Page 27 of Murder at the Debutante Ballby

Floyd thrust his chin at Jonathon, a universal masculine gesture that indicated he should speak.

I sat and Jonathon resumed his seat too. “There was a rumor circulating amongst the men at the ball that Amelia Livingstone had…” He cleared his throat. “That she was not…what everyone thought her to be.” He fidgeted with his tie and avoided our gazes.

“Not what?” Flossy prompted. “What are you talking about?”

Jonathon’s face turned red. Floyd dug his hand through his hair and looked away.

I decided to let them off the hook. “He means she was not a virgin.”

Flossy’s lips formed a perfect O. “But…how do you know?”

Jonathon put up his hands. “It was just a rumor. It may not be true.”

“Who did you hear it from?” I asked.

“Lenny DeVille. He claims he heard it straight from the horse’s mouth.”

Flossy gasped. “Amelia spread the rumor herself?”

“No, idiot,” Floyd muttered. “The fellow did.” He exchanged another, darker, glance with Jonathon.

“Who was it?” I asked, although I suspected I already knew.

Flossy grabbed her brother’s hand and shook it violently. “Tell us!”

“It was the man who was murdered. Ambrose McDonald.”

Chapter6

Even though I expected it, it was still shocking to hear that a debutante barely out of the school room had been involved with an older gentleman. A gentleman who most likely was also involved with Reggie Smith, the man accused of murdering him.

Our list of motives was growing, as was our list of suspects. If McDonald had been with Amelia Livingstone, as well as Mr. Smith, one of them may have learned about the other and killed out of jealousy. Or Amelia’s father could have killed him to keep him quiet. Her reputation, and therefore her value on the marriage market, depended on her remaining a virgin.

If Mr. Livingstone was the murderer, he’d failed to stop the rumor. It was already circulating on the night of the ball amongst the gentlemen. In that case, perhapsrevengefor gossiping was the motive for the murder.

“Is that why you called him a cad?” I asked Jonathon.

“He’s notorious,” Jonathon said. “Everyone knows he’s had a string of lovers, one after the other.”

“Often at the same time,” Floyd added.

Flossy’s eyes widened and her face turned pink.

“His lovers weren’t always women, were they?” I asked.

Both Jonathon and Floyd shook their heads. Flossy’s blush deepened.

I rose, as did Jonathon. I thought he was simply being gentlemanly and not sitting while a woman in the room stood, but he followed me to the door, as did Floyd.

“Why do you want to know all this, Cleo?” Floyd asked.

“No reason.”

He stood in front of the door. “You’re investigating the murder, aren’t you?”

Jonathon snorted a laugh, but when no one joined in, he pulled a face. “Why would you do that?”

I remained silent. Both men looked at me with disappointment.