HEIRS AND GRACES by Rhys Bowen

Being an impoverished aristocrat won't keep clothes on ones back or food in her stomach. Lady Georianna Rannoch has a temporary job typing her mother's memoirs until her mother returns to her current lover. She can't stay with her granddad in his small house and she can't return to the ancestral pile.

In despair, she writes a letter to Queen Mary for help. Georgie is called on to stay with the current Duke of Eynsford. Since he refuses to marry, his mother is bringing her young grandson from Australia to be groomed to take over his new role as the heir to a dukedom. Georgie's help is needed to bring him up to snuff.

Georgie has a luxurious abode, all the food she could want and Darcy was selected to bring the new heir home. All seems well until the Duke is discovered dead in a stream by Georgie and his architect. With the knife owned by Jack sticking out of his chest, Georgie will be called on to discover the real killer as the local police bumble about with their investigation.

With the interesting secondary characters involved, this investigation will turn into quite a romp. Queenie, Georgie's maid, will wreak her havoc on Georgie's wardrobe. The Dowager Duchess has two sisters living with her who can be counted on to entertain the residents with highly improper stories. The Duke's niece and nephew are causing havoc with their chemistry experiments and their eavesdropping. Throw in the fact that Jack is not happy with being made to conform to society's rule, and Georgie has a lot to deal with.

Ms. Bowen has written an entertaining story in HEIRS AND GRACES. Since the reader is never quite sure what Georgie will learn next, this book is hard to put down. The real surprise was the identity of the killer or killers. An engrossing tale with some excellent twists and turns, don't miss out on the latest her Royal Spyness series.

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SUMMARY

Here I am thinking the education I received at my posh Swiss finishing school would never come in handy. And while it hasn't landed me a job, or a husband, it has convinced Her Majesty the Queen and the Dowager Duchess to enlist my help. I have been entrusted with grooming Jack Altringham—the Duke's newly discovered heir fresh from the Outback of Australia—for high society.

The upside is I am to live in luxury at one of England's most gorgeous stately homes. But upon arrival at Kingsdowne Place, my dearest Darcy has been sent to fetch Jack, leaving me stuck in a manor full of miscreants?none of whom are too pleased with the discovery of my new ward.

And no sooner has the lad been retrieved than the Duke announces he wants to choose his own heir. With the house in a hubbub over the news, Jack's hunting knife somehow finds its way into the Duke's back. Eyes fall, backs turn, and fingers point to the young heir. As if the rascal wasn't enough of a handful, now he's suspected of murder. Jack may be wild, but I'd bet the crown jewels it wasn't he who killed the Duke?

EXCERPT

Lady Hortense's sitting room was a small square and rather cluttered space, made smaller by the circle of chairs around a table, and by the heavy brocade drapes, closed at both windows. On the table was a solitary candle in a tall candlestick, a pencil and pad, and a Ouija board.

"Everyone take a seat around the table," Charlotte said. I pulled up a chair between Irene and Jack.

Charlotte lit the candle and had one of the Starlings turn off the electric light. How different faces looked in the flickering flame. Those heavy drapes now seemed to hang ominously close. I began to wish I hadn't come.

"Isn't this exciting?" I heard one of the starlings whisper. "Feel my hand. It's all a quiver."

"Spirits from the other side, we call upon you," Charlotte began in such a dramatic voice that I had to suppress the need to giggle. I wished Belinda had been present so that we could have kicked each other beneath the tablecloth, or that Darcy had been sitting across the table to give me a reassuring wink. "Come to our aid, dear spirits. Lady Hortense, are you present among us?"

A long silence followed only punctuated by the sound of a grandfather clock, ticking away solemnly somewhere outside in a hallway.

The candle flickered and I felt a cold draft pass over me. I glanced over my shoulder. The door and the curtains were still closed. I thought I detected the faintest of voices whispering "Yessss."

"She's here," Charlotte said excitedly. "I knew she'd come. Lady Hortense, we'd first like you to find John Altringham for us. You remember your great great grandson who died so bravely in the war? His son is here with us now. Do you see him? He'd like to hear his father's voice."

Again we waited what seemed like an eternity. Then Irene said, "Listen. Someone is laughing."

"That's Johnnie," Charlotte said. "Don't you remember how he loved to laugh, Irene?"

"Is that you, John?" Charlotte said. "Can you show yourself to us? Can you say something to your son?"

Again we waited but the laugh faded into silence. "It's no use. He's choosing not to speak to us," Charlotte said. "I can feel he's here. Maybe what he has to say to Jack is private and he doesn't wish us to overhear."

"We could try the Ouija board," Virginia suggested. "Perhaps he is a voiceless spirit. They are sometimes."

"We could," Charlotte picked up the planchette. "Jack put your hand on this with me. And Irene. You are both Johnnie's relatives. He'll feel comfortable communicating with you."

Jack gave me a questioning glance before placing his finger on the little disk..Slowly it started to move across the table. B.... U... G.... G... E... R." We repeated the letters as the planchette went to them. "O.... F... F.."

"Anything else you'd like to say, John?" Charlotte asked. But the planchette did not move again.":Apparently not.":She looked around the room. "Let us move along then. The problem of Marcel. Spirits from the other side we need your help. Tell us what will happen. Tell us what we should do to stop a stranger from taking over Kingsdowne."

She looked at us as she pushed the Ouija board into the middle of the table. "Place one finger each on the planchette," she said. We did as she commanded.

Suddenly there was a great gust of wind. The curtains billowed out. The candle was blown out and we were plunged into darkness. Irene and Virginia rose to their feet with a cry of fright. I think the Starlings screamed as well. My own heart was hammering in my chest.