“What’s that?” Lisa asked even as Langley suggested, “Perhaps you should leave that for another night now, Chrissy. You are not used to liquor and it may go straight to your head.”

Christiana shook her head. “The first glass didn’t affect me that badly, and this hasn’t either except to steal my breath. It will be fine. I shall let you know what I find out.”

“What are you two talking about?” Lisa asked impatiently, concern tautening her expression.

“Nothing you need worry about,” Christiana assured her, beginning to lead the way out of the ball room. “Just something I need to check with Dicky about.”

Chapter Five

The window is open. That’s a bit of good luck.”

Richard stopped climbing at Daniel’s murmured comment and peered toward the window in question. It had taken some poking about, but after climbing several trees and checking the windows of several rooms, they’d deduced this was the master bedroom. At least they hoped it was. Richard didn’t have a clue. His own townhouse had burned to the ground in the fire that was supposed to have killed him, and he didn’t know the layout of this new one George had purchased afterward.

“They probably left it open to keep the body cool,” he said as he continued to climb, pulling himself up branch after branch until he reached the large thick one that stretched toward the open window.

“Do you see anyone in there?” Daniel asked as he joined him on the branch a moment later.

“There’s someone in the bed,” Richard muttered, craning his neck in an effort to see as much of the room as he could. “But I don’t see anyone else.”

“Is it George in the bed?”

“I can’t see him well enough to be sure from here, but who else would it be? The girls are at the ball and the servants would hardly be sleeping in the upper chambers.”

Daniel grunted and then asked hopefully, “I don’t suppose you can tell if he really is dead then?”

“No,” Richard said with exasperation and began to ease his way further out along the branch, wishing that he’d thought to change before trying this.

Aside from the fact that his clothing kept catching on branches, he feared his white shirt would be very visible to anyone who happened to glance their way in passing. The thought was enough to make him use more speed than caution getting to the window and he nearly paid for his haste with a tumble from the tree. Fortunately, Daniel reached out quickly to steady him when his knee slipped off the branch, catching him by the back of his breeches and unfortunately, yanking them up his backside in a most uncomfortable manner.

“While I appreciate the aid, please release my breeches,” Richard said finally once he was sure of his position.

Daniel chuckled in response, but released his hold. “We’d best get out of this tree before we’re seen.”

Since that’s what he’d been trying to do, Richard merely grunted and scooted along the branch as fast as he dared. After one last quick glance inside to be sure no one had yet entered, he swung himself over the ledge and into the room. Aware that Daniel was following, Richard straightened to move swiftly out of the way and suddenly found himself standing at the bedside, staring down at its occupant. It was like looking into a mirror, Richard thought, except of course that he wasn’t wet and gray with death like his brother.