Death of an Honourable Gent

A prestigious event, a croquet mallet, and a body floating in the lake.

Eliza Thomson Investigates…


April 1901: A weekend house party at the stately home of the Earl of Lowton ... with an invitation to his daughter’s debutante ball. It should have been perfect.

And it would have been … had it not been for the body found dead in the lake.

The timing couldn’t be worse. With only hours to go before the biggest event in the Lowton’s social calendar, the family have no intention of letting it ruin the occasion.

But Eliza isn’t family.

Determined to prove the death was murder, Eliza enlists the help of husband Archie, and best friend Connie. But it soon becomes apparent that not everyone wants to see justice done.

Can Eliza fight against powerful vested interests and expose a killer? Or is she risking too much for the sake of her principles?

Eliza Thomson tossed the invitation onto the dining table and plonked her hands on her hips.


“What do you mean you can’t go? You’ve known about this weekend for months.”


Archie sighed and looked up from his breakfast. “I know, but I can’t leave the village without a doctor, not now Dr Wark can’t cover for me.”


“I thought you’d arranged it with him.”


“I had, but I got a letter from him this morning to say that he has to go away on a private matter.”


Eliza closed her eyes and paced to the other side of the room. “Why can he go away and you can’t? Did he even ask you?” Eliza stared at her husband as he dropped two lumps of sugar into the cup of tea in front of him. “He did, didn’t he? And you said you’d cover for him.”


Archie ran his hands through his thick mane of greying hair. “I’m sorry, but his need sounded greater than mine. Let’s be honest, I was never going to fit in this weekend, was I? Your father already looks down on me and with all those lords and ladies around…”
“

Is that what this is about? After all these years, can’t you bear to spend time with my father?”


“Of course I can, but … well, he doesn’t make it easy, does he? You’ll be spending all weekend with his best friend, whose daughter happened to marry an earl. He’ll have more reason than usual to sneer at me. I’m better off staying here.”


“That’s nonsense, it’s all in your imagination. Father wouldn’t do that. He never once criticised Henry when he decided to study medicine.” Eliza perched on the edge of a chair. “And talking of Henry, you do realise he’ll be there this weekend and we haven’t seen him for months.”