Page 77 of Murder at Hambledon Hall
“The Tories?”
“Is that the conservative party? Yes, them.”
I exchanged a glance with Flossy and was relieved to see that even she seemed to think it unusual that Janet didn’t know her fiancé very well. “Haven’t you spoken about his plans for the future?” I asked Janet.
She shrugged. “I’m sure he knows what he’s doing. He’s determined to do well for himself. He’s quite ambitious.”
A gentleman with plans to enter politics could have his future derailed by a scandal in his wife’s family. The fifth earl of Kershaw’s affair with the gamekeeper’s daughter might not be enough to affect the sixth Lord Kershaw’s life, but it could alter Janet’s future husband’s.
I studied Janet closely as she asked the sales assistant if she could take a closer look at one of the tiepins. She clutched her beaded purse tightly in both hands and tried to look mature, but she couldn’t hide her smile of satisfaction as the sales assistant set out the tiepin on a white cloth. Janet seemed like a girl allowed to spend her own money for the first time, who wanted to make her first purchase special. She was innocent in the ways of the world, I was sure of it.
Her parents were wise, cunning even, and Janet was pretty and young, a combination that attracted the roguish gamekeeper. What would they do to protect her? Marry her off to the first gentleman to take an interest in her when Esmond Shepherd’s roaming eye settled on her, as her own mother’s parents had done?
“What do you think?” she asked Flossy and me.
“It’s very elegant,” Flossy said.
Janet looked pleased. “Miss Fox?”
“It’s quite flashy with the ruby. Is your fiancé the sort of man who likes colorful gemstones?”
Janet deflated. “I don’t think so.”
The sales assistant glared at me as she returned the tiepin to the display cabinet.
“What about the one with the diamond?” I asked. “It’s not as colorful as the ruby, but it’s still elegant and quite sophisticated.”
“Very sophisticated,” the sales assistant said as she showed it to Janet.
Janet agreed and handed over the money. As the sales assistant wrapped the box for her, I pressed her about her upcoming marriage.
“How and when did he propose? It must have been a thrill for you.”
“Oh, he didn’t. It was all arranged before we met. I first saw him at Hambledon Hall, a week after it was all set up.”
“Why there?”
“My aunt and uncle Kershaw know his parents very well. They suggested the marriage and had their solicitor draw up the contract. That’s why I was able to make such a good match, you see. The benefit of having an earl for an uncle,” she said with a giggle.
Flossy must have heard the story before, and knowing my views on marriage, quickly wanted to allay my concerns over the decision forced on Janet. “She wasn’t keen at first, were you, Janet? But after she met him, she changed her mind.”
“I was dead against it,” Janet said. “I wanted to marry a man of my choosing. Then I met him and saw how handsome he is, and so tall. I’m very fortunate.”
If tall and handsome were the only ingredients for a happy marriage, she would have a wonderful life ahead. I kept my cutting opinion to myself. As unwise as it was to choose a husband based on such superficial reasoning, I didn’t want to be the one to upset her. I liked Janet’s vivacity, so different to her mother’s jaded character. Although, if I were Janet’s mother, I’d worry about her naivety. I’d have waited until she was a little older before setting her up with a conservative man.
“Why not wait a few years?” I asked.
Janet’s face suddenly flushed scarlet. She accepted the package from the sales assistant before hurrying to the exit.
Flossy raced after her. “Janet? Why is your face red?”
Janet walked out of the shop, strode up to our waiting carriage and climbed in. Flossy and I exchanged glances then got in too. I waited for the footman to close the door before pressing Janet.
“Is something wrong? Please, tell us. Perhaps we can help you.”
She lowered her head. “It’s nothing. Everything’s all right now.”
Flossy took Janet’s hand. “We’re your friends and sharing your burden might make you feel better.”
