, or where it might lead us.”
“Were you happy how events turned out last evening?”
“Yes! You and Lord Aldrich played your roles admirably.”
“For all the quick whispered instructions we received before we walked into dinner, telling us to ask the woman we were seated next to about their early life at the vicarage before they went away to school. They were forced to speak of the vicar andall the good memories they had of him as a father. And with him in the middle between them he could chime in on the memories. He certainly got them smiling and laughing.”
