Black Diamond Lavaliere: A Gaslight Gothic Mystery

By B. J. Conner

It is first time that Isabella Galloway has returned to Evansville since she made her escape from her egotistical and controlling mother four years earlier. Bella would not have come now, if it were not for Leona Hodge, the woman she considered her real mother. Leona's urgent telegram informing Bella that her mother, the famous Virginia Galloway, was on her deathbed, was quite unexpected and Bella did not truly believe Virginia could be dying.

When Bella left Evansville she had also left behind the love of her life, Neil Whitely, because she believed he had been unfaithful to her with none other than her own mother, Virginia. The prospect of seeing him again filled her with dread, because no matter how hard she tried to forget him, she could not.

Bella traveled to France and had become a distinguished artist. By the time she returned to the United States and took a position at Carrington Academy as instructor, she considered herself truly independent. Her fear that the trip to her hometown would undo everything she had worked so hard to accomplish would only be the tip of what was to befall her as she discovers the curse of the Black Diamond Lavaliere.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jun 23, 2008
• ISBN: 9780595622092

B. J. Conner

B.J. Conner lives in Southern Indiana, high atop a hill overlooking the Ohio River. She enjoys combining her love of local history with a fictional mystery sure to please her readers. When she is not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

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Copyright © 2008 by B. J. Conner

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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are usedfictitiously.

ISBN: 978-0-595-52144-9 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-0-595-62209-2 (ebk)

I dedicate this book to my sisters and brothers, Mary, Ralph, Rosalie and David, and also to my newest granddaughter, Sofia Claire.

Special thanks to Charlotte Wright for her expertise, Marsha King, Angie Conner, and Andy Herbertz and his amazing cover art.

Contents

Author’s Note

PROLOGUE

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

Author’s Note 

This story and most of its character are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons is completely accidental. However, Martha Bayard was a real person who lived in Evansville during period in which this novel was written. Her beautiful home in the historic district, still exists and is privately owned. Her extensive library has been preserved and is housed in the Bayard room in the historic Willard Library.

PROLOGUE 

Lord Rudyard Vitmeier celebrated his twenty-fourth wedding anniversary to Lady Abigail Vitmeier by having the largest pure diamond in his ample treasury designed into a brooch surrounded by twenty-four black diamonds, to represent the twenty-four darkest years of his life, Alma Redmond told her dearest friend Barbara Bingham as she handed her the blue velvet box.

Barbara laughed. It is a wonder that Lady Vitmeier accepted his gift. Barbara set the box down until she poured coffee into her friend’s cup. The two women sat on the balcony of Barbara’s New York apartment overlooking Madison Ave.

Oh yes, once she laid eyes on it Lady Vitmeier was more then pleased to accept the brooch, Alma assured her.

Barbara opened the box and exclaimed, It is beautiful! Barbara could not take her eyes away from the dazzling stones as the morning sunlight sent a cascade of shimmers through the remarkable diamonds.

Lady Vitmeier succumbed to influenza within weeks of receiving the brooch, Alma said direly. The brooch was named the Black Diamond Lavaliere by the second Lady Vitmeier, who also died mysteriously a few years after receiving the former Lady Vitmeier’s bounty. I suppose that is where the alleged curse was born, Alma laughed nervously. After that, Lord Vitmeier’s son lost the brooch in a card game. He ended up killing the gentleman in a duel to retrieve it.

Nothing this stunning can be cursed! Barbara announced excitedly.

Well, there have been many tragedies in my family attributed to the curse. Believe me, any misfortune that may have occurred in the last two hundred years has been blamed on the Black Diamond Lavaliere. Lord Vitmeier was my great-great-great-grandfather. The brooch was passed down to me on my mother’s side since no male children have been born to the Vitmeier family since the creation of the brooch. Of course, the curse was credited for that too. Alma cleared her throat delicately, it is embarrassing to have to come to a friend and ask for assistance.

Nonsense, Alma, you know perfectly well that I am willing to lend you the money you need. It is not necessary for you to put up the family heirloom to receive my assistance.

I will not take your … assistance without giving you something for collateral, Alma insisted.

This brooch is worth much more than the money I lent you, Barbara stated, while watching the brilliant diamond gleam in her hand.

But, I insist that you take it until I am able to repay you, Alma said pleadingly.

Barbara, not looking away from the dazzling brooch, smiled, Alright, I will accept the brooch and I shall keep it in my safe.

By all means feel free to wear it whenever you wish, Alma said sincerely.

I will wear it to the theater this evening, Barbara said delightedly as she gazed at the diamonds.

Three weeks later Alma Redmond learned that her friend Barbara Bingham had been brutally murdered and the Black Diamond Lavaliere was gone.

CHAPTER 1 

The smartly dressed young woman with golden hair and gentle green eyes stepped onto the street to summon a hack. Her crimson-feathered hat, tied with a matching silk scarf, elegantly displayed her perfectly formed features. The expensive satin suit that she wore appeared slightly out of place for someone standing alone in front of the train station, especially at an hour when most folks were at home in their beds. Her confident demeanor attested to the fact that she knew precisely what she was doing.

A horse-drawn cab ambled forward. Stopping in front of her, the driver jumped down and grabbed the young woman’s wicker bags.

Where to ma’am? he asked while strapping her luggage onto the rear of the small carriage.

First Street and Linden, she murmured in a soft voice.

He tipped his hat and held her elbow as she stepped up into the cab before he remounted the driver’s seat with an approving gleam in his eyes. She tried not to notice his sidelong glances and lowered her eyelids. Bella realized that she looked enough like her mother that the driver would recognize her. After all, Virginia Galloway was well known in Evansville, especially by the male populace who had seen her perform on stage. Bella assumed that her mother’s popularity had not faltered in the four years since Bella had left Evansville. Sitting on the edge of the seat as if she were afraid to relax against the leather back, the sting of tears welling up in her eyes surprised her as the sight of familiar streets caused a rush of memories to flood her mind.

Virginia had married Bella’s father Ezra Galloway and given birth to Bella, christened Isabella, when Virginia was just seventeen years old. Ezra was thirty years her senior. Ezra and Virginia’s father were close friends and upon his death, Ezra became Virginia’s guardian. Since Ezra had never married, he declared it would be best if he married his ward so that she would have financial security, which, according to those who knew him, gave a better impression than admitting he lusted after his beautiful young ward.

Ezra must have been quite attractive in his youth. However, at near fifty years of age, hard living had taken a toll on his appearance. He was grossly overweight and suffered from a number of ailments such as gout and congestive heart failure. The latter, he succumbed to when Bella was two years old, leaving Virginia to raise the child alone.

At nineteen, Virginia, a shapely beauty with large green eyes and honey blonde hair, was free to seek a career in the theater. She craved the attention of the opposite sex and eagerly sought out those who would adore her. Naturally, with her good looks she was rewarded for her efforts. Virginia took to the stage like a hound dog to the scent of a rabbit. She was gifted with a natural ability to sing and dance of which she was quite proud.

Virginia was fortunate to have a trusted companion, Leona Hodges, who quite willingly raised Bella. Leona, a black woman ten years older than Virginia, had been employed as the housekeeper for Ezra Galloway long before Ezra brought Virginia to his home as a young bride. Leona had taken the young Virginia under her wing, and had felt a maternal responsibility toward the girl as well as Virginia’s child. The two women became true friends. Ezra’s death left Virginia financially stable, the house on First Street was hers debt free, and Virginia was given a yearly sum of $2,000 dollars. Bella received $500 a year when she reached age eighteen.

There was no reason for Virginia to seek a living outside her home. However, Virginia loved being in the limelight so much she spent very little time with her daughter. The result was that Bella had lived a very lonely childhood. Leona divided her time between being the parent that Bella needed and providing Virginia with her ever-growing requirements. Many times her duties towards Virginia were too numerous for one person to fill. Leona truly did her best for Bella and Bella was devoted to her mother even though her love was never returned. It was only as Bella grew older that she felt the sharp sting of disappointment.

Upon reaching age eighteen, Bella received her allotment of $500 a year. She departed Evansville and her mother’s domain to seek her way in the world. Bella entered art school and eventually went to Paris to study. She easily became an accomplished artist, since she had always been interested in sketching. She didwell painting portraits of children for affluent families in France, but discovered that she was not content living abroad.

She returned to Indiana. However, she did not return to Evansville or to her mother. She settled in northern Indiana, fifty miles from Chicago, where she took a position instructing students in painting at a small school, Carrington Academy for the Arts, owned by Madeline Carrington, a women she had met in Paris. Bella considered Madeline to be far more of an accomplished artist than herself, although she knew that she excelled in color perception where Madeline preferred to sculpt. The two had become fast friends even though Madeline was twenty years Bella’s senior.

Madeline employed two other teachers at the academy. Mr. Wyman, who taught drama and theater, and Mrs. Judson who taught poetry and creative writing. The pay was not necessarily good but with the $500 a year she received from her inheritance, Bella lived quite well. She was satisfied with her position and got along well with the other instructors at the academy. Although Mr. Wyman had pursued Bella romantically, she had managed to elude his advances without causing him embarrassment and keeping her compassionate disposition intact.

Bella would not have returned to Evansville at this time if she had not received an urgent telegram from Leona saying that Virginia was dying. Bella referred to her mother as Virginia, at Virginia’s insistence. Most people were not aware that Bella was Virginia’s daughter because Virginia told everyone that Isabella was her sister. In the early years, Bella did not resent her mother for denying her. It was only after she was of an age to realize that Virginia was only concerned about herself that Bella began to be offended by her selfishness. Bella truly loved Leona since it was Leona who had been responsible for Bella’s nurturing. It was Leona who came to console her in the night when she had nightmares as a child, and it was Leona who insisted that she not allow Virginia to keep her from living her own life.

No one ever doubted that Virginia and Bella were sisters, because of Virginia’s youthful appearance. However, Virginia became more resentful of Bella as she grew to be a lovely young woman. Virginia was used to being admired by women as well as men and did not want competition, so very seldom would she allow Bella to accompany her in public, and she discouraged Bella from spending time with her entourage.

At a very young age, Bella watched Virginia apply make-up before a performance, and wished that she could be just like her. Of course, that was well before Bella realized Virginia was not only narcissistic, she was also manipulative. Virginia was an expert at her trade and at demanding to have her way. Bella likened her mother to a queen bee while her family and her acquaintances were the drones. People could not help being attracted to Virginia, only to find that they could not remove themselves from her unless they removed themselves completely, which is what Bella managed to do with Leona’s help.

Leaving Leona had not been easy in the beginning but it had become necessary when Bella formed an attraction for one of Virginia’s admirers. When Virginia found out, she flew into a rage shouting that she would not have Bella entertaining thoughts of love and marriage with Neil Whitely since he was a renowned womanizer who had no intentions of settling for someone as young and naive as Bella. Virginia seemed to take great pleasure in telling Bella of Neil’s conquests. Bella felt like a fool. Virginia had succeeded in convincing Bella that what she told her was the truth. Bella did not wish to stay and watch Virginia twist Mr. Whitely around her little finger just to prove to Bella that she could and so she left Evansville.

Leona had been the one to console Bella and also arranged for Bella to go away to art school and later secured passage for her to France where Bella could study art with masters. Leona was careful to make certain that Bella would be taken care of while she was abroad. For Bella, it was hard to leave Leona behind, however, she knew it was a necessary step for her to become independent, which was a little frightening since she had always been timid. The fact that she had left her affections attached to Neil Whitely, a gentleman who would never know that her heart still yearned for him, was only secondary. Virginia had truly succeeded in persuading Bella of his philandering ways.

The carriage came to an abrupt halt in front of the tall wooden structure painted white with green shutters. The house was as beautiful as Bella remembered with its wonderful shade tree beside the brick walk and the wicker swing still hanging on the front porch. Bella had fond memories of summer days spent sitting in the wicker swing sketching with charcoal on a pad. There was also a side porch with a small table and chairs, which in hot weather was used for morning coffee and afternoon tea.

The driver removed her bags and was standing at the side of the carriage waiting, but she remained seated. It was quite dark with only the light from the street-lamp streaming down onto the brick walk. Bella’s face was concealed in the shadows as she composed herself before stepping out into the lamplight. She made a small sound as if she was clearing her throat to speak, and smiled at the driver, holding out her hand for him to take.

After descending from the carriage, she took time to straighten her fashionable hat before handing him his fare.

Would you like for me to carry your bags to the door ma’am? He asked.

No thank you, I shall manage, she said and waited for him to return to the drivers seat and pull away before starting towards the door. Her bags were not heavy. She did not pack many of her belongings because she did not anticipate a long stay. If Virginia was truly ill, which Bella doubted, she was only prepared to stay until Virginia was on her feet again. Virginia was notorious for feigning illness to get her way and it was not uncommon for her to pretend that she was on her deathbed.

Bella took a deep breath and slowly walked up the brick path to the front porch. The tall double doors opened and a thin dark woman dressed in a green cotton frock appeared in the doorway holding out her arms. Bella dropped her bags on the porch and ran into her embrace.

Girl, you’re a sight for these old eyes, Leona cried.

It is so wonderful to see you again, Leona, Bella declared still holding on to the one woman she considered her real mother.

Suddenly out of the shadows beside the porch appeared a man, Bella screeched. He flinched as if it startled him. He was dressed rather shabbily in old brown trousers and suspenders. His hair seemed unkempt and his deep-set eyes ogled Bella giving her a sick feeling.

Leona laid her hand on Bella’s arm. That’s just old Pete, he takes care of the grounds and whatever repairs we might have. Virginia brought him home from the theater one night. He was employed there, but had lost his job because he had caused a ruckus with one of the patrons who tried to get too close to Virginia. She allows him to live above the carriage house for the work he does around here. I believe she thinks of him as her protector.

Bring Miss Bella’s luggage in, Pete, Leona called to him and then to Bella. Get in here where I can have a good look at you.

They stepped into the foyer where the lamps burned brightly. Bella noticed immediately that Leona appeared frail. However, she could not take her eyes off of Pete.

He grinned at her showing uneven yellow teeth. Bella turned her back to him. Just leave my bags here in the hall, Bella said eager to have him leave. He dropped the bags and stepped out the door. Bella closed the door quickly behind him, returning her attention to Leona. Have you been ill? Bella asked with concern evident in her green eyes. Has Virginia been running you ragged?

Well . it’s not been easy around here since she got her hands on that darn diamond and got sick. Leona muttered. I begged her to get rid of it, but youthink she would listen to me and now look at her, she can barely speak above a whisper.

She is really ill this time? It is not another one of her schemes? Bella proclaimed with disgust, pulling off her soft satin gloves.

I am afraid she is very sick, Leona shook her head. "Doctor Hellmann’s here every day to see her.

Bella paused. What has the doctor to say about her illness?

He don’t know, she shook her head again, he thinks it is something in her blood. But, I can tell you, it is the curse on that brooch that’s causing her trouble.

What brooch are you speaking of? Bella demanded.

"The Black Diamond Lavaliere is what they call it. Solomon Goldsmith gave it to her for her birthday right before you left. Don’t you remember? But, there was some kind of rift about it