Heirs and Graces
BERKLEY PRIME CRIME TITLES BY RHYS BOWEN
Royal Spyness Mysteries
HER ROYAL SPYNESS
A ROYAL PAIN
ROYAL FLUSH
ROYAL BLOOD
NAUGHTY IN NICE
THE TWELVE CLUES OF CHRISTMAS
HEIRS AND GRACES
Constable Evans Mysteries
EVANS ABOVE
EVAN HELP US
EVANLY CHOIRS
EVAN AND ELLE
EVAN CAN WAIT
EVANS TO BETSY
EVAN ONLY KNOWS
EVAN’S GATE
EVAN BLESSED
Specials
MASKED BALL AT BROXLEY MANOR
Heirs and Graces
Rhys Bowen
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
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This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.
Copyright © 2013 by Janet Quin-Harkin.
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ISBN 978-1-101-62492-0
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bowen, Rhys.
Heirs and graces / Rhys Bowen.—First edition.
pages cm
ISBN 978-0-425-26002-9
1. Aristocracy (Social class)—Fiction. 2. Inheritance and succession—Fiction.
3. Murder—Investigation—Fiction. 4. England—Fiction. I. Title.
PR6052.0848H45 2013
823'.914—dc23 2013015987
FIRST EDITION: August 2013
Cover illustration by John Mattos.
Cover design by Rita Frangie.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Contents
Also by Rhys Bowen
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
This book is dedicated to three wonderful women: Carolyn Hart, Eve Sandstrom and Jan Giles, who sat with me all night in an emergency room last year when I broke my pelvis and then looked after me until I was flown home. They helped me get through a horribly difficult situation and I’ll never forget their kindness.