The Planet Mappers by E. Everett Evans (books for new readers .TXT) 📕

feed her own bitterness.” He opened the door and stepped out, then offered her his hand.

She climbed down, then set her skirt to rights. “I don’t understand.”

He scratched the side of his head. “The thing is this. If you had never been found, eventually your inheritance would have been split up among all of us.”

In other words, the whole family had been hoping she was dead.

* * *

After examining her from head to toe, Lady Agnes deigned to speak. “Well, Miss Jameson, it took long enough to find you.”

“Had I known a fortune waited, I would have been found sooner.”

“Indeed.” Again that long inspection. Her expression said she was not impressed. Rosamund noticed those eyes narrow and pause on her bonnet. Too good for such as her, those eyes said.

“She lives in Richmond,” Kevin said. “Hence the delay. She never saw the notices in the London papers.”

“The major papers can be had all over England,” Lady Agnes said.

“I suppose if someone hopes to inherit an unexpected fortune from a stranger, that person would arrange to procure and read every edition,” Kevin said. “Miss Jameson is not that person, it appears.”

His aunt was no fool and knew he was mocking her. A nasty glare flamed above her pursed smile. “Apparently not. You are rather old to be unmarried, Miss Jameson. Considering that there is little to complain of in your appearance, I find that most odd.”

“Aunt Agnes,” Kevin admonished.

“I have been devoting meself to other things, Lady Agnes,” Rosamund said. “I’ve a millinery shop that requires attention. Looking for a husband has fallen aside as a result.”

“A shop girl. Well. Did it not astonish you to discover the duke’s bequest? It was certainly most peculiar to us.”

“To me as well. I scarcely knew him.”

Deep, penetrating inspection now. “And how, may I ask, did you scarcely know him?”

“No, you may not ask,” Kevin said. “Let us all take a turn before Miss Jameson decides the entire Radnor family is odder than the bequest.” He turned with deliberation and stared at his aunt until she fell into step with him.

That left Rosamund walking beside the younger woman named Felicity, who was the wife of one of Kevin’s cousins. She was a pretty woman, with fragile features. She reminded Rosamund of those little china sculptures, the ones that always had tiny, pointed noses and blank, blue eyes.

“That is a very handsome bonnet you are wearing,” Felicity said.

Rosamund immediately felt guilty for her unkind thoughts. “Thank you. I made it meself.”

“What a talented person you are! Of course . . . you won’t have to make your own anymore, will you?”

“Oh, but I want to. It is me trade.”

Felicity laughed. “Come now. With your fortune you can purchase any hats or wardrobe you want for yourself and can give up being in trade altogether.”

“I don’t think so. I enjoy it too much.”

Felicity blinked hard.

“How sad that you are unmarried as yet. I expect that will be quickly remedied.”

“The solicitor warned me about fortune hunters. I think it be best to avoid them, don’t you?”

“It depends on their own fortunes.” She slowed her pace, dragging Rosamund back with her. “Kevin has probably been rude about part of that inheritance. I would apologize for him, but I have given up doing so. Although this one time it is perhaps understandable. He didn’t care about the money, you see. Only that invention, and that the duke left half of it to a stranger.”

“We have come to a right understanding about that, so he has not been too rude.”

“Are you going to give him your half? I can’t think of any other understanding that he would find acceptable.”

“I am not planning to do that, and he knows it.” Rosamund noticed how they kept falling back from Kevin and Lady Agnes.

“I suppose you could turn it back to the estate. One is not forced to accept bequests.”

“Why would I do that?”

“To rid yourself of it, of course. My husband explained to me that although it isn’t worth anything, it could cost a person dearly. A partner is accountable for debts and additional investments. It would be such a shame if that happened to you.”

Felicity was showing herself to be a sly woman. Rosamund wondered why she offered all this advice. “If I do turn it back, who would receive it instead?”

“I suppose it would be split among the cousins, although most likely the others would sell and take the pennies offered. Kevin, of course, would keep his portion.”

Having her half broken up like that was the one thing Kevin did not want. And if it was so worthless, she could not imagine why Felicity cared what happened to it.

“Well, I think I’ll keep it for a while, to see what’s what with it first. That will spare all those cousins from having to bother with it.”

Felicity appeared dismayed. “Miss Jameson, when I said you might want to rid yourself of it, I did so only for your benefit.” She looked around, as if to make sure no one walked close by. “You really do not want to be Kevin’s partner. He will probably ruin you. And . . .” She lowered her voice. “You may not have been told this, but his last partner died under suspicious circumstances.”

Rosamund was so startled by the revelation that she almost tripped over a fallen branch on the path. Felicity took satisfaction in that reaction. Up ahead it appeared Kevin and his aunt’s conversation had turned contentious.

“What do you mean?”

“It was called an accident, but no one in the family thinks the duke had a mishap and fell off that parapet. Nor do we think he jumped. That only leaves one way he ended up on the ground below.”

Rosamund decided she did not care much for this woman. “You have implied that Kevin Radnor is the reason the duke fell. Please speak plainly now. Do you have any reason to believe that, or do you merely dislike him?”

Felicity’s lids lowered. Her head rose so