“It appears that Lady Mainwaring is still resting,” she informed me, glancing about the room then back to me, as if to make certain that everything was in order.
I gave her a cool smile. “Perhaps a sound as she was sleeping,” I suggested. “It has been a very difficult last several hours.”
With that, I swept past Mrs. Gray. I didn’t wait for her as I returned downstairs and joined Brodie.
It appeared that he had finished questioning the head butler.
“I would like to speak with the driver now,” he informed Sir John. “Since he was the last person to see yer daughter. It has been my experience that the smallest detail might be important, something he perhaps forgot to mention.”
“Yes, very well.”
“And any of the staff who might have interacted with Miss Mainwaring before she left to meet her friend,” he added.
“Of course,” Sir John stiffly replied.
Over the next two hours, Brodie questioned the members of the staff who would have had contact with Miss Mainwaring while I made notes.
That included the coachman, the downstairs butler, as well as the upstairs maid. I added Mrs. Gray to the list, who might well have overheard something said between Lady Mainwaring and Amelia, as she had been most uncooperative with me.
Sir John presided over the questions, all the while conducting business through his personal secretary, sending off messages most efficiently, as if the very difficult situation had not occurred.
It was very near four o’clock of the afternoon when Lady Mainwaring appeared, looking quite pale and drawn. She was acquainted with Brodie through her earlier contact with myself, and formal introductions were made.
Once more I was impressed by his ability to sympathize at the same time he gently inquired if he might ask her a few questions.
There was little she could tell us about the previous day. It had seemed normal in all aspects. Amelia was looking forward to shopping with her friend, an acquaintance through their families, and then the stay-over, to return the following morning.
“She hoped to have Beatrice… Miss Ainsley-Townsend, as part of her wedding party,” Lady Mainwaring, then added, “Amelia was to become betrothed at the holiday.”
“And the name of the young man?” I inquired, as it seemed that it might be important.
“It is… a family arrangement. Sir Anthony Blackstone.”
That took me back a bit, although I suppose that it shouldn’t have. I made a note of it.
Though she made a great effort, Lady Mainwaring had broken down in tears at this point in the conversation.
“Please forgive me.”
“I understand,” Brodie gently told her.
Sir John then insisted that any further questions would have to be asked at a later time as Lady Mainwaring was obviously quite distressed. Mrs. Gray then escorted her once more to her rooms.
When she had gone, Brodie asked Sir John for the name of their private physician.
“That would be Doctor Marcus Fielding…”
“It would be most helpful if ye would contact the good doctor and let him know we would like to speak with him.”
“You do understand the need for the utmost discretion,” Sir John insisted.
“Of course.”
With that, it seemed that our meeting was at an end.
The rain had let up and settled itself into a heavy mist beneath darkened skies as we left Portman Square.
“Ye seemed somewhat surprised at the name of the man Miss Mainwaring was to have been betrothed to,” Brodie commented.
