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SUSPICION FLICKERED over both Edmund’s and Lady Audrey’s faces.
“The butler said we could use this room to conduct interviews,” Randolph said.
“I suppose it would make it safer for those of us who are not vicious murderers,” Lady Audrey remarked.
“If you think so,” Edmund acquiesced, and his gaze moved to the filing cabinet. “Still, I’m not comfortable with a stranger sorting through father’s things.”
“Very well.” Randolph flashed Edmund a broad grin, but Cora suspected Randolph would find an occasion to search through the filing cabinet at a time when he did not have one of Britain’s highest ranked aristocrats looking disapprovingly at him.
Lady Audrey shrugged. “What could he find? Besides, in a sense, he was your father’s employee.”
“Right.” Edmund raked a hand through his hair. “Yes. I suppose so.” He frowned. “Did my father pay you yet, Mr. Hall? I wouldn’t want his death to have caused you any inconvenience.”
“I was—er—paid in advance. It would be nice to speak with you about the event of last night,” Randolph said.
“I already mentioned some details to Miss Clarke,” Edmund said quickly.
Randolph nodded. “Perhaps Lady Audrey...”
“Oh,” Lady Audrey said. “You want to question me?”
“Please,” Randolph said.
Lady Audrey settled opposite Randolph and Cora. She seemed a trifle uneasy and darted a glance toward Edmund.
“I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” Randolph assured her.
“I’m not.” Lady Audrey assessed Randolph. “You just look familiar. Have we met before?”
He paused, but then grinned. “Only if you have a habit of getting in trouble with the law.”
Lady Audrey’s cheeks turned a ruddy color, her embarrassment evidently not hampered by her abundance of freckles. “I must have been mistaken.”
Edmund frowned. “I wouldn’t conflate being a private detective with the law.”
“Then perhaps you have more to learn about the law,” Randolph said easily.
“Hmph. I’ll leave you be.” Edmund exited the room.
“What brings you to Chalcroft Park?” Randolph asked.
“I grew up next door. In Oak Manor,” Lady Audrey said.
“Mm...hmm. And how did you come to be invited?”
Lady Audrey flushed. “I suppose you could say I was angling for an invitation. An utter mistake, given the circumstances.”
“So they invited you out of pity?” Randolph asked.
“Naturally not,” Lady Audrey said. “I offered to do a portrait of Edmund’s mother and the new—er—duchess.”
“I see. And what did the late duke think about this?”
“We got on well enough. He could be abrasive at times. He respected my family, though.”
“It must have been difficult growing up near a man so prone to criticizing people.”
Lady Audrey raised an eyebrow. “Rudeness is not a trait unique to him.” She smiled. “Murder would ruin my reputation; being a freeloader is sufficiently intolerable.”
“Are you in dire economic straights?”
“Nonsense. Most people are lining up at soup kitchens. Not me. But I’ve limited myself to only one maid and cook in my London townhouse. Quite disgraceful, I know.” She glanced at Cora. “I suppose you, of all people, can understand the convenience of accepting invitations to house parties.”
Cora flushed. “You weren’t close to your parents?”
“They always go to the French Riviera in winter. It would be nice to pop round to their house sometime, if this infernal snow ever clears. It’s within walking distance.”
“So take us through the events of the night,” Randolph said, changing the subject. “What time did you arrive here?”
“Oh, I’ve been here for several days already. It’s Thursday now? I arrived on Monday. They’re really not all that dreadful. I was painting Edmund’s mother.”
“Did she like your portrait?”
“Oh, I think she was amused enough by it. She didn’t like standing still much, and the duke naturally was not enthralled by the style, but on the whole, I suppose it was a positive experience.”
“So you were alone here with the current duke.”
She shrugged. “Yes, Edmund and I were able to catch up.”
Something about her manner made Cora think about Veronica’s reaction to him. “Have you ever been romantically entwined with him?”
“Edmund?” She laughed and then stopped. “Ages ago and utterly silly. We get along quite well. Always have.”
“It would have been convenient to marry someone like him. Did you ever expect a proposal?”
Lady Audrey smiled. “You sound like my aged grandmother. Edmund is...like a brother.”
“Where were you when the duke died?” Cora asked.
“In bed.”
“Did you hear anything in the corridor?”
She shook her head. “I wish I had. If he was really murdered—” She sighed. “I wish I could have prevented it somehow.”
“Is there anything you remember that might be useful?”
She frowned. “I heard footsteps outside my door at, hmm, perhaps ten o’clock.”
Signor Palombi.
“Who do you think may have killed the duke?”
“Mr. and Mrs. Ardingley despised him. They thought the duke should provide greater support to Mr. Ardingley.”
“And what were your opinions on that?”
“I thought the duke was already being remarkably generous. Most men don’t invite their byblows for the holidays. Most don’t even acknowledge their bastards, but everyone in society knows Rhys is the duke’s firstborn and illegitimate son.” She shrugged. “He should consider himself fortunate.”
“Any other impressions?” Cora asked. “Was the duke stressed with anything? Perhaps business?”
“Not business,” Lady Audrey said. “He liked to boast about how many people from different countries were approaching him. I do know he was deeply uncomfortable with Edmund’s new wife. I think Edmund’s parents always assumed that Edmund and I would marry. Veronica, of course, is nothing like me, and her past threatens the family’s reputation. The late duke was plotting how he might sever Edmund’s relationship with Veronica.”
“Even though it’s a new dukedom?”
“Especially because of that,” Lady Audrey said.
“You can go,” Randolph said to Lady Audrey. “You’ve been helpful.”
Lady Audrey nodded. She turned at the door. “Good luck. I hope you find the culprit.”
“Thank you.” Cora smiled.
Randolph rose immediately. “Let’s look through the filing cabinet.”
“I don’t think I can go through his private things,” Cora said.
“Then I’ll search it,” Randolph said.
“Fine.”
“You can fetch someone else for us to interview.”
“Perhaps we should speak with the butler,” Cora said.
“You think he had a motive?” Randolph asked.
“It’s unlikely. He does have a good position. Why would he want to ruin that? All the same, perhaps he noticed something.”
“Fine. Ring the bell for him.” He grinned. “You can keep watch outside.”