She glared at the vermin on the ground as it took another step her way. Beady eyes fixed upon her with menacing intent. With one quick motion, it jumped and landed on her gown. Hissing, she shook the silk material. The beast flew through the air, landed yards away, then turned and scurried off.
Standing next to Maxey, Sally Jones, the Wentworth maid, erupted into a fit of soft giggles. Maxey elbowed her, scowling.
“Hush your voice,” Maxey told her friend. “You would have squealed in horror if the rat had touched you instead.”
Sally squared her shoulders and lifted her chin proudly. “Not at all. I’m not afraid of rats and would not have acted like a complete ninny.”
Although Maxey had gotten to know the maid better in the last two weeks, and they had become friends, there were times she was tempted to slap the woman’s face. It didn’t matter if Maxey showed her knowledge with everything she did and said—Sally certainly didn’t.
Nevertheless, Maxey would hold her temper and keep her irritated words from spilling forth. She felt they were so close to catching Ignatius Burke, which meant they could both return to their employer.
“The rat is gone, so we must focus on our goal.” Maxey peered around the tree where she was hiding and toward the two-story manor across the street to see if they were exposed. Shadows played in the corridor as laughter floated from the opened windows. She waited for the right moment for her and Sally to sneak inside. Ignatius Burke was in there, and Maxey would do everything in her power to speak to him and discover if he had Lord Wentworth’s ruby ring.
Sally stepped closer to Maxey and touched her arm. “I just want you to know how brave I think you are.”
Brave?Maxey didn’t feel brave. She sought justice and would do everything necessary to achieve it. Plus, she was eager to step back into her role as a governess. Playing the inspector was not for her. And she really didn’t enjoy being back in the Lake District. There were too many memories of when she was younger before her mother left and her father died. The sooner Maxey could resume her role as governess, the better it was for her sanity.
She smiled at the maid. “You are the one who is brave for agreeing to come with me.”
A mischievous grin stretched across Sally’s lovely face. “Don’t let Lady Wentworth know, but the reason I’m doing this is to take a much-needed holiday from my work. If she ever found out, she would rethink my employment status. I love working for her, but I wouldn’t mind a break once in a while.”
“I will not tell her. I’m happy that you are enjoying your holiday. However, I cannot wait to get back to those adorable children. I miss my job.”
Maxey nodded and looked back toward the manor. A tall man exited from the main doors and stepped to the edge of the wide front steps. He glanced across the lawn. As he walked closer to one of the hanging lamps, his lithe movements caught her attention. From what she could see, he was strikingly handsome. The light sharpened his black hair and emphasized his perfectly chiseled face.
Maxey’s breathing grew faster. Finally, the other rat she was waiting for had made an appearance.
She pressed herself against the tree, trying to calm her breathing. When she thought about catching the murder suspect, a grin tugged at her mouth, and determination surged through her. She planned on sneaking into the party and making it so she could speak personally with him. He couldn’t know her true identity, and she wouldn’t confess to being the Wentworths’ governess.
She dared another peek around the tree. Her object of interest scanned the yard again, his hands linked behind him as he gently rocked back and forth on his black boots. After a few moments, he turned and strode back through the opened doors with a movement as smooth as silk. Although she had seen this man in the painting Carolyn showed Maxey of William’s family, Ignatius Burke appeared more handsome than the painting, if that were possible.
At that moment, a masked couple raucously stumbled over the first two steps of the manor before meeting the doorman. The masked man, wearing an ostentatious red and orange costume with too many feathers, handed the servant a card. Once the doorman scanned the contents, he motioned for the couple to enter.
Maxey growled and turned to Sally. “The front door is no longer an option.”
“Indeed.” Sally nodded. “We will need an invitation.”
Maxey fisted her black-gloved hands and groaned. How could she enter the party now? She couldn’t have come this far only to have her plans fail. She would not give up.
She studied the perimeter of the estate. Large, manicured hedges outlined most of the property. Immediately, she had an idea, and she looked at her companion.
“I know what we will do,” Maxey said decisively. “Since we don’t have an invitation to get in the front door, we shall try the back way into the soirée instead.”
Sally sighed and shook her head, motioning with her head toward the estate. “We cannot possibly do that. Those hedges are too tall to climb, especially in our gowns. And the bushes are so thick. I don’t see a way through at all.”
Maxey patted the waist of her silver evening gown trimmed with white silk to ensure her mask was still latched to the ribbon around her middle. It was fancier than anything she owned, and it would break her heart to soil Lady Wentworth’s gown, even if it was for a good cause. She would do anything to get inside, and Sally would do well to follow her lead if she wanted them to return to their normal positions at the Wentworth estate.
Squaring her shoulders, Maxey met Sally’s heated stare. “Make haste, Sally. Idleness is something we can ill afford right now.”
Sally gasped. “You’re not suggesting—”
“Indeed I am. We may have to squeeze through the hedges.”
“Impossible.”
Maxey scowled and pushed past her friend. If Sally wasn’t serious about assisting, Maxey would do this alone. One way or another, she would make that murder suspect pay for stealing from his own brother, God rest his soul.
If she had to break a few rules just to find justice for Lord Wentworth, she would do it.
