Still, not enough reason to attend an event which would start with dancing and culminate in a performance of Rossini’sLa gazza ladra.
Strangehe’d never learned Italian.
No, Leo’s only purpose in appearing tonight among Manhattan’s elite was Georgina. The bloody opera house was named for her family, and Cordelia Rutherford, Georgina’s mother, was the hostess and patroness.
Georgina was certain to be in attendance.
Leo had been a guest at a half-dozen or so events since he’d arrived. Dinner parties. Small gatherings in which he’d been introduced to an incredible number of lovely, young ladies. Not once did Georgina appear. Frustrated that his quarry remained elusive, Leo made very discreet inquiries. Luckily, the Rutherfords were well known, and there was no end to the whispers about them.
Jacob Rutherford was respected and often mentioned in the same breath with Mr. Astor, among others. Not necessarily a compliment, Leo soon learned. Still, connections to the Rutherfords were sought after, despite their lineage extending only as far back as the docks lining the harbor. Sadly, money and boldness could only get you so far when you were the son of a former barge owner.
Leo really didadoreAmericans.
Conveniently, it seemed Georgina had become embroiled in some sort of scandal, and Jacob Rutherford had found a way to rid himself of a troublesome daughter and garner a title in his family at the same time. Leo already didn’t like Rutherford, and he had yet to meet him.
Leo spent quite a bit of time in Manhattan’s finer clubs and restaurants, listening more than talking, learning who was important and who was not. Jacob Rutherfordwasimportant. His shipping company, the third-largest in New York, had started with one small barge, manned by Amos Rutherford, Jacob’s father. Amos had sailed up and down the East and Hudson rivers loaded with goods to sell or trade. One barge became several. When the Erie Canal was built, Amos’s business had expanded. The barges had turned into ships. Rivers into oceans. Warehouses bearing the Rutherford name soon lined the harbor. Amos was affluent at this point, but it wasn’t until his son Jacob entered the China trade that the family reached a summit of riches previously unknown. The Rutherfords were now one of the wealthiest families in New York, possibly in America.
The story of Georgina’s family riveted Leo. Her pedigree started with a barely literate barge owner, who had been her grandfather. No wonder she was so bloody defiant.
Leo peered over his glass to regard the elegant blonde across the room. Cordelia Rutherford was a slender, graceful woman with hair so blonde it gleamed white. Her fingers fluttered at the servants circling the room, who all hurried to do her bidding. Diamonds sparkled at her ears and throat. A few twinkled in her hair. She was a stunning woman, attracting the admiration of many of the gentlemen in the room. Particularly the one hovering by her elbow, who was not Jacob Rutherford.
Georgina had rarely spoken of her parents to Leo, only saying she didn’t get along with them. She’d mentioned her sister, Lilian, and a cousin, Ben, both of whom she spoke of with great affection.
And no one, since he’d been in New York, had mentioned Lady Masterson having a child.
“Mr. Murphy.” A pretty, dark-haired young lady approached him. “I’m so happy you took advantage of Father’s invitation to join us this evening.”
Miss Ann Schuller, peacock blue skirts floating about her ankles, took his arm with a flirtatious batting of her eyes. “I’m sure it can’t compare to the events you’ve attended in London, but I do think it’s a very fine party, nonetheless. Don’t you agree?”
Leo gave her one of his most charming smiles, the sort he used on chattering women he wished to quiet.
A lovely shade of rose bloomed on Miss Schuller’s cheeks.
“Undoubtedly.” Leo kept his tone very clipped, sounding aristocratic, much like his brother. He’d found the accent worked wonders here, which was highly amusing. He planned to use the snobby, patrician tone with Jacob Rutherford when they finally met.
Miss Schuller blushed a bit more. She was a lovely girl with doe-like eyes giving her the appearance of a fawn. Miss Schuller was also a notorious gossip. Her small tidbits of information about society in Manhattan had been instrumental in helping him learn more about Georgina. Leo had claimed a brief acquaintance with Lady Masterson, whom he’d met in London at a ball. All rubbish, of course.
Miss Schuller ate up every word.
Her father, Mr. Adam Schuller, owned a bank, one of the few that hadn’t collapsed during the recent financial upheaval. When Leo had deposited a large sum, he immediately drew Mr. Schuller’s attention who in turn invited Leo to dine. Miss Schuller had been presented along with the roasted chicken and potatoes.
“Will you be staying for the performance tonight, Mr. Murphy? I confess I only know a few words in Italian.” Miss Schuller flirted shamelessly, turning so he could admire her bosom. “Do you speak the language?”
“Alas, no.”
When Leo had asked about Georgina, casually over the second course while dining with the Schuller’s, the first words Miss Schuller had spoken werebold as brass.
Ignoring the pointed look from her father, Miss Schuller had whispered to Leo that Georgina’s hasty marriage had surprised no one in society. The only shock had been she’d somehow managed to marry a titled English lord.
His little American had been getting into trouble for years, it seemed, her rebellious streak not limited to scathing retorts and daring necklines.
“A scandal involving, of all things, a riverboat gambler,”Miss Schuller had continued.“I believe from Savannah. Possibly Charleston. Somewhere south of here. At any rate, he was found dead sometime later, right after Georgina left for England, to no one’s surprise. A gentleman like that doesn’t last very long in New York.”
The gambler had been found dead in an alley, shot right through the marked deck resting in the pocket above his heart. He’d cheated someone.
“Georgina married an earl,” Miss Schuler had said. “So I don’t suppose it turned out too poorly for her. Oh, I shouldn’t gossip about such things, Mr. Murphy. I fear I’ve overstepped.”
So Georgina had an affinity for gambling and drinking spirits, one she’d come by long before meeting Leo. A liking that had caused her to be careless and gotten her wed to Masterson. Leo only wondered if Jacob Rutherford had shot the gambler himself.
