Page 109 of A Whisper and a Curse

Ellen nodded. “Yes, and so were Mr. Edwards and Mrs. Griswold—until they were promoted after …” Her voice trailed off.

“After Mr. Ward and Mrs. Frost were murdered,” Tilda finished softly. “Was Tuttle not a lesser medium?”

“Not yet, but he was on the verge of promotion. Then, when Mr. Hawkins … you know.” She gave them a meaningful look. “When that happened, Mr. Mallory said he had to promote another male to take Mr. Hawkins’s place, and he chose Tuttle.”

“So, now all the premier medium positions are filled?” Tilda asked.

“Until the society acquires another property.” Ellen shrugged. “At least, that’s what I think is supposed to happen. Jacob says Mr. Mallory wants a dozen or more premier mediums running séance houses across London. That is why he keeps recruiting mediums.”

“Such as Harmony Smith,” Tilda said.

Ellen blanched. “Yes. She didn’t train for long. Mr. Mallory promoted her to lesser medium very quickly.”

Tilda put her hand in her pocket to retrieve the pearl earring. “I have just one other question for you, Ellen. We visited Bedfordbury earlier today, and I think we were in your bedchamber.” Tilda opened her palm to reveal the earring. “I found this in your dressing table. It looks like the one I found here last week. I wondered why you had it. I thought you said you didn’t recognize it.”

What color that had returned to Ellen’s face immediately fled. “I … I don’t know.” She became extremely flustered, worrying her hands and biting her lip.

“It’s all right, Ellen,” Tilda soothed. “I only want to know why you had it.”

“I didn’t recognize it when you asked me last week. But then when Mrs. Griswold came here as premier medium, I found it in her things as I was unpacking them. I just … I took it.”

“Why?” Hadrian asked.

Ellen looked to him. “I don’t know. It seemed like I should tell someone.” She returned her attention to Tilda. “I showed it to my brother, and he said I should just hide it away. So I did. Was that wrong?”

“No, but it is helpful for the police to know who the earring belonged to.” Tilda tucked the earring back into her pocket. She could see Ellen was worried. “You are not in trouble.”

“But what about Mrs. Griswold? I don’t wish to cause her trouble either.”

“Just because we found her earring here doesn’t mean she had anything to do with Mrs. Frost’s death,” Tilda said. But neither did it mean shedidn’t. And Tilda was now suspicious of many people in the society. Between Mallory and his revolving paramours, and the promotion system that Ellen had justexposed, Tilda wondered if someone might have been moved to murder.

She tamped down a wave of frustration that she hadn’t learned this information sooner. They’d been too focused on whether someone shared Hadrian’s power and on the blackmail, which had seemed the best motive for murder. And perhaps it still was.

“But she didn’t like Mrs. Frost,” Ellen whispered.

Tilda’s neck prickled just as she saw Mrs. Griswold walk from the staircase hall.

“Ellen, who are you talking to?” Mrs. Griswold approached them. “Ah, Lord Ravenhurst and Miss Wren. How can I help you?”

“We’ve come to ask you some questions about Mr. Mallory and the society,” Tilda replied.

“I’m afraid I don’t have time to speak with you,” Mrs. Griswold said. “Perhaps another time?” She spread her rouged lips into a wide smile, but it did not reach her eyes. In fact, her gaze crackled with anxiety.

Had she heard what Ellen had said about her not liking Mrs. Frost? Tilda didn’t think so, but perhaps Mrs. Griswold had been listening to the conversation from the entrance hall and didn’t like what she’d heard.

“It won’t take but a few minutes,” Tilda said. She had a bad feeling about leaving Ellen just now.

“I don’t have a few minutes,” Mrs. Griswold snapped. “You must excuse me.” She looked to the maid. “Ellen, show them out.”

Ellen moved toward the door as Hadrian stripped his glove away. He stepped forward and snatched Mrs. Griswold’s bare hand.

Gasping, she turned to face him. “My lord, what are you about?”

But Hadrian was seeing a vision—Tilda was certain of it. He released Mrs. Griswold’s hand. “My apologies, but I wanted to stop you from walking away. Miss Wren has questions, and I would like very much for you to answer them. Starting with why you might wish to kill your fellow mediums.”

“I did no such thing!”

Tilda realized that Hadrian must have seen something that made him think Mrs. Griswold had killed the others. Did he know it for certain or only suspect? How she wished she could know!