“That is absurd.”

“Yes, of course it is.” Lavinia spread her hands, relieved to be able to confide her deepest fears about the case. “I explained that to him in no uncertain terms.”

“Yes, I’m sure you did. You are seldom reluctant to give Mr. March the benefit of your opinion. But in this matter, I collect that he was unwilling to accept your view?”

“Unfortunately, when it comes to taking responsibility for events in which he was involved, Tobias is inclined to err on the side of assuming that he should have been in complete control of matters.”

Joan nodded sagely. “That is a fault that I have observed in Vale as well. In my experience, men of their sort frequently blame themselves when things go wrong, even if there was nothing they could have done to alter the course of events. Fielding had the same habit.

“I suspect that inclination is a character trait that goes hand in hand with great strength of will and purpose.”

“Tobias also blames himself for not realizing sooner that Elland had become a professional murderer.”

“It is often most difficult to see evil in those whom we believe we know well.”

“Very true,” Lavinia said. “Well, that is the whole of the tale, or at least as much as we know at this point. As you can see, the only way out of this tangle is to find the killer.”

“And to that end, you seek to discover who benefited most from Fullerton’s death.”

“I came to you for advice on the subject because you have excellent connections in Society.”

“Let me think a moment. There is no doubt that Fullerton’s nephew will benefit directly. But as I recall, the young man is quite wealthy in his own right and about to marry an heiress. He will also acquire a more elevated title when his father dies. I see no strong motive in that quarter.”

“I agree.” Lavinia was reluctant to let go of that theory, but she had to admit it did not hold much promise. “Can you think of anything else that will be significantly changed because of Fullerton’s death?”

Joan tapped her fingertip against the side of her cup. “Obviously

“- Lord Fullerton will no longer be going through with his wedding plans, which means that the Panfield girl will be back on the marriage mart next Season. I can only imagine that her mama and papa are feeling quite downcast at the moment. It is common knowledge that Panfield is fishing for a title for his daughter.”

Lavinia contemplated that angle for a moment. “What about the girl herself? Was she equally enthusiastic about the marriage to Fullerton?”

“I have no idea how she felt about the situation. She is quite young and of course had very little to say in the matter. But I cannot imagine that a fat, aging baron was the romantic hero of her dreams.”

“Hmm.”

Joan looked amused. “I think you can forget the notion that the girl could have arranged such a drastic means of ridding herself of an unwelcome fiance. I doubt very much that an innocent young lady just out of the schoolroom could have secured the services of a professional murderer, let alone found a way to pay him.”

“I take your point,” Lavinia said. “Well, then, what about the true romantic hero of her dreams?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Is there perhaps some young gentleman who is passionately in love with Miss Panfield and who might have concocted a scheme to get Fullerton out of his way?”

Joan considered for a moment. “Not that I am aware of, but I admit that I have not paid much attention.”

They drank tea together in a companionable silence for a while.

“I wonder what sort of temperament is required to make a person contemplate hiring a murderer,” Lavinia said finally.

“Presumably one with a great capacity for overwhelming greed or ambition.”

“Or perhaps one that is capable of harboring a deep rage,” Lavinia said slowly. “Can you think of anyone who would have had a reason to hate Fullerton so intensely?”

“Not offhand, although I suppose any man of his age might have acquired some enemies along the way.” Joan looked intrigued. “Do you want me to make some inquiries in that direction?”

“I would be very grateful if you would do that. There is no time to waste and we must pursue every avenue. This entire affair is so extremely muddled. We do not even know if Fullerton is the killer’s first victim.”

Joan’s cup paused halfway to her lips. Her eyes narrowed faintly.

“Do you have reason to suspect that there may have been others?”

“It’s possible. We simply do not know.” Restless and frustrated, Lavinia rose and went to examine the large golden chrysanthemums in the nearest vase. “Can you think of any other recent unexpected or unexplained deaths in Society?”

Joan pursed her lips. “Apsley’s heart failed him in May, but given his ill health, no one was surprised. Lady Thornby was taken off by a fever last month, but she had been bedridden for nearly a year.”

She fell silent, thinking. Lavinia listened to the ticking of the tall clock.

“I confess that I did wonder a bit at the news of Lady Rowland’s death last month,” Joan said eventually. “The gossip is that she accidentally consumed too much of her bedtime tonic and died in her sleep. But those who were close to her said that she brewed the concoction herself and had taken it regularly for years without incident.”

Lavinia turned quickly. “Suicide?”

“I am strongly inclined to doubt it.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“The woman was a tyrant,” Joan said flatly. “She controlled the purse strings in the family, and she did not hesitate to use them to force the others to bend to her will. At the time of her death, she had an excellent reason to live.”

Lavinia felt her curiosity stir. “Why do you say that?”

“From all accounts, Lady Rowland was looking forward to the announcement of her eldest granddaughter’s engagement next month. She had agreed to settle a vast sum on the girl, provided her papa accepted an offer from Ferring’s oldest son. It was no secret that Lady Rowland was obsessed with seeing the marriage take place.”

“Why was that?”

“The on-dit is that in her youth, Lady Rowland conceived a great passion for Ferring’s father. Her parents forced her to marry Rowland instead, but the gossip is that she never got over her feelings for Ferring. Indeed, they are rumored to have had a long-standing affair after Ferring himself was married. He died a few years ago.”

“Do you believe that Lady Rowland was determined to live out her dreams through her eldest granddaughter?”

“That is what I was told. It is certainly no secret that after her own husband died, she used the Rowland fortune to buy the Ferring heir for her granddaughter.” Joan sipped tea and slowly lowered her cup, eyes faintly narrowed. “But I believe that has all changed now’

“Why is that?”

“Maryanne mentioned just last week that she had heard there would be no engagement announcement after all. Something about the young lady’s papa having refused Ferring’s offer.”

Lavinia felt excitement leap. “What happened to change his mind?”

“I cannot say. At the time the subject was not of particular interest.” Joan paused. “But I could probably find out for you.”

“Yes, I think I would very much like to know the particulars.”

Lavinia tapped the toe of her half boot on the thick carpet. “Who controls Lady Rowland’s fortune now?”

“Her son, the granddaughter’s papa.”

“Well, now,” Lavinia said to herself.

Joan gave her an inquiring look. “What are you thinking?”

“It occurs to me that in the wake of both Lord Fullerton’s and Lady Rowland’s deaths, wedding plans were drastically altered.”

Joan tilted her head slightly to the side, considering that conclusion. “Do you know, now that I study the question in that light, there may be a third death that fits the formula, that of a gentleman of some forty years named Newbold. He was found dead at the foot of his own staircase one morning a few weeks ago. Everyone assumed that he had had too much to drink and lost his balance on the top step.”