She took in a deep breath of the evening air and smiled. “The good news is now, with him out of the picture, that is one less person in the way of our investigation.”
“Our investigation? I thought we had concluded that Miss Hemphill killed Mr. St. Vincent because he refused to marry her.”
Amy pointed a finger at him. “No, you and Aunt Margaret concluded that. I do not agree, and I believe I said so that day. How would killing Mr. St. Vincent help the dilemma in which Miss Hemphill found herself?”
“True, but ’tis quite known that crimes of passion don’t always make sense.”
Amy scooted up on her seat. “On another point, were you able to obtain a copy of the autopsy report?”
William reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew papers. “Yes. I will give it to you, but basically it says she died of poisoning. Pennyroyal, as we suspected. Her pregnancy was confirmed, and the cause of death was determined to be accidental poisoning while attempting an abortion.”
Amy was stunned at how sad she felt at those words. A lovely young lady who had made a mistake like many others before her, and now she and an unborn babe were dead. Amy swiped at the unexpected tears that welled in her eyes. She reached out and took the paper from William.
“Are you well, Amy?”
Unable to speak just yet, she merely nodded and tucked the papers into her reticule. Taking a deep breath, she looked out the window as they passed the various shops on their way to the Assembly Rooms.
Lord and Lady Carlisle, Mr. Miles and his mother, and severa
l other book club members and friends from church had already gathered. Perhaps it was the temptation of full spring weather, but the atmosphere that night was lively.
Eloise nodded and patted her arm.
All the windows had been thrown open and the gas chandeliers lit. Ladies in lovely pale dresses and rich-colored gowns moved around the room on the arms of debonair gentlemen. Intricate hairdos with numerous adornments, along with the scents of perfumes and talcs, gave the attendees a festive air.
The music swept over the group, loud enough to be enjoyed by the dancers but not so loud as to hinder conversation.
Amy stood with Lady Carlisle, and Mrs. Miles, sipping on a lemonade and watching the activity in the room. “Has there been any news on Mr. St. Vincent’s murder?” Lady Carlisle, who once again looked very pale and not well, placed her empty glass on a tray carried by a server.
“Nothing of which I am aware,” Amy answered.
Lady Carlisle had been entertaining quite a lot on her husband’s behalf. Even though she was more than twenty years younger than Lord Carlisle, the poor woman looked quite worn out. Another reason why Amy had never been enthralled with the idea of marriage. A woman must put aside all her hopes, desires, and enjoyments for the sake of her husband.
If the man wished to uproot his family and move to a foreign country, she had no choice but to go, leaving behind a lifetime of friends and family. If he decided that a much-coveted position was what he wanted, it was expected the wife would do what was necessary to make sure he attained that goal.
Lord and Lady Carlisle did not have children of their own, but his title was secured by two sons born to him and his deceased wife. At least Lady Carlisle didn’t face the possibility of moving her children to a foreign land for however many years necessary.
Lady Carlisle shook her head. “One would think if you were under the suspicion of murder, the police would at least keep you informed.”
How interesting. Based on Lady Carlisle’s words, it appeared Amy’s being the main suspect was not a secret.
“I heard that you and Lord Wethington are helping the police with their investigation.” Mrs. Miles stared at Amy with an intensity that unnerved her a bit. Although the three of them enjoyed mystery books and shared an interest in the book club, Mrs. Miles had always struck her as a bit odd.
However, it was necessary to veer away from these questions. The less she said, the better. “We have offered a tip or two, but they have told us to not get in their way,” Amy laughed.
“The police are very cautious about allowing interference.” Mrs. Miles appeared sorry that Amy had no more information to share. Lady Carlisle seemed to have lost interest in the conversation entirely and instead studied the group of men that had congregated on the other side of the room.
William stood with Mr. Miles, Mr. Harris, Lord Carlisle, and Mr. Colbert. As she studied the men, Amy’s eyes were caught by a deep-red gown flying past. She grinned at Aunt Margaret, who in turned winked at her as she floated by in Lord Pembroke’s arms.
’Twas a good thing Papa wasn’t present, because he had never given up on marrying off his younger sister. Had he seen Aunt Margaret with Lord Pembroke, Papa would have been hauling the poor man over to the corner to negotiate marriage contracts.
The music came to an end, and the dancers made their way to the refreshment table or over to the French doors for a bit of fresh air. Amy, Mrs. Miles, and Lady Carlisle crossed the room to join the gentlemen.
Eloise had not attended that week because she was entertaining her cousin, Mr. Burkitt. He was a charming man whom Amy had spent time with before. He joked that dances caused him to itch, so he and Eloise were off to the theater. Amy was sure he was afraid to have the marriage-minded mamas dragging their daughters to him. He was a very confirmed bachelor.
“May I request the honor of the next dance, Lady Amy?” Mr. Harris bowed in her direction.
Apparently, Mr. Harris was going to be a permanent part of their life in Bath. Although she no longer wished to physically harm the man, he was not one of her favorite people. He seemed to have formed a friendship with Mr. Miles that she found interesting. Since she now knew that Mr. Miles was involved in selling illegal opium, it was quite notable that the two men had become such fast friends.