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“Mama, I think it is fine. No need for you to trouble yourself, either. With all of us going along, we should hardly need a chaperone.”

Abram’s heart beat rapidly in his chest—so loud in his ears, he thought Mrs. Gray might actually hear it. Out of nervousness, he took his paintbrushes over to the pail of water, as if he had set out to clean them.

“If I did not know better, I should think you did not want your dear mother’s company?”

“No, it is simply that I thought you had a tea scheduled for today.”

“It has been canceled. Apparently, Lady Whitman has come down with a fever. I shall spend the day with my young ladies. I cannot think of a better use of our time.”

“I see, well, I was going to stay home, Mama,” Orris said.

Abram looked across the room at her and shook his head ever so slightly so the elder Mrs. Gray would not see.

“Are you well, sweetheart? It seems almost every time we want to go to the dress shoppe, you are stricken with some troublesome illness.”

“Mama, I’ve gotten lightheaded from being near to the paint fumes. I have been confined to the same room all morning while everyone else had their portraits done. I fear it has had an ill effect on me.”

“Oh, that is most unfortunate. I believe your measurements are available to the modiste. I will simply take the dress for you. I do expect you to take to your bed. And no gallivanting around on those horses. I shall know if you sneak off sometimes to ride them. It has been most distressing to the maids.”

Orris held her head down at the accusation. Abram did believe it was an authentic shame. She probably thought her mother had had no idea that she’d been tearing across the parks during the early morning hours.

“Mr. Fain, I trust you are done with the other young ladies?”

“Yes, ma’am. Everyone is done, even Miss Orris.”

“Very well. I suppose you were on to the viscount and viscountess next?”

“Yes, ma’am, we shall get started on the morrow.”

“Wonderful. We are set to have our ball in a fortnight. And I wanted their picture hanging next to ours. I am sure everyone is waiting. They returned just this season. And they are such a beautiful couple, are they not?”

“Mrs. Gray, I can hardly find a more handsome family. You should be very proud.”

“Thank you very much. Orris, I will see you upon my return. I hope you are better and can join us for afternoon tea.”

“I should hope so, too, Mama.”

“Good day to you both.”

Mrs. Gray walked out of the room and Orris’s hand flew to her stomach. “Lord, that was a near miss. I fear she would’ve caught us. Thankfully, I was able to conjure a plan.”

“Orris, I am not so sure that this plan of yours will fool your mother. She knows about the horses and your daring morning rides. Why would she not find out about us making a spectacle of ourselves not even a few miles away from where she shall be? I don’t know that this is a good idea. I believe we should cancel the plan.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Orris closed the distance between them. “We simply must get the paper with your friend’s name on it. I believe with my whole heart that it will lead us to the next clue and potentially to his killer. That is the most important thing. And the worst thing that can happen to me is my mother would be angry. As long as there is no scandal, we should be able to appease her.”

“While I am sure that she is quite fond of you, as you are her daughter, I am but a lowly painter. She does not share the same fondness for me as she does her own blood. Do you not see how dangerous this is?”

“Everything is dangerous, Mr. Fain. It is dangerous to simply walk across the street, for you could be struck down by a carriage. Now, please do not dillydally. We must make haste if we are to get back before my mother returns from having the alterations done. She’s already ruined my plan to bring along my sister and cousin.”

Gathering the skirts of her midnight-blue gown, she hurried from the room, no doubt to change into another disguise.

Abram was at his wits’ end with Orris. She alone held the power to drive him completely mad. She refused to do anything he asked of her and seemed intent on dragging him through any scheme that popped into her mind.

The most preposterous of all, Abram seemed to go along with it as if she were his puppeteer. Dia ár sábháil! The curse under his breath comforted him a bit. It seemed the one thing he could control.

What would she have him do next?

After laying out the pictures for them to dry in the room, he went upstairs and changed into a suit. When he returned downstairs, he heard a low whistle coming from the direction of the ballroom.