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- Herausgeber: Allison & Busby
- Kategorie: Krimi
- Serie: Amory Ames
- Sprache: Englisch
Amory Ames is travelling to New York, excited to be a bridesmaid at her friend Tabitha's wedding, but with Prohibition in full swing, her husband Milo is less than enthused. When a member of the wedding party is found murdered on the front steps of the bride's home, the happy plans take a darker twist. Amory discovers that the dead man has links to the notorious - and notoriously handsome - gangster Leon De Lora. While the police seem to think that New York's criminal underworld is at play, Amory feels they can't ignore the wedding guests either. Milo and Amory are drawn into the glamorous, dangerous world of nightclubs and bootleggers. But as they draw closer to unravelling the web of lies the murdered man has left in his wake, the killer is weaving a web of his own.
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Seitenzahl: 481
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019
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A DANGEROUS ENGAGEMENT
ASHLEY WEAVER
For Ann Collette, the best agent a writer could ever ask for
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
Chelsea Piers, New York City October 1933
I came to New York for a wedding; I never imagined I would bear witness to two deaths. Strange the turns life takes when one least expects it.
A cool breeze ruffled my hair as I stood on the deck of our cruise liner, watching the city grow closer. Before us lay Chelsea Piers, and, behind them, the buildings of Manhattan rising proudly against the cloudless blue sky. It gave me a thrill to look at that skyline. It was almost as though I could feel the energy increasing with every passing moment. Already the soft silence of the sea was fading as faint yet distinctly urban noises of the city began to be carried out across the water on the wind. Gulls soared and dipped above, calling raucously as if welcoming us to their lively domain.
‘It presents a pretty picture, doesn’t it?’ my husband, Milo, said as he came to stand beside me at the rail. His normally smooth black hair was tousled by the wind, his eyes were far bluer than the water, and his complexion had been darkened by his time spent on deck during the voyage. He looked handsome, relaxed, and well-rested.
I felt none of those things. Though this was not my first trip to New York, it had been the least pleasant voyage thus far. The waters had been choppy, and I had spent most of the four days at sea in our stateroom feeling ill. I was immeasurably glad that land was in sight.
‘I’m almost sad to see the voyage end,’ he said, in direct contradiction to my own thoughts, as he leant against the rail. ‘Perhaps we should take a pleasure cruise when we return to England.’
‘Perhaps,’ I said, without any great enthusiasm. The water had been so unkind that, at the moment, I didn’t want to think about taking a bath, let alone another voyage.
‘But first things first,’ he went on, turning his back to the wind and cupping his hand around a cigarette to shield it from the damp gusts of sea air before flicking on his silver lighter. ‘We haven’t been to New York in some time. When this dull business is over, we’ll have some time to enjoy ourselves.’
The ‘dull business’ in question was the marriage of my old friend Tabitha Alden. It was this event which had drawn us to New York. While I was very much looking forward to seeing Tabitha and taking part in her wedding, Milo had accompanied me grudgingly, enticed more by the promise of riotous nightlife than by any desire to sit in a pew beside me on the special day.
‘You needn’t make it sound as though it’s going to be a chore,’ I said. ‘Tabitha’s wedding is going to be lovely.’
‘With alcohol illegal in this country, I don’t see how it will even be tolerable.’
I laughed. ‘Surely you don’t mind weddings as much as all that.’
‘The only wedding I’ve ever wanted to attend was ours,’ he said, blowing a stream of smoke into the wind.
I turned to look at him, quirking a brow. ‘Indeed? No one had to drag you to the church? I’ve always wondered.’
‘I was there before you were,’ he replied. ‘I half expected you to change your mind, and it wasn’t until you reached the altar and I looked into your eyes that I felt I could rest easy.’
His tone was light, but he appeared perfectly serious and I was touched. Milo was rarely sentimental, and the unexpected moments when he revealed a hint of sincerity always caught me off guard.
‘For that lovely sentiment,’ I said softly, ‘you needn’t ever attend a wedding with me again.’
His eyes met mine. ‘I’ll follow you into as many ceremonies as your heart desires, my darling,’ he replied. Then he tossed his cigarette overboard and leant in to kiss me.
For the next few moments, my seasickness was entirely forgotten.
Our romantic interlude concluded, I went back to the stateroom as we prepared to dock. I wanted to make sure that everything was in order. My mother would have been shocked that I had stood on the deck as long as I had; she disapproved of looking as though one were a vulgar tourist overanxious to reach New York. Not for the first time, I felt a traitorous sense of relief that a prior – and more prestigious – social obligation had prevented her from joining us on this trip.
The stateroom was panelled in dark wood, decorated in a tasteful, modern manner. If we hadn’t been lurching from one side to the other for several hours of each day, the furniture, mercifully, bolted to the floor, I might have almost believed that we were in a small hotel suite. I hoped the voyage home would find less tumultuous seas and I might enjoy it a bit more.
I walked through the sitting area with its geometric-print rug and dark blue sofa and chairs and into the well-appointed bedroom, avoiding, as I had done for the entirety of the voyage, the view of moving water visible through the glass doors that led onto a balcony.
Winnelda, my maid, looked up as I entered. ‘Oh, there you are, madam,’ she said, closing the suitcase that lay on the bed. ‘I’m nearly finished, I think. I’ve left your lighter coat, as well as your hat and gloves, in the wardrobe along with your handbag. Parks has gone to see about the trunks.’
Milo’s valet was sure to have everything well in hand. Between his rigid efficiency and Winnelda’s rather more relaxed organisational style, we were quite well taken care of.
‘Thank you, Winnelda. We’ll be docking soon, but we’ve some time before we disembark. Go up on deck and get your first glimpse of the city, if you like.’
‘Thank you. I think I shall. I’m ever so excited to see New York, madam,’ she said, her platinum curls bobbing in her enthusiasm. ‘I’ve only ever seen it at the cinema, and I can’t wait to tell my friends what it’s really like.’
‘I think you’ll enjoy it,’ I said. ‘I don’t expect I shall have much for you to do while I’m here, so you should have quite a good bit of free time.’
‘I’ll look forward to exploring. It will be easier than Paris, I think, since we all speak the same language. Or nearly the same language, at least.’
She turned to go but stopped in the doorway. ‘I didn’t pack the things in the desk. I thought perhaps there would be documents and things you’d want to look after yourself.’
‘Yes, thank you, Winnelda.’
She left then, and I crossed to the little wardrobe. Taking out my hat, a fetching thing of rust-coloured straw bedecked with burgundy roses, I went to the mirror and put it on, adjusting it to a jaunty angle on my dark waves. My fair complexion looked even paler than normal, but at least the colouring of the hat gave the illusion of a bit of pinkness to my cheeks.
Gathering up my jacket, gloves, and handbag, I went back into the sitting room, moving to the little desk that sat in the corner. I hadn’t had much need for writing letters on the voyage, and the rolling of the ship would have made it difficult, but I had placed a few documents there when unpacking.
I began sorting through the papers and my eyes fell on Tabitha’s last letter to me, the one she had sent asking me to take part in her wedding.
I picked it up, pulling the pale pink stationery from the envelope, and glanced over the letter, feeling as I had the first time I read it, and all the times since, that there was more to it than met the eye.
Dearest Amory,
I can’t tell you how excited I am to announce that I am to be married. I DO hope that you will be a bridesmaid (or is it brides-matron since you are married, I forget?). Tom is wonderful. I can’t wait for you to meet him. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind (almost strange the way we met and fell for one another so quickly) but we’re madly in love, and I know we shall be very happy together. Even better, he is going to work with father. He’s a genius at business things, and I know the two of them will be a smashing success. We’ve had our ups and downs, but I believe with all my heart that things are going to be better than ever. It’s as if all my dreams are coming true at once. Oh, DOsay you’ll be in the wedding. Then everything will be perfect.
Write back soon with your answer. I DOhope it will be yes!!
Yours fondly,
Tabitha
This letter was just as Tabitha’s letters had always been: effusive, disorganised, and embellished with heavily underlined words for emphasis. I wasn’t sure, then, why I had felt there was something different about this one, some undertone that made me a bit uneasy.
I supposed one aspect of this was the suddenness of her engagement. She and the young man in question had not known each other for long, and she had fallen madly in love and agreed to marry him in a short span of time. Of course, Tabitha had always been one to throw herself wholeheartedly into things, so there was no reason why love should be the exception. As I had done much the same thing myself when I met Milo, I had to acknowledge a hasty engagement in itself was not something to be concerned about.
However, I also knew that the Alden family had been in a somewhat difficult financial situation following the stock market crash of 1929. Tabitha’s letters had spoken of it somewhat vaguely, though she had clearly not wished to elaborate upon the misfortune of her family.
The hint that her fiancé was going to contribute to the family’s business dealings made me wonder if part of what she believed to be love was, in fact, a sense of duty she felt to her father. I did hope that Tabitha wasn’t rushing into something to help her father’s company in some way.
Then again, perhaps I was reading too much into things. Milo often said that, having been involved in several mysteries over the past year, I was constantly looking for trouble. On the contrary, I had a great abhorrence for anything of the sort. But once faced with a problem, my conscience wouldn’t let me rest until I had come to some sort of conclusion.
Nevertheless, I reminded myself as I gathered up the rest of the letters and papers from the drawer and shuffled them into a stack, now was not the time for such things. Tabitha’s wedding was a joyous occasion, and I did not intend to spoil the experience by worrying about things unnecessarily.
‘Ready to disembark, darling?’ Milo asked as he came into the stateroom.
I looked up, tucking the letters into my handbag. ‘Yes, please. I’m dying to set foot on dry land.’
Free of the ship and customs at last, we found our way through the exuberant crowds of weary travellers and the friends and relations that awaited them to the car the Aldens had sent for us. Milo examined the sleek, low-roofed black automobile with a collector’s eye, and apparently found it to his liking.
‘He has good taste, for an American,’ he told me as we slid into the plush leather back seat.
‘I trust you won’t add that qualifier when talking to him,’ I said. Tabitha’s father, Benjamin Alden, had met Tabitha’s mother when travelling in London for business. The two had eventually wed and settled in England, not far from my family home. Mr Alden had set about being as much of a country squire as it was possible for an American gentleman to be, and Tabitha and I had often found ourselves in each other’s company, though she was a bit younger than I.
Then Mrs Alden had died in an accident when Tabitha was fourteen, and she and a heartbroken Mr Alden had returned to New York. We had kept up a correspondence since then and visited each other once or twice, and it seemed to me that she had acclimated well to life in the United States.
‘Did you say Mr Alden had experienced recent financial difficulties?’ Milo enquired as the car pulled away from the kerb.
‘That was the impression I had from Tabitha. Why?’
‘This car is a Duesenberg Model J Tourster, worth at least twelve thousand dollars,’ he observed, lighting a cigarette.
My brows rose. ‘Perhaps things have improved.’
‘It would seem so.’
We drove along, enjoying the crowded, colourful streets of a city so like London, yet so different. There was something undeniably appealing about New York, a breathless vitality that seemed to pulse through it, making everything seem brighter and more alive every time I visited.
Eventually the crowded streets gave way to a neighbourhood filled with stately houses and cheerful little parks, a quiet, unhurried haven in the middle of a bustling city. At last the car pulled to a stop before an imposing white edifice. I found myself a bit surprised at the grandeur of the building before me, especially given Tabitha’s hints at her father’s financial woes. Whatever Mr Alden’s difficulties had been, it seemed that they had, indeed, not been of a lasting nature.
We alighted from the car and made our way up the front steps to the grand front doors.
A butler pulled one open just as we reached it. ‘Welcome, Mr and Mrs Ames,’ he said, ushering us in and taking our jackets. ‘Miss Tabitha is expecting you in the drawing room, if you’ll follow me.’
He led us down a long hallway, decorated with an assortment of art in gold frames, to a large drawing room. Tabitha Alden was sitting at a desk along one wall writing something, but turned at our approach and jumped up from her seat and hurried towards us.
Then, in a display of what my mother would likely describe as an unfortunate by-product of her American upbringing, she threw herself into my arms with great enthusiasm.
‘Hello, Amory! It’s so good to see you.’ She pulled back from the embrace, her eyes moving over me. ‘You look wonderful, you’ve barely changed at all!’
‘You look much the same yourself,’ I replied. Though the young lady she had been on my last visit, well before my marriage six years ago, had, of course, grown into an attractive young woman, she was still recognisable as the girl I had known. Her wavy hair was a bright golden hue that gleamed with hints of red when the sunlight shining through the window hit it, and her large blue eyes and the cheerful smile that flashed across her face were the same as they had always been. Indeed, I could still see in her features hints of the merry, energetic child with whom I had forsaken piano practice to parade before mirrors draped in our mothers’ ball gowns.
‘Of course, I’ve seen your pictures in the society columns from time to time, so I’m not entirely surprised at how you look. And this must be Mr Ames,’ she said, turning to Milo.
‘Yes, this is my husband, Milo,’ I said.
‘How very nice to meet you,’ she said, extending her hand to him. ‘I’ve seen you in the society columns, too. You’re even handsomer in person, though perhaps a bit less wicked-looking.’
‘Thank you. I think,’ Milo said dryly.
‘Oh, you mustn’t mind me. I’m always saying improper things,’ she said without embarrassment. She really was just as I remembered her: lively and cheerfully forthright, with no hint of self-consciousness. In any case, she was right. Milo had begun to live down a good deal of his past infamy.
‘Come sit down. We’ll have tea.’ She led us to a cluster of very good furniture before the fireplace. ‘How was your voyage? I wanted so much to be there to meet you on your arrival, but the seamstress was just here for a fitting, and it’s very difficult to put her off.’
‘I understand completely,’ I said. ‘The voyage was a bit rough; I’m glad to be on steady ground. How are the wedding preparations?’
‘I never imagined there was so much to tend to, but it’s all going well. I’m so glad that you could come. My wedding just wouldn’t have been the same without you.’
The maid brought a tea tray into the room just then and set it on the table near Tabitha.
‘I suppose I ought to have asked you if you wanted to go to your room to freshen up,’ she said as she poured. ‘I sometimes get ahead of myself. It’s just so nice to see you again.’
‘Tea sounds lovely,’ I told her truthfully.
‘It’s one of the things that remains with me from England,’ she said. ‘I’m fairly American now, but I must still have my tea.’ I had noticed that her accent had softened considerably. If one didn’t know she had spent a good part of her life in England, one might not even notice it.
‘Are you sure it’s convenient for us to stay?’ I asked as I accepted my cup and saucer. Though we had fully intended on going to a hotel, she had insisted that we stay at the Aldens’ residence.
‘Oh, yes,’ she said. ‘I’m very glad to have you here. Dad is gone a good deal of the time, so it’s just me in this big house. Besides, we’ll be able to catch up. Letters are a good way to stay in touch, but I’m looking forward to some long conversations. One can’t always put what one wants to say in a letter.’
She looked up at me as she said this, and I thought I caught something in her gaze, the hint that there was a deeper meaning beneath the words. I had the impression that there was something in particular she wanted to discuss, just as I had when I had first read her letter.
The moment passed, however, and she offered us sandwiches, biscuits, and little cakes, which I was eager to enjoy now that I had left the ship behind. I supposed now, with Milo sitting beside us, was not the time to press the matter.
Focus on the wedding details before you look for a mystery, Amory, I told myself. There would be plenty of time for that later.
CHAPTER TWO
We were shown to our rooms a short time later. Milo and I had adjoining bedrooms connected by a bathroom. Though Milo would no doubt be sleeping in my bed, the extra room meant extra wardrobe space, which was nice considering our mutually extensive luggage.
We went into my room together. Everything was beautifully decorated and spoke of wealth and taste, from the pale blue wall paper and white satin bedspread, to the sleek, modern lines of the furniture, upholstered in grey-striped silk, arranged before the fireplace.
I put aside my hat and gloves, sitting on the bed with a relieved sigh. ‘I do believe this trip might prove rather exhausting,’ I said.
Milo glanced at me as he made his way to the window and pulled back the curtain. Over his shoulder I saw that this side of the house faced out onto a little park. ‘You do look a bit pale,’ he said. ‘Perhaps you should lie down for a while.’
‘Oh, I’m not really tired,’ I said. ‘I only meant that this whole affair is likely to prove less than restful. Tabitha is a bit of a whirlwind.’ I meant this fondly. It was good to see her again. I was glad that she appeared to have been happy in her life here in New York, and I was very much looking forward to helping her prepare for her wedding in whatever way I could.
I did wonder if there had been something behind her careful words in the drawing room. One can’t always put what one wants to say in a letter. It seemed clear that there was something she wanted to discuss with me. Was there, despite her claims of perfect bliss, something wrong between her and her fiancé? I supposed she would confide in me when she saw fit.
‘She does seem a very lively woman,’ Milo said. ‘I am curious to meet the groom.’
‘So am I,’ I admitted. I wondered what sort of man Tabitha would have chosen. I suspected her reckless nature would have made men of action appealing, but a calming influence might have been the best thing for her. I supposed we would see for ourselves what the gentleman was like soon enough.
Tabitha had invited the other members of the wedding party to dinner, so we would be able to meet them all this evening. Despite my travel weariness, I was looking forward to it.
As my thoughts drifted to what I might want to wear to dinner, there was a tap on the door.
‘Come in,’ I called.
The door opened, and Winnelda looked into the room. ‘I just wanted to tell you that I’ve unpacked all your things while you were having tea. Will there be anything else, madam?’
‘I’ll need you to press my dress for dinner. There’s no need to rush, though. I am trying to decide what I shall wear.’
‘The pale blue silk, I should think,’ she said with authority. ‘You look good in most colours, but best in blue.’
‘Very well. You’ve convinced me.’
‘And I think a bit of rouge might be in order,’ she added, studying my face.
‘If you say so, Winnelda. Have you settled in?’
‘Yes, they’ve given me a very nice room. It’s a lovely house, isn’t it, madam?’
‘Very lovely, indeed.’
‘It’s not like I expected. I thought it might be a flat overlooking all the tall buildings. I do like this house, though. And these American maids are different than I thought they would be.’
‘Oh? In what way?’
She considered this. ‘I’m not sure exactly. Very friendly, though. Parks isn’t going to be happy, of course.’
My brows rose. ‘Why not?’
Winnelda shook her head sadly. ‘He said he can already see that there is entirely too much informality about the place.’
This was not surprising. Milo’s valet was an incorrigible snob.
‘I suppose he will have to make allowances,’ Milo said.
She looked sad at the thought. We all knew how Parks felt about making allowances.
‘Mrs Ames is going to lie down, Winnelda,’ Milo said. ‘Perhaps you might come back later to press her dress.’
‘Certainly, sir. Parks has told me to be especially careful with my duties. “We must not set aside our rigid standards, no matter what poor examples we are met with,”’ she said in a pitch-perfect imitation of his disapproving tones.
She went out at that and closed the door behind her, and I gave a laughing sigh and fell backward on the bed.
We met in the drawing room before dinner. I wore my pale blue silk dress and Winnelda had skilfully applied the rouge to my cheeks, so I felt quite presentable.
When we came downstairs, only Tabitha and her father were present. Benjamin Alden rose at once to greet us. He was much as I remembered him, tall and broad shouldered with thick orange hair, now flecked with silver, and a well-trimmed beard. He was a gregarious gentleman with sparkling blue eyes, a shade darker than Tabitha’s, a ready smile, and the sort of crushing handshake that almost made one believe a hug would be preferable.
‘It’s good to see you again, Amory,’ he said when initial greetings were done and an introduction to Milo had been made. ‘You’re looking more beautiful than ever.’
‘Thank you. I’m so pleased to be able to be here for Tabitha’s wedding.’
‘Yes, we’re all looking forward to it, though we’ll certainly miss having her around the house. I’ve given them an apartment for a wedding gift, closer to the hustle and bustle young people enjoy, but I expect they’ll visit me often enough. We’re all very chummy. It helps when a father approves of his son-in-law. Tom’s a good fellow, and I’m confident he’ll make her happy.’
‘I’m very happy for Tabitha,’ I said, hoping Mr Alden was right. He had always seemed to me to be an excellent judge of character. I was confident that, if he approved his daughter’s choice of husband, the young man must be worthy of her. I took note, too, of the extravagant wedding gift, another sign of Mr Alden’s improved fortunes.
‘How’s the old neighbourhood?’ he asked, switching topics. ‘I keep meaning to come back to England for a visit, but there’s always some matter of business to be tended to here.’
‘It’s been a while since I visited my parents, but I imagine things are much the same. They seldom change in that part of the country,’ I said with a smile.
‘True, true. Things seem to move more slowly in the country. I do miss it, though. It was a wonderful time in my life.’ He looked wistful for a moment and then shook off whatever nostalgic reverie had lodged in his mind. ‘And your parents are well?’
‘They’re very well, thank you.’
‘I do hope you’ll send them my regards,’ he said warmly and then, abruptly, he turned to Milo and launched into a conversation about automobiles, pleased to find an appreciative admirer of his Duesenberg. The two of them were likely to get on well.
Tabitha pulled me aside, her face bright with enthusiasm. ‘I can’t wait for you to meet Tom. I just know you’re going to love him. He’s so handsome and funny, and smart, too. The fact that he’s going to help Dad with his business is just icing on the cake.’
‘I’m so glad for you, Tabitha,’ I said. ‘I look forward to meeting him.’
I was glad that my earlier suspicions had been allayed. No matter how quickly their engagement had come about, it was very clear that she was not marrying him for her father’s benefit; her face lit up when she spoke about him.
‘Tell me about the other members of the wedding party,’ I said.
‘It’s going to be something of a small wedding party, all things considered. Just you and my good friend Jemma Petrie as bridesmaids. Tom only has two close friends in New York, so I didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable by choosing too many bridesmaids.’
‘I’m honoured that you included me.’
‘Oh, you’re one of my dearest friends, Amory. Even though we rarely see each other, your letters have always felt so warm and real. I feel closer to you than to a lot of my friends who live nearby. Oh, look. Here’s Jemma now. Come and meet her.’
She led me to her friend, who had just come into the drawing room, and introduced her as Miss Jemma Petrie. She was a tall, pretty girl with a head of dark curls and eyes so light brown they looked almost golden. Like Tabitha, she was possessed of an appealing boldness that made me feel instantly as though we were old acquaintances.
‘Tabitha has talked of nothing but your visit,’ she told me. ‘I’ve been very excited to meet you.’
‘We’re all going to be great friends,’ Tabitha said excitedly. ‘I’ve made plans for our dress fittings tomorrow, and we ought to have lunch together one day so we can discuss things properly. I know the men aren’t going to want to hear talk of the wedding over dinner. Dad and Tom have listened to me talk about it endlessly, though I think both of them are just ready for the day to come and go.’
Jemma smiled. ‘Don’t pay any attention to them, Tab. You only get married once, after all. If you’re lucky.’
‘Oh, yes,’ Tabitha said with a laugh. ‘Tom will be my one and only.’
‘Did I hear my name?’ came a voice from the doorway. I turned to see a gentleman standing there. This must be the groom.
He was tall and handsome, with boyish features, neatly parted dark blonde hair, and warm brown eyes. His smile seemed one of true happiness, as though there was no other room he would rather be walking into. I felt that there was something very – for lack of a better term – wholesome about him, and I liked him at once. I could see why Tabitha had been smitten.
Tabitha hurried to the door and took the man’s hand, dragging him across the room. He followed her good-naturedly until they stopped in front of me.
‘This is my dear friend Amory Ames,’ Tabitha said. ‘Isn’t she lovely? Amory, this is my darling fiancé, Mr Thomas Smith.’
‘I’m pleased to meet you, Mrs Ames,’ he said, shaking my hand warmly. ‘Tabitha has told me all about you.’
‘I was honoured to be asked to take part in your wedding, Mr Smith.’
‘Call me Tom, will you?’
‘If you’ll call me Amory.’
‘I think the wedding is going to be swell, Amory,’ he said. ‘A big event. Though I’d marry Tabitha tomorrow at City Hall if she’d let me.’
She laughed. ‘Don’t think I haven’t considered it. Wedding planning is much more daunting than I thought it would be.’
For just a moment, as she said the words, some unnamed emotion flickered in her eyes. It was too brief for me to interpret it, but I felt again that she was suppressing something beneath her exuberant happiness.
The impression was fleeting, however, for her eyes suddenly brightened.
‘Oh, look,’ she said. ‘Here’s Rudy.’
Another gentleman had just come into the room.
‘Good evening, everyone,’ he said.
Tabitha motioned him over to our little gathering and made introductions as he arrived at her side. ‘Amory, this is Mr Rudolph Elliot. Rudy, this is Amory Ames.’
He was a young man with thinning, reddish-blonde hair and sparkling green eyes. He reached out and shook my hand in his large, warm one. ‘Pleased to meet you, Mrs Ames.’
‘And I you, Mr Elliot.’
‘Oh, call me Rudy. Everyone does. I’ve been looking forward to dinner, Tab,’ he said, turning to Tabitha. ‘I haven’t eaten since breakfast, and I’m half starved.’
‘Well, let’s go into the dining room, then. I think everyone’s here,’ Tabitha said, glancing around the room. Then her expression darkened. ‘Everyone except for Grant, that is.’
‘We needn’t wait for him,’ Mr Smith said quickly. I glanced at him. There was a certain uneasiness in his tone. Was it to do with the missing groomsman or with Tabitha’s reaction to his tardiness?
‘No, certainly not,’ Tabitha answered emphatically. ‘Let’s go, shall we?’
As they led the way from the drawing room, I was curious about this errant groomsman. There had been some sort of unspoken tension between Tabitha and her young man at the mention of this Grant, whoever he was.
We were ushered into the dining room. It was a comfortable, brightly lit room, the long table laid with white linen and floral-printed china. The walls were papered in a lovely pale green-and-gold-diamond pattern, and a mahogany sideboard inlaid with mother-of-pearl sat along one wall. Everything was stylish, modern, and clearly expensive.
We sat down to dinner, and I found myself with Rudy Elliot on my right, the chair to my left remaining vacant.
Conversation was light and amusing as we began the first course. The group seemed to share the easy camaraderie of close friends. As I listened to the friendly and sometimes boisterous American chatter, I felt some of my unease melt away. Even my appetite had returned, and I ate with relish.
‘This salad dressing is delicious,’ I commented as I took another bite of my salad.
Tabitha gave me a look from across the table. ‘Don’t get Rudy started, Amory.’
‘I beg your pardon?’
She smiled. ‘It’s Samson’s Salad Dressing. Rudy tends to brag about it endlessly.’
I looked at Mr Elliot, who was smiling at Tabitha’s teasing. ‘Are you involved with the company?’
‘In a manner of speaking. I work in advertisement,’ Mr Elliot said.
‘Oh, newspaper?’
‘No, radio. That’s the way things are going these days. It’s a modern world we’re living in, Mrs Ames.’
‘Yes, I suppose you’re right.’
‘I’ve done some newspaper and magazine work in the past, but radio is really a fascinating challenge. You have to create your pictures with words.’ To Tabitha’s chagrin, Mr Elliot launched into a description of his work creating advertisements for Samson’s Salad Dressing during a popular radio show.
‘You make it all sound so lively and interesting,’ I told him.
‘If you’d ever like to stop by my office one day, I could show you a bit of how things work in the advertising field.’
‘I’d like that,’ I told him sincerely.
His enthusiastic anecdotes were interrupted not long after the salad plates had been cleared away.
‘Late again. Will I never learn?’ The voice came from the doorway as a young man in a black suit came into the room. He was tall and dark, with a handsome face that was marred in its symmetry only by a slightly crooked nose that looked as though it had once been broken.
This was no doubt the tardy groomsman. I looked at Tabitha. She made no effort to hide her annoyance. I glanced next at Tom Smith, wondering if he, too, was irritated by his friend’s late arrival, but his expression gave nothing away. Indeed, he seemed determinedly focused on the plate in front of him, looking neither at Tabitha nor at the newly arrived guest.
‘Won’t you sit down, Grant?’ Tabitha said coolly. ‘I’m afraid you’ve missed the first course.’
‘Thank you, Tabitha,’ he said with mock gravity. ‘I suppose I can live without the lettuce.’
He dropped into the vacant seat beside me as conversation at the table resumed, and I couldn’t help but catch the strong smell of alcohol about him. Whatever the country’s laws on intoxicating beverages, it seemed that he had been in close proximity to them already this evening.
When he turned to me, however, his gaze was steady. ‘Grant Palmer,’ he said, extending his hand.
I shook it. ‘Amory Ames.’
‘Tabitha’s English friend,’ he said.
‘Yes.’
‘You’re just as she described you. I’m surprised.’
‘How so?’ I asked.
‘It was a glowing description. I thought she must be exaggerating.’
I gave him a small smile at this bit of flattery. ‘I’m afraid she didn’t tell me much about you.’
‘I’m afraid there isn’t much good to tell.’ Somehow I thought this was probably the truth. He seemed like the type of young man who did what he pleased, caring not at all what others thought of him.
He helped himself to a large serving of the roast beef, then turned his attention back to me. ‘When did you arrive?’
‘Only this afternoon.’
‘Your first time in New York?’
‘No, I’ve been here before.’
‘I suppose it’s nothing like London.’
‘They’re similar in some ways,’ I said.
‘I’ve always wanted to travel. I mean to do it someday. I think that’s the best way a person can learn, seeing the world for themselves. I was never much of one for books, but if I see things I don’t forget them.’
‘Are you from New York, Mr Palmer?’
‘Yes. Lived here all my life, though I didn’t always move in these kinds of circles.’
‘Don’t monopolise her, Grant,’ Rudy Elliot said from the other side of me.
‘I do apologise, Mr Elliot,’ I said, turning to him with a smile. ‘I didn’t mean to neglect you.’
‘Oh, I’m used to it. But I have to say that it isn’t fair that he comes in here with his good looks and nefarious reputation,’ Rudy said with a laugh. ‘Two things the ladies can’t resist.’
‘I’m sorry, Rudy,’ Mr Palmer said. ‘But if you want the lady’s attention, you’ll have to do a better job of making yourself interesting. No doubt you’ve been boring her with your advertising stories.’
Rudy Elliot took this jab with a smile, but I wondered if he’d found it as amusing as he pretended.
I glanced across the table at Milo. He was talking to Jemma Petrie, but he glanced at me and I could see that he was taking in the situation.
My gaze moved to Miss Petrie, and it was immediately apparent to me that she was making a concerted effort not to look in Mr Palmer’s direction. I suddenly had the distinct impression that there was something between them, or that there were some kind of suppressed feelings on Miss Petrie’s part. She wanted him to observe her talking to Milo as though she hadn’t a care in the world.
‘Tom and I hope to go out dancing tomorrow night,’ Tabitha said. ‘We have so many places we want to show you, Amory and Milo. If you’re feeling rested, perhaps we might all go to a nightclub.’
‘That sounds very nice,’ I said.
The conversation shifted then to what nightclubs we might go to, and the rest of dinner was spent discussing what highlights of the city Milo and I would need to see during our visit. I was relieved that the tension that had entered the room along with Mr Palmer seemed to have abated. By the time we finished eating and retired to the drawing room for coffee, everyone again seemed in the best of spirits.
I had been so tired earlier in the day that I had not taken much note of how elegant the drawing room was. The furniture was covered in silks the colour of marigolds and cornflowers and sat atop a lovely Persian rug shot through with threads of the same hues. Some very good art hung on the walls and a small fire crackled in the fireplace, warding off the chilly evening air. It was a comfortable and welcoming room, made even more so as Tabitha turned on the wireless and the soft sounds of orchestra music floated in as a subtle backdrop to conversation.
I accepted a cup of coffee and took a seat on one of the sofas near the fireplace. A moment later Mr Palmer wandered over, taking the seat beside me. He had a coffee cup in his hand, but I had seen him take a flask from his pocket and add something to it.
‘I thought I would come and sit with you before Rudy came over and started shilling his salad dressing again.’
‘I enjoyed hearing about his work in radio,’ I said honestly. There was certainly nothing off-putting about the young man’s enjoyment of his work.
Mr Palmer smiled. ‘Then you’ve undoubtedly made a friend for life.’
‘You’re not fond of Mr Elliot, I take it?’
‘Oh, Rudy’s my best friend,’ he said with apparent sincerity, surprising me. ‘It’s just that he can be so horribly boring at times. He’s a good guy, though. A lot better friend than a lot of people ever dream of being.’
There was something disarming about Grant Palmer. Though I had been prepared to dislike him for his inconsiderateness and the way he had waltzed late into dinner, as though he hadn’t a care in the world, I couldn’t help but feel the tug of his appeal. Perhaps it was that his breezy disregard for propriety reminded me a bit of Milo.
‘It must be nice for you both to be in Tom’s wedding,’ I said.
‘Oh, I suppose. I’m kind of a black sheep around here. I think Tabitha would kick me out of the wedding if it wasn’t for Tom.’
‘I don’t expect that would hurt your feelings much.’
He smiled, seeming to appreciate my plain speaking. ‘I don’t care much about it one way or the other, but I suppose it’ll be nice to see him marry the sort of girl he’s always wanted to marry.’
I glanced at him, wondering at his phrasing.
‘Tabitha is a wonderful woman,’ I said. ‘I’m sure she’ll make Tom very happy.’
‘She’s a nice girl. She’ll make Tom as happy as anyone, I suppose.’
This less-than-glowing assessment of Tabitha made me bristle.
‘I take it you’re not a romantic, Mr Palmer?’
He smiled, but I thought that it wasn’t quite genuine. ‘You could say that. I don’t believe there are matches made in Heaven, but I guess some of us occasionally stumble across someone worth going through life with.’
I was not sure how to respond to this somewhat pessimistic view of love, so I changed the subject.
‘How long have you and Mr Smith been friends?’
It seemed to me that his gaze was searching. ‘Four or five years,’ he replied at last.
I was a bit surprised. From the way they talked, I thought that they had known each other for much longer.
‘It’s an honour, then, that he’s asked you to stand up in his wedding.’
‘We’ve had a lot of laughs. I figured I should support him now that he’s determined to stay on the straight and narrow.’
Before I could ask him what he meant by this, another conversation caught my interest.
‘How have things been at the warehouse, Mr Alden? Any more trouble with the thieves?’ Rudy Elliot asked.
I glanced at Tabitha and saw that her face had taken on a strained expression.
‘Oh, no,’ Mr Alden said easily. ‘We’ve been keeping a sharp eye on things, but there hasn’t been any more trouble so far. I think it was just someone looking for an easy way to make money, or perhaps some young men with too much time on their hands.’
‘Yes, I’m sure that’s what it was,’ Tom said. ‘The increased security should keep there from being any sort of reoccurrence.’
‘Tom’s got things well under control,’ Mr Alden said.
‘Does anyone want to play cards?’ Jemma Petrie asked, rising from her chair. I wondered if this was a sign of disinterest in the topic, or an attempt to change the subject for Tabitha’s sake. Perhaps I hadn’t been the only one to notice her worried countenance.
They let the matter drop then, and I couldn’t very well press them on the subject, but I was curious to learn what sort of trouble had been occurring at Mr Alden’s warehouses. I would have to ask Tabitha later. Perhaps I could help set her mind at ease.
‘I’ll play with you, Jem,’ Rudy Elliot said.
‘You can always count on good old Rudy. Anyone else?’ She turned to look at Milo. ‘Mr Ames?’
‘I’m afraid I must decline,’ Milo said without making excuses.
‘Mrs Ames, then?’ she asked me.
‘No, thank you. In fact, it’s been a rather long day. If you’ll all excuse me, I think I shall retire.’
CHAPTER THREE
A short while later found me enjoying the quiet solitude of my bedroom. The day had been a whirlwind, and I was looking forward to going to sleep. Milo had stayed with Mr Alden in the drawing room, smoking and drinking from Mr Alden’s hidden store of illicit beverages, and I hoped that Milo would not be too late coming to bed. He had always seemed to require barely any rest, while I was feeling exceptionally weary.
After I had removed my jewellery and wiped away my make-up, I changed into the most comfortable of my night dresses and pulled a dressing gown over it. As I sat at the dressing table to brush out my hair, I thought over the events of the evening. Everyone in the wedding party seemed amiable and enthusiastic about the upcoming nuptials, with the exception, perhaps, of Mr Palmer. I could see why Tabitha had reservations about his participation, but I didn’t foresee his worldly cynicism causing too many difficulties. After all, he had only to show up and stand at the altar.
A tap on the door drew me from my thoughts.
‘Come in,’ I called, setting the brush aside and turning towards the door.
It was Tabitha. She was still in her evening gown, and her lipstick was a bit smeared. The result of Tom’s goodnight kiss, I supposed.
‘I wanted to come and say goodnight,’ she said.
‘Oh, come in,’ I said.
‘Are you sure? I don’t want to disturb you.’
‘You’re not. Come in and sit down. Milo is drinking with your father and may not be up for quite some time.’
Tabitha came into the room and shut the door behind her, dropping onto the edge of the bed rather than one of the chairs. ‘Well, what did you think of him?’
I didn’t have to ask whom she meant.
‘He seems to be a very fine young man.’ I was glad that I could say this honestly. Mr Smith seemed to me to be just the sort of man I might have chosen for Tabitha.
‘He’s perfectly wonderful,’ she said with a sigh.
‘He certainly seems besotted with you. I’m sure you’re going to be very happy.’
‘I know we are.’
‘How was it that you met?’ I asked.
‘It was at a dance. I had no intention of going that night, that’s the funny thing about it. Just think what would have happened if I hadn’t gone.’
She didn’t give me time to think about this, however, before she continued on. ‘As soon as I saw him I knew that I was going to marry him. That’s how it happens in books, though I never really believed it would happen that way. But it did. I took one look at him and said to myself, “Tabitha Alden, that’s the man you’re going to marry.”’
I could certainly see why Tabitha had been struck by Tom Smith. In addition to his golden good looks, he had an easy charm and a friendly, winning manner. I expected there must have been several girls who had had their sights set on him. Knowing Tabitha, however, I was sure those other women had never stood a chance.
‘Are his people from New York?’ I asked.
‘Oh, no,’ she said with a wave of her hand. ‘He hasn’t any family left, and he’s only been in New York for a few years. So I feel like it was meant to be. As soon as I saw him, I went right up and asked him to dance with me. I’m sure you wouldn’t have done anything like that, but what my father calls my “American side” came out, and I couldn’t seem to help myself. I knew I was going to marry him, and I didn’t know how that could possibly come about unless I went up and introduced myself to him. Then I told the friends I had gone with to leave so I would need a ride home.’
I couldn’t help but admire this mixture of fate and American ingenuity.
‘We started going steady almost right away, and it wasn’t long before he asked me to marry him, just as I knew he would. Isn’t it romantic?’
‘Yes,’ I said. I thought it all a bit soon, but I certainly had no room to chastise Tabitha on the hazards of a whirlwind engagement. I had been months away from marrying another man when Milo had swept into my life and upset all the careful plans I had made for the future.
Besides, from what I had seen of her young man, he seemed perfectly pleasant and responsible. Despite her somewhat airy manner, Tabitha had a good head on her shoulders. What was more, I knew her father wouldn’t have countenanced the match had he thought that Tom was anything less than what he seemed to be.
‘Now that you’re here,’ Tabitha continued, ‘we’re all going to have such a grand time until the wedding.’
‘I was glad to have met the other members of the wedding party. Your friend Jemma seems very nice.’
‘Oh, Jemma’s a lot of fun. We’ve always had good times together. I knew that she was going to make everything an adventure. She may seem a bit wild at times, but it’s all harmless fun.’
‘Mr Elliot also seems like an amusing gentleman.’
‘Yes, I feel like I’ve known Rudy for ages. He’s just the sort of man that makes a woman feel at ease, don’t you think? Tom says Rudy is a good egg. I admire him so much, especially given how he’s overcome tragedy.’
‘What sort of tragedy?’
‘Oh, of course you don’t know,’ Tabitha said, a sudden sadness coming over her features. ‘Rudy’s dad was in banking. He lost everything in the Crash, then jumped out a window ten stories up when he realised he wasn’t going to be able to get it back.’
‘How dreadful.’ I found this news to be shocking. Looking at the cheerful Mr Elliot, I hadn’t imagined that his past held something so dark. I knew, however, that people were often very good about concealing their hurts.
‘It hit Rudy hard,’ Tabitha went on. ‘Though he’s always tried not to show it. He’s been working a lot since then, trying to prove to his father that he’s able to make a success of himself, I’ve always thought.’
‘Was he left destitute?’
‘There was a little money, I think, but not much. Certainly not enough for him to maintain the lifestyle he had before. I don’t think he really minds it, though. Rudy has always been a person who takes what comes to him and makes the most of it.’
My already high opinion of Mr Elliot was improved by this information, and I couldn’t help but wonder what Tabitha might have to say about the other guest who had been there this evening. I had saved him for last.
‘What about Mr Palmer?’
Tabitha rolled her eyes in a good imitation of casual annoyance, but I could feel a shift in her at the mention of his name, something deeper than mere dislike. ‘Oh, Grant. He’s such a nuisance. I’ve told Tom countless times that I wish he would have had someone else, but he insists that Grant is one of his closest friends and that he is good at heart, despite his behaviour.’
‘What sort of behaviour?’ I asked.
‘For one thing, he’s a womaniser. I was going to warn you not to go anywhere alone with him.’
My brows rose. ‘Is he as untrustworthy as all that?’
She looked a bit abashed. ‘Well, I don’t really know. It’s just that he’s always after some woman or another, and I wouldn’t like him to bother you.’
‘I think I can handle myself,’ I said lightly.
‘I’m sure you can,’ she agreed. ‘But it isn’t only that.’
‘Oh?’
She glanced around as though we might be overheard in the confines of my bedroom and then leant closer. ‘He’s involved with gangsters,’ she said.
‘Really?’ I asked. This had not been what I was expecting, but I found I was not entirely surprised. Grant Palmer had the air of a man who liked to involve himself in dangerous enterprises. I supposed that would also explain the scent of alcohol that had followed him into the dining room.
‘Have you heard of Leon De Lora?’
‘Yes,’ I said, my brows rising again. The name was familiar to me. Even in London, we were regaled with tales of gun battles in the street and the dramatic assassinations of underworld figures. It seemed to me that Mr De Lora’s name had been connected to several such occurrences, though he always made sure that they couldn’t be traced back to him.
‘Well, Grant has got involved with him. He started out drinking in a speakeasy with his friends and, somehow, he became involved in the bootlegging operation. I don’t know all the details, of course. I don’t want to know them. But I know enough to know he’s up to no good. He’s going to get himself killed one of these days if he isn’t careful.’
I considered this information. Considering that Grant Palmer was such a good friend of Tom, I hoped that there wasn’t any connection between Tabitha’s fiancé and criminal violence. The last thing Tabitha needed was to lose her husband in a bootleggers’ dispute.
‘Is Mr Smith involved in that sort of thing?’ I asked casually.
‘Oh, no,’ Tabitha said with emphasis. ‘Tom doesn’t approve of any of it.’
I couldn’t help but wonder. I didn’t know Tom, of course, so Tabitha was likely to be a much better judge of his character than I was. Nevertheless, I hoped his association with Mr Palmer wouldn’t lead him into difficulties.
Granted, I was friends with people who did things of which I didn’t approve. In fact, a good many of my friends had done things that had proved to be shocking, but that didn’t mean I was treading the same path or had been tainted by their actions. Anyway, Tom Smith was a grown man, and I was sure he could take care of himself.
‘He’s not all bad, of course,’ Tabitha went on, appending this lukewarm praise to her list of Grant Palmer’s sins. ‘He saved Tom’s life, so I owe him a great deal.’
‘Oh, really?’
‘Yes, Tom has always been a bit vague about it, but he always says that he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Grant, so I suppose I have to put up with the man. Don’t mention any of the more lurid stuff in front of my dad,’ she went on. ‘He obviously doesn’t know, or I don’t think he’d care to have Grant in the house.’
I wondered if this could be true. Mr Alden seemed a very astute gentleman; there was probably very little he didn’t know.
‘Well, I hope Mr Palmer will behave himself, at least until the wedding is over,’ I said, by way of encouragement.
‘So do I,’ she said. ‘I have enough on my mind without worrying about what he might get up to.’
‘Oh?’ I asked, feeling as though I was on the verge of discovering something at last.
‘Yes, I … I wanted to talk to you …’ She looked at me, a frown flickering across her brow. Her lips parted and she leant towards me as though she were building up to telling me something, but just then the bedroom door opened and Milo came in. Tabitha sat up, the moment for confiding gone.
‘Oh, hello,’ Milo said. ‘I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll come back, shall I?’
‘No, no,’ Tabitha said, sliding from the bed and walking towards the door. ‘I’m just leaving. I know you must both be very tired.’
I didn’t contradict her, though I wanted to finish our discussion. I felt as though I had been awake for days, and no doubt the conversation would keep until morning.
‘Goodnight,’ she said before departing. ‘I’m so glad you’re here.’
Milo closed the door behind her and came farther into the room. ‘You look all in, darling.’
‘I feel that way,’ I admitted.
‘You didn’t rest well on the ship. A good night’s sleep on dry land will do wonders.’
‘Yes, I’m sure you’re right.’ Milo went to his room to undress, and I got into bed and sighed with delight as I at last slid beneath the silky sheets.
As tired as I was, however, my mind didn’t seem to want to rest. As Milo went to the bathroom to wash up, I turned over the events of the day. Though, on the surface, the atmosphere of the Alden household seemed to be one of joyous anticipation, there was something that was unsettling me, some undercurrent that I couldn’t seem to put my finger on. But perhaps it was just the lingering suspense of waiting to hear whatever it was that Tabitha wanted to tell me. I supposed all would be clear soon enough.
‘Tom seems like a very nice young man,’ I mused aloud to Milo through the open bathroom door.
‘Yes, I suppose he does.’
‘You must be disappointed. I’m sure you would have liked someone a bit more wayward to show you the best unsavoury places in New York to visit.’
‘I certainly don’t need a tour guide to locate my vices,’ he said, coming out of the bathroom.
I shot him a look. ‘Well, if you’re of a mind to find some dangerous company, Tabitha tells me Mr Palmer is involved in some unsavoury dealings with a gangster.’
‘Ah, yes, Mr Palmer,’ he said, coming to the bed. ‘You like him, don’t you?’
I looked up at him. ‘Why do you say that?’
‘I can tell,’ Milo replied. ‘Anyway, he’s the sort of man that women are drawn to. Absolute bounders with flashing eyes and sardonic smiles.’
‘He has a certain sort of charm,’ I admitted. ‘Besides, you of all people can’t fault a man for being handsome and mischievous.’
Milo could not deny it, for he knew perfectly well that a reputation for immorality had drawn a good deal of women to him in his day. There was something very exhilarating about that little dance one did with a man with bad intentions.
He pulled back the blankets and got into bed beside me.
‘Mr Alden interests me far more than Mr Palmer.’
‘Oh?’ I asked, moving closer to him for warmth and
