01 - Murder at Ashgrove House by Margaret Addison

to be had on the
matter. If necessary, I’ll  see to it that your father stops your monthly
allowance and that you remain a virtual prisoner at Sedgwick until you learn
some sense and do as you are told.’
    ‘Father would never allow -.’
    ‘Oh, don’t talk nonsense, Lavinia, you know full well that your father
will do exactly as I say. We both want to do what is best for you even if you
yourself are quite determined to ruin all your chances. But enough of this,
we’ll talk about all this shop nonsense later. What I really want to talk to
you about now concerns a chance to redeem yourself.’
    ‘What do you mean, Mother?’ Lavinia found that she was curious despite
herself.
    ‘Constance tells me that Cedric is expected down this weekend. And if he
comes down, it’s highly likely that he’ll bring Lord Sneddon with him. You must
make the most of this opportunity, Lavinia, while their friendship is still
strong. When else are you going to find yourself the only eligible woman at a
house party where the heir to a dukedom just happens to be present? You know as
well as I do, that even for a woman like you with every privilege and beauty,
the only way to true freedom is through an advantageous marriage. If you
continue to behave in the way you have been, shut away in your dress shop and
attracting all sorts of the very wrong kinds of people, you will deter any
appropriate suitors. This weekend you will act demurely and do everything in
your power to secure Lord Sneddon’s affections. It can’t be a hardship for you
after all. Why, there must be a hundred aristocratic young ladies who would
give anything to be in just such a position. And besides, Lord Sneddon has the
additional benefits of being young and handsome. What more can you ask for,
Lavinia? Do not disappoint me.’  
    ‘Very well, Mother,’ said Lavinia, secretly very pleased that for once
her mother’s wishes mirrored her own. For, ever since she realised Lord Sneddon
might be joining them, she had been busy planning how to secure the marquis’s
affections in the snatched moments between being lectured to by her mother and
entertaining Rose.          
    ‘It is a pity that you brought that girl with you,’ Lady Belvedere was
saying, ‘she’s bound to be an unnecessary inconvenience and an absolute embarrassment;
her sort of women always are, they always think they are above themselves but
they don’t know how to behave in our sort of company. Did you see the way she
simply stared at the dishes we had for luncheon? She’s probably never seen so
much food, for one moment I thought that she was going to try and eat it all
and then lick the plates clean!’
    ‘You’re being very unfair, Mother,’ replied Lavinia, suddenly feeling
defensive of her friend, not least because she was feeling rather guilty having
been half wishing herself that she had left Rose in London this weekend so that
she could give Lord Sneddon her undivided attention. ‘She knows exactly how to
behave in company, or I wouldn’t have brought her with me. Her family has
simply fallen on hard times, that’s all. Why, if her father was still alive,
she wouldn’t be forced to go out to work at all.’
    ‘Even so, she’s hardly from our class. However, it could prove to be a
blessing in disguise,’ admitted Lady Belvedere rather grudgingly. Seeing the
bewildered expression on her daughter’s face, she went on to explain. ‘Well,
fortunately she is a very plain creature which by comparison will only help to
accentuate your looks. And I expect, if her present attire is anything to go
by, that her clothes will be cheap and a little vulgar. What a pity you didn’t
know Lord Sneddon was going to be here and then you might have packed some of
your finest gowns and diamonds.’
    ‘Well, actually, I did, Mother’, admitted Lavinia rather sheepishly. ‘I
wanted to impress Rose; she’s only seen me in those awful shop clothes.’
    ‘Excellent, that’s my girl,’