Free A Murderous Masquerade by Jackie Williams

that she could borrow.”
    Alexander laughed as he watched the two women link arms and proceed into the castle.
    “I don’t think Lily is going to let her go for a while yet. I’m sure that they will find something suitable for your cousin to wear, between them. Grady will take up your trunks and Geoff will take care of your carriage and horses. The ladies took a turn in the gardens soon after luncheon and Anne has since retired to her rooms. She said that she was going to have a rest before the festivities tonight, but really I think that she was escaping her father and brother. I cannot fathom how someone so lovely comes from such an obnoxious family. Edward is particularly vile. He’s out riding with Rookwood and Latham at the moment. I think that they were going down to Oakley to sample the brandy and other delights of the Bear and Dragon.” He raised his eyebrows suggestively. Though neither of the men had ever sampled anything more than the liquor, both of them knew exactly what other treats could be procured at the inn. Alexander had often wondered about the way Mary liked to crack her serving cloths in the air when she thought that customers were shilly-shallying at closing time. Privately, he thought that the buxom, but no nonsense woman might be just the type to put the odious Edward right in his place.
    Giles snorted.
    “My God! They don’t waste any time.” He laughed suddenly. “I’m going to be watching Edward closely tonight. If he can’t sit without flinching we’ll have our suspicions confirmed and know exactly what Mary can do with those strips of cloth she’s so adept at cracking. Might be more than that actually. I saw her riding home from Oakley market once. Let’s just say that she didn’t spare the horse. She cracked the whip just as effectively as her cloths.”
    Alexander bellowed with laugher as he threw his arm over his friend’s shoulder.
    “Come and have a quick brandy with me to celebrate your newly found position and then I’m sending you to your rooms to rest. Tonight is going to be a long one what with everything Lily has planned. This is the first big event that we have hosted what with Anne being in mourning all this time. She’s expecting you to make your announcements at midnight and has strict instructions for a champagne breakfast to be served immediately after, so don’t go and muck it all up for her.”
    They headed into Alexander’s snug and toasted the evening ahead before Giles made his way along to his rooms in the west wing. He was slightly disconcerted to discover that Lily had placed Anne in the east wing along with Charlotte and most of the other ladies. He’d been hoping to be able to visit her, but it appeared that it wasn’t to be.
    He glanced about his suite as he removed his coat and cravat. It wasn’t one he normally stayed in when residing at the castle, but it was more than adequate for his needs. The bed was huge, a waste he thought, if Anne was more than a hundred yards distant, and the two chairs either side of the fireplace seemed more than was needed. There was a table set with a Tantalus and several glasses and he decided to have one more drink before summoning his bath.
    As he took a bottle from the Tantalus a note bearing his name slipped from behind it. It was scented with familiar roses and vanilla. He opened the fold and read the three words.
    ‘Follow your heart’
    Anne’s scent and handwriting. He turned the note over. There was nothing else to see apart from his name on the other side. He re-read the three words. ‘Follow your heart’. Both he and Anne knew exactly where his heart lay so the message clearly meant something more. He glanced about the room. It was just a room, but then he noticed a small posy of rose buds in a vase upon the mantle. An odd thing to put in a gentleman’s bedroom? He took a step towards it and was about to pick it up when he noticed the carving on the oak mantelpiece.
    A heart appeared between two