Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, returns in Dianne Freeman’s charming, lighthearted mystery series set in Victorian England, and finds her wedding day overshadowed by murder . . .
On the eve of her marriage to George Hazelton, Frances has a great deal more on her mind than flowers and seating arrangements. The Connors and the Bainbridges, two families of American robber barons, have taken up residence in London, and their bitter rivalry is spilling over into the highest social circles. At the request of her brother, Alonzo, who is quite taken with Miss Madeline Connor, Frances has invited the Connor family to her wedding. Meanwhile, Frances’s mother has invited Mr. Bainbridge, and Frances fears the wedding may end up being newspaper-worthy for all the wrong reasons.
On the day itself, Frances is relieved to note that Madeline’s father is not among the guests assembled at the church. The reason for his absence, however, turns out to be most unfortunate: Mr. Connor is found murdered in his home. More shocking still, Alonzo is caught at the scene, holding the murder weapon.
Powerful and ruthless,
Connor appears to have amassed a wealth of enemies alongside his fortune.
Frances and George agree to put their wedding trip on hold to try and clear
Alonzo’s name. But there are secrets to sift through, not just in the
Bainbridge and Connor families, but also in their own. And with a killer
determined to evade discovery at any cost—even if it means taking another
life—Frances’s first days as a newlywed will be perilous indeed . . .
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Excerpt
We thanked Mr. Wilson
and encouraged him to stop at the kitchen and partake of the feast once he’d
packed up his belongings. George stayed behind to make arrangements to see the
photographs when we returned from our wedding trip, while I said a tearful
goodbye to Rose and left her in the custody of her doting grandmama. Then I
slipped upstairs to ring for Bridget and change for our travels. I’d hate to be
late and miss our train.
Fortunately, Bridget
had kept better track of time than I and was waiting for me when I stepped
through the bedchamber door, my traveling dress at the ready.
She raised her hands
when she saw me. “Here you are, my lady.” She turned me around and began
working on the buttons on the back of my gown.
“Did you find time to
eat?” I asked her.
“Yes, ma’am. We’re
feasting below stairs. I don’t recall his lordship ever running to such
extravagance with a luncheon menu before.”
“Funny, I don’t recall
a thing I ate. I suppose weddings are like that. There’s so much planning
beforehand and the actual event passes by in the blink of an eye. Are you and
Blakely ready to leave for the train?”
Bridget had finished
with the buttons on the back and was now working on the sleeves. “As soon as we
get you changed, I’ll hand this gown off to the housekeeper and I’m as good as
ready. I’ve asked her to send it on to your aunt’s house, ma’am, as I’m sure
Jenny will know how to clean it.”
Since Jenny had been my
maid before she worked for Aunt Hetty, I was quite familiar with her skills and
certain Bridget was right. “Well done, Bridget. What about the bags?”
“The baggage is already
loaded on the carriage. Everything is ready and waiting for us.” She peeled the
sleeves off my arms and I stepped out of the wedding gown.
“I’ll need to say
goodbye to the guests. After that, I’ll be ready to leave, too. It’s been years
since I’ve had a trip.”
“Don’t I know it.”
Bridget laid the gown out on the bed and picked up my traveling dress. “Are you
planning to throw your bouquet, ma’am?”
“I hadn’t thought of
that. If there’s anyone left to throw it to. The whole time we were with the
photographer, guests were traipsing back and forth between here and the
Connors’ residence. I can’t imagine why.” I turned to see myself in the mirror
as she began fastening the dress.
“That color is perfect
for a trip to the south of France.”
She was right. It was a
blue-green that brought to mind the sea and warm, sunny climes. And it fit to
perfection. It was worth every penny I’d scraped together.
The new kid gloves
matched beautifully. I sat down to button up the left hand while Bridget
fastened my shoes, then buttoned up the right for me. She handed me my bag and
bouquet.
“This is it,” I said,
nearly bursting with excitement. “I’ll meet you on the train.”
Bridget smiled up at
me. “Yes, you will, Mrs. Hazelton.”
George awaited me at
the foot of the stairs. I wanted to skip down them, take him by the arm, and be
on our way. The doorbell sounded over the hum of voices in the drawing room.
George looked at me, shrugged, and opened the door, admitting Inspector Delaney.
“This is a surprise,” I
said. “How lovely you’ve decided to come and celebrate with us after all. What
a shame we’re on our way out.”
Delaney glanced around,
taking note that we were the only ones in the entry hall. “My felicitations to
you both, but I’m here in my official capacity.”
I moved slowly down the
stairs, fighting a sense of dread. It was never a good sign when the police
showed up at one’s wedding.
“Is something wrong,
Inspector?”
He cleared his throat.
“Do you have a relative by the name of Alonzo Price, ma’am?”
“Yes.” Fear kept me
frozen in place. “He’s my brother. Has something happened to him?”
“I’m afraid he’s been
arrested.”
“Arrested?” George
echoed. “Whatever for?”
Delaney heaved a sigh.
“For the murder of James Connor.”
My legs began to wobble and I reached for the bannister, dropping my bouquet. It bounced down the remaining steps, leaving sad remnants behind until it settled in a heap at George’s feet.
About the Author
Dianne Freeman is the acclaimed author of the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series. She is an Agatha Award and Lefty Award winner, as well as a finalist for the prestigious Mary Higgins Clark Award from Mystery Writers of America. After thirty years of working in corporate accounting and finance, she now writes full-time. Born and raised in Michigan, she and her husband split their time between Michigan and Arizona. Visit her at www.DiFreeman.com.
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Sounds good.
ReplyDeletepretty cover
ReplyDeletegreat excerpt from the book
ReplyDeleteFantastic excerpt, A Bride's Guide to Murder sounds like a thrilling mystery for me to read! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a glorious TGIF!
ReplyDelete