A Ruse of Shadows, page 1
Praise for
The Lady Sherlock Series
“These books, which recast Sherlock Holmes as Charlotte Holmes, are perfect for those who adore layered stories. Unignorable questions of gender, expectation and privilege lurk beneath complex mysteries and a slowly scorching romance.”
—The Washington Post
“Loaded with suspense…a riveting and absorbing read…a beautifully written novel; you’ll savor the unraveling of the mystery and the brilliance of its heroine.”
—NPR
“Sherry Thomas has done the impossible and crafted a fresh, exciting new version of Sherlock Holmes.”
—Deanna Raybourn, New York Times bestselling author of A Perilous Undertaking
“Sherry Thomas is a master of her craft, and A Study in Scarlet Women is an unqualified success: brilliantly executed, beautifully written, and magnificently original—I want the next volume now!”
—Tasha Alexander, New York Times bestselling author
“Readers will wait with bated breath to discover how Thomas will skillfully weave in each aspect of the Sherlockian canon and devour the pages to learn how the mystery unfolds.”
—Anna Lee Huber, national bestselling author of the Lady Darby Mysteries
“Clever historical details and a top-shelf mystery add to the winning appeal of this first volume in the Lady Sherlock series. A must-read for fans of historical mysteries.”
—Library Journal (starred review)
“A completely new, brilliantly conceived take on the iconic detective…A plot worthy of [Sir Arthur Conan Doyle] at his best.”
—Booklist
“Readers will revel in seeing Charlotte and her dearest companions at the top of their game in this eventful and pivotal entry in the formidable series.”
—BookPage on Miss Moriarty, I Presume?
“Settle in for a delightful read, full of red herrings and memorable set pieces and above all, let the talented Sherry Thomas dazzle you as she performs literary sleights of hand at every turn. Brava!”
—Criminal Element on Miss Moriarty, I Presume?
“Fast-paced storytelling and witty prose add further appeal for those who like their historical mysteries playful.”
—Publishers Weekly on The Art of Theft
“Quick-witted and swashbuckling, Thomas’s novel is a feminist Victorian delight. Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn, Elizabeth Peters or C. S. Harris, The Art of Theft is an excellent entry in a wonderful historical series. Its deft pacing, quirky heroine and intriguing cast of characters make it a mysterious tour de force.”
—Shelf Awareness on The Art of Theft
“With an increasingly beloved detective crew, this Victorian mystery offers thrills and sharp insights into human behavior.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on Murder on Cold Street
Titles by Sherry Thomas
The Lady Sherlock Series
A Study in Scarlet Women
A Conspiracy in Belgravia
The Hollow of Fear
The Art of Theft
Murder on Cold Street
Miss Moriarty, I Presume?
A Tempest at Sea
A Ruse of Shadows
Other Works
My Beautiful Enemy
The Luckiest Lady in London
Tempting the Bride
Ravishing the Heiress
Beguiling the Beauty
His at Night
Not Quite a Husband
Delicious
Private Arrangements
BERKLEY
An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
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Copyright © 2024 by Sherry Thomas
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BERKLEY and the BERKLEY & B colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Thomas, Sherry (Sherry M.) author.
Title: A ruse of shadows / Sherry Thomas.
Description: First edition. | New York: Berkley, 2024. | Series: The Lady Sherlock series
Identifiers: LCCN 2023050042 (print) | LCCN 2023050043 (ebook) | ISBN 9780593640432 (paperback) | ISBN 9780593640449 (e-pub)
Subjects: LCGFT: Detective and mystery fiction. | Novels.
Classification: LCC PS3620.H6426 R87 2024 (print) | LCC PS3620.H6426 (ebook) | DDC 813/.6—dc23/eng/20231106
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023050042
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023050043
Ebook ISBN 9780593640449
Cover images: (woman) Abigail Miles / Arcangel; (passage) Erik Strodl / Alamy Stock Photo
Adapted for ebook by Kelly Brennan
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Contents
Dedication
Cast of Characters
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Acknowledgments
About the Author
_147301320_
To J
What a pleasure to geek out with a story buddy right at home
Cast of Characters
Charlotte Holmes: Solves crimes as sister of and oracle to the nonexistent Sherlock Holmes
Mrs. Watson: Charlotte’s dear friend and business partner
Lord Ingram Ashburton: Aka Ash; Charlotte’s longtime friend and newish lover
Livia Holmes: Charlotte’s third-eldest sister; creator of Sherlock Holmes stories
Penelope Redmayne: Mrs. Watson’s niece (daughter)
Bernadine Holmes: Charlotte’s second-eldest sister; cannot look after herself
Miss Longstead: Charlotte’s friend; a chemist by training
Leighton Atwood: Lord Ingram’s cousin; recruited to help Charlotte
Stephen Marbleton: Moriarty’s natural son; the man Livia loves
Lawson: Mrs. Watson’s groom and coachman
Lord Bancroft Ashburton: Lord Ingram’s recently deceased older brother; formerly in charge of secret portfolios for the crown
Underwood: Lord Bancroft’s chief lieutenant
Mrs. Claiborne: Lord Bancroft’s former mistress; Underwood’s former mistress and current fiancée
Lord Remington Ashburton: Lord Ingram’s older brother; in charge of certain overseas security matters for the crown
Inspector Treadles: Scotland Yard officer; Lord Ingram’s friend and Charlotte’s sometime collaborator
Chief Inspector Talbot: Retired Scotland Yard officer
Sergeant MacDonald: Inspector Treadles’s protégé
Victor Meadows: Victim in the Christmas Eve Murder of 1871
Mrs. Meadows: Victor Meadows’s wife
Miriam Tipton: Mrs. Meadows’s sister
Mrs. Harcourt: Victor Meadows’s sister
Miss Harcourt: Mrs. Harcourt’s daughter; Victor Meadows’s niece
Ephraim Meadows: Victor Meadows’s and Mrs. Harcourt’s older half brother
Danny Stow: Gardener who discovered Victor Meadows’s body
Mrs. Farr: Charlotte’s former client who requested assistance in search of a missing sister
Johnny, Mumble, and Jessie: Young boxers sponsored by Underwood
Mrs. Calder: Old woman enjoying a seaside holiday
De Lacey: Moriarty’s chief lieutenant in Britai n
One
The interrogation
August 1887
Before Inspector Robert Treadles had wanted to be Sherlock Holmes, he had wanted to be Chief Inspector John Talbot.
The chief inspector had retired the year after Treadles had been promoted to detective sergeant, but Treadles had worked with him once. The senior officer had been patient and fair, interested not in producing likely seeming culprits to prosecute but in chiseling away at a case until he had revealed everything about the crime and its participants.
Under any other circumstances, Treadles would have been delighted to welcome the chief inspector out of retirement—and to observe the wise old policeman again in a professional capacity.
Under any other circumstances.
The parlor of the hotel suite in which he found himself boasted dark varnished wainscoting, scarlet velvet curtains, and a deep pile blue-and-gold Turkish carpet underfoot. The décor had been conceived to provide luxurious warmth during London’s long and gloomy winter. But on this sultry day, the room closed in.
Chief Inspector Talbot, his thick head of white hair combed back, his gaze kind yet penetrating, asked, “Young lady, may I inquire as to the nature of your association with the deceased?”
The young lady in question, a woman in her mid-twenties, was attired in a full English garden. So many roses, foxgloves, and hydrangeas flourished upon her dress that it had taken a while for Treadles to discern that the garment was made of a light green muslin. And, of course, embroidered sprigs of lavender proliferated across the circumference of the hem.
In contrast to the gaudy botanical excesses of her frock, her expression was solemn and blank.
“Lord Bancroft Ashburton was the brother of my friend Lord Ingram Ashburton. Several years ago, Lord Bancroft asked for my hand in marriage. I did not believe we would suit and declined his proposal.”
She spoke with a calm detachment, as if she were fielding slightly intrusive questions at a tea party rather than inquiries stemming from a murder investigation.
“And was that the extent of your acquaintance?”
“Not quite. Due to certain events, I am now no longer welcome in polite circles. After I became an exile from Society, much to my surprise, Lord Bancroft proposed again.”
Treadles, who had been in the middle of tugging on his collar, stilled.
He had learned some time ago that Miss Charlotte Holmes had been highly successful on the Marriage Mart: Several of the proposals she’d received had been considered not just good but spectacular.
Even so, to number Lord Bancroft as a suitor not once but twice.
“And I surmise that, once again, you turned him down?” murmured Chief Inspector Talbot.
“He withdrew his offer, rather,” said Miss Holmes. “But you are correct, Chief Inspector, in that after much consideration, I still did not wish to marry him.”
“And yet lately you have visited him—repeatedly.”
She was, in fact, the only person Lord Bancroft had met with in the weeks preceding his death.
The grandfather clock in the corner gonged. Treadles glanced at it. Half past three in the afternoon.
Miss Holmes cast her gaze in the same direction. “Our tea should be here.”
As if on cue, a knock came. Miss Holmes excused herself, went to answer it, and returned with a laden tea tray. She poured for her callers and handed around a plate of baked delicacies. “The hotel provides an excellent Madeira cake. The tea cakes are very decent, too.”
The hotel also provided suites that functioned much as residences, with private entrances from the street. That Miss Holmes had chosen to lodge at a hotel, rather than opening up 18 Upper Baker Street or Mrs. Watson’s house, had signaled to Treadles her intention of only a brief stay in London.
Surely she hadn’t planned on becoming a murder suspect in so short a time?
Miss Holmes took a bite of the tea cake she had recommended. “Lately I have called on Lord Bancroft a little more than is my wont.”
She glanced at Treadles. “Are you sure you wouldn’t care for a tea cake, Inspector?”
Treadles’s innards, wound tight, rebelled at the thought of sugar and butter. He didn’t know how she managed to enjoy—or at least appear to enjoy—the rich assortment on her plate. “I’m quite all right, thank you.”
Chief Inspector Talbot, in his dove grey Newmarket coat, sipped his tea and studied Miss Holmes. He seemed very much a benevolent if youngish great-uncle, inquiring after the latest doings of his favorite grandniece.
“And what would be the reason, Miss Holmes, for your more frequent visits to Lord Bancroft?”
Wildebeests rampaged inside Treadles’s stomach. Talbot could control an interview as well as anyone. But unlike some other investigators from Scotland Yard that Miss Holmes had dealt with, including Treadles himself at one point, Chief Inspector Talbot never underestimated women.
“I received a letter from Lord Bancroft,” answered Miss Holmes, who consumed her tea cake at a steady pace. “He expressed a desire to see me. The missive was unexpected, as were his sentiments. He had retired from public life under occluded circumstances, and I was curious as to why he wished to meet again.”
“Did you find out why?”
“He told me that he feared for his life.”
Treadles hadn’t expected the lies to start flying so soon. When they’d met earlier in the month, Miss Holmes had said nothing to him about Lord Bancroft cowering in mortal dread. He tugged at his collar again, wishing for a draught of fresh air.
“And it appears now,” mused Chief Inspector Talbot, “that his lordship was right in his apprehension. But if you will forgive my question, Miss Holmes, why did he wish to burden you of all people with the knowledge that he might be in danger?”
“Do you believe, Chief Inspector, that there is any reason why he shouldn’t have?”
“I can play games with you, Miss Holmes, but I won’t.” Chief Inspector Talbot set down his teacup and leaned back in his chair. “Part of the reason that I am investigating this case is a matter of personnel: Chief Inspector Fowler, who most likely would have been given the portfolio, is otherwise occupied.
“But in truth, that is only a convenient excuse. The real reason is that in the past I have worked with certain more obscure bureaus of the government and have become trusted for my discretion. For example, I have long known that Ravensmere, where Lord Bancroft dwelt for the better part of a year, is no ordinary lodging house for gentlemen but a cushioned facility for sensitive prisoners.
“I have also been informed, though much more recently, that you, Miss Holmes, far from languishing in your exile, have in fact become the celebrated-but-reclusive consulting detective Sherlock Holmes, who has, among other great deeds, cleared my young colleague here of suspicion of murder last December.”
Treadles could only hope that Miss Holmes would not think he had been the informer. It had been discomfiting to learn from Chief Inspector Talbot that the senior officer already knew of Sherlock Holmes’s true identity. But at the same time, that had been nothing compared to the shocking revelations concerning Lord Bancroft.
The previous autumn, during the investigation of a murder for which Lord Ingram had been—briefly—the chief suspect, Treadles had met Lord Bancroft. It had seemed natural enough that with his youngest brother in trouble, Lord Bancroft had come to Stern Hollow, Lord Ingram’s estate, to lend moral and practical support. It had seemed equally natural that after the case was resolved, Treadles had never heard from or about Lord Bancroft again.
The police and the public had eventually learned that Lady Ingram, Lord Ingram’s then wife, had run away with a man named Moriarty. And that the body found in Stern Hollow’s icehouse had been not that of Lady Ingram but that of her twin sister, killed by Moriarty to frame Lord Ingram.
In private, however, Lord Ingram had informed Treadles that no, Lady Ingram had never formed a romantic liaison with Moriarty. She had done something far worse: She had worked for Moriarty and used her proximity to Lord Ingram, and therefore Lord Bancroft, who handled highly sensitive portfolios for the crown, to ferret out bits of intelligence to pass on to Moriarty’s organization.
Treadles had been chosen to assist Chief Inspector Talbot because he was already acquainted with Miss Charlotte Holmes, the current case’s—as of now—sole suspect. And because he had at least met the victim and knew something of his general background.
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