Page 23 of Seductions of a Duke's Daughter (The Duchess's Investigative Society 4)

“I think it must be a woman,” Cassie said. “Ruining a wedding seems such a...feminine thing to do.”

“Agreed,” said Eleanor, thinking of the redhead.

“We cannot let Demeter and Blake elope,” Cassie said firmly. “We cannot let whoever wants to ruin their wedding win.”

“And Father would not understand one jot if we did cancel it,” Eleanor reminded them.

“So how do we find out who it is?” Chastity asked.

“We gather as many of the women we know as we can, ask them questions, see if there is anything suspicious in their behavior?” Cassie suggested.

“It’s a good idea,” agreed Eleanor.

Chastity lifted a finger. “I can hold a luncheon. Valentine never has guests and I know most of the ladies are dying to be invited to Heath Lodge.”

Cassie arched a brow. “Will Valentine agree to that?”

Waving a hand, Chastity grinned. “That man will agree when I tell him it’s for my sisters. Besides, I’ll send him somewhere with Nancy. He’ll adore the time with her.”

“We have a plan then.” Eleanor resisted the urge to clap her hands together.

It had been a long time since they’d investigated anything together and her sisters led such busy lives now they were married. Naturally she did not wish any of this on Demeter, but she did look forward to conducting another investigation. With any luck, they could solve it swiftly and she could tell Oliver she’d found the culprit entirely without his help. How perfect that would be.

∞∞∞

“Mother, I am on my way out.” Oliver cursed that he had not spotted her before leaving the house. He encountered her making her way down the path toward the front door, her voluminous purple dress overlaid with dark netting seeming to absorb the bright afternoon sun and sucking any joy from everyone around her. Including him.

He’d scarcely set a toe to the second step before she pounced upon him.

The deep purple and black netting made him think of death. Death, and, of course, marriage. Which might as well be death the way his family did it.

“You avoided me yesterday.”

“Did I? How did I do that when I did not see you?” He made a show of peering around her at the carriage waiting on the busy road, holding up several carts behind it.

“I know you were home.”

“I do believe I was out most of yesterday.”

Her gaze narrowed. “You avoided me deliberately.”

Oliver breathed in slowly and hoped the headache slowly working between his eyes would fade as soon as he was far from his mother. No wonder his brothers all looked like aged men already. Giving into their mother’s demands no doubt made one ill.

“As you can see, Mother, I am here now, so what do you wish of me?”

“Where are you going anyway? It is not visiting hour.”

“To see Blake.”

She made a noise in the back of her throat. “I still cannot believethatman snared a wife this Season and you did not, even if she is utterly stupid.”

“Demeter is not stupid,” he said tightly.

“Youhave the title.” She jabbed a finger into his chest so hard he swore it would leave a bruise. “You have the excellent looks. You have the breeding.”

“I hardly think you can say Jacob Blake has no breeding, Mother. He’s the heir to a fortune.”

“Yethehas the wife,” she continued.

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