Summer Knights

Summer Knights A LADY GAYLE SUMMER MYSTERY BOOK TWO CASSIE RUSH Copyright © Cassie Rush, 2023 Published: June 2023 Gordian Knot Publishing All rights reserved. The right of Cassie Rush to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the publisher. You must not circulate this book in any format. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Cover design copyright © Caroline Goldsworthy Created with Vellum Contents 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 British English Acknowledgments Also by Cassie Rush About the Author Chapter One Lady Gayle Summer strolled into her mother’s dressing room, followed by Gaspod, her late father’s bloodhound. ‘Gayle, please could you leave that animal outside,’ complained her mother, the Dowager Countess of Bethencourt. ‘He’s not doing anyone any harm, Mama,’ replied Lady Gayle, fondling the large hound’s soft ears. ‘I have a letter from Bundle—’ ‘I do wish you wouldn’t use such ridiculous names for each other,’ replied her mother with a sigh. ‘Stop fussing Mama, and I’ll tell you what’s in her letter,’ Lady Gayle answered her mother a little tersely. ‘It’s good news. She’s asked me to come and stay with her and Bink— I mean Lord Ridgewell, over the New Year. That means you can go to stay with your cousin Mildred in Brighton content in the knowledge that I won’t be here alone after all.’ ‘Who will oversee the installation of the central heating system if you’re not here though? That’s what I would like to know.’ The dowager countess sat back as her maid applied a brush to the countess’ long hair. The maid’s face was serene as she began the task of the long strokes which made the older woman’s hair shine. ‘I’ll only be away for a few days and Fredericks and Mrs Mitchell are perfectly capable of seeing to things here in the meantime. I rather think it will make life easier if they don’t have me to cater for as well. It means all the servants can go home to their families if they wish to.’ Lady Edith Summer turned to her dressing table mirror and stared at her daughter’s reflection. ‘That makes sense I suppose,’ she applied a lavish layer of cream to her face. Lady Gayle raised an eyebrow at her mother who rarely seemed to use any form of skincare, let alone face cream, and was still becoming used to being called the Dowager Countess. The title of Countess had been hers until a few weeks beforehand when she’d unexpectedly become a widow and Lady Gayle had inherited the entire estate. Although the stringent post-war taxes had made finances tight, they were able to make some small improvements to Bethencourt Castle which had been in the family for several generations. Albeit not exactly Lady Gayle’s branch of the family. Her inheritance came about due to the Great War and the deaths of her cousins Maxwell and Rupert who had been amongst the vast numbers of young men lost in battle. Now the castle was hers to take care of and the installation of central heating had been one of the first things her father had planned. Although it really was very messy and inconvenient, she wanted to carry out his wishes, even down to using the plumber he’d selected. It was why she’d written to Bundle begging for a place to stay for a while during the worst of the renovations. Bundle, always a trooper, had come up trumps and Lady Gayle had somewhere to escape to. Although there was one minor point that Lady Gayle was less keen on. She glanced at the letter once more. As you know I’m absolutely bloated at the moment. Size of a whale, I tell you. Binky has moved to his father’s old room as he says there’s no room in this bed for him any longer. That, and he insists the baby kicks him in his sleep. All nonsense, dash it, but you know what men are like. Baby isn’t due for a few weeks yet and I’m committed to bed rest. Lor am I bored. Come and keep me company. We can catch up on old times and you can tell me everything that’s been going on in your life, although… Here the letter broke off, the ink trailing away down the page. Lady Gayle wondered if Lady Ridgewell had dropped her pen, even though she had a good idea why the letter stopped. Only a few weeks beforehand Lady Sylvia Redmond-Smythe had come to stay and had been a victim of mistaken identity and murdered. She sat for a moment remembering her friend and their last few hours together. ‘Gayle,’ said her mother. Lady Gayle glanced over. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘What was the question?’ ‘The baby, how are you going to cope?’ ‘I’ll be fine, Mama,’ she replied dipping her head so her mother couldn’t see her flushed cheeks and flustered expression. ‘Well, just so long as you are. I think we’ve all had enough upset for one year, don’t you? Now, are you taking the Bentley?’ her mother said, wiping the excess cream from her face with a