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 haddonesomething to the other carriages.”
“Really. Oh, my.” Kitty slumped. “I’m sure Mr. Miller-James couldn’t have countenanced anythingbad…”
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 thatbitchis 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.”
