Introduce myself?

My name is Jane Prescott. I work for Mrs. William Tyler of New York. I apologize. I’m not used to answering questions. One of the requirements of a lady’s maid is that she should be invisible until she’s needed. Even then, one should be as unobtrusive as possible.

Yes, I suppose that does put me in a position to see and hear a great deal. But if I told you everything I’ve seen and heard, I’d be out of a job, wouldn’t I? Maybe one day, I’ll write a book. That sounds indiscreet, doesn’t it?

What does a lady’s maid do? I tend to Mrs. Tyler’s clothes, her hair. I make sure her rooms are as she likes them. I listen. I truly believe that with a little confidence, Louise Tyler will be considered one of the greatest ladies of New York City—every bit as admirable as Mrs. Astor or Mrs. Vanderbilt.

Yes, I did introduce her to Mr. Tyler. No, I wouldn’t say I made the match. I simply. . .made them aware of each other. The Tylers are an old, established family. But like so many old, established families, their means were no longer equal to their pedigree. Louise’s father, as I’m sure you know, has means to spare. So it all worked out.

Yes, they are the family whose nanny was murdered in Long Island. She was a lovely young woman. Very brave.

No, they never did find out who killed her. There were rumors that it was the Black Hand. But I don’t know. People are very quick to blame the world’s ills on the “foreign hordes,” don’t you think?

Yes, the Newsome murder. Yes, I do remember that. Of course I do, it was a very famous case. I wish to state quite clearly that Mrs. Tyler’s sister Charlotte was in no way involved in Mr. Newsome’s death. In fact, the person they convicted of that crime. . .

Never mind.

No, I don’t want to say more. One day. Not now.

I suppose the Tylers have faced considerable misfortune. But New York is a very violent city in this new and modern century. Even in the mansions of Fifth Avenue. Michael Behan once told me. . .

I’m sorry. Michael Behan a reporter for the Herald. An acquaintance. A friend, I suppose. That’s strange, isn’t it, to be friends with a gentleman?

No, of course not, he’s married.

Yes, I’m happy in my work. I think the world of Mr. and Mrs. Tyler. In some ways, they’re the only family I have. My mother died on the voyage over to America and my father left me with a note pinned to coat when I was three. My uncle took me in. He’s a minister. He runs the Gorman Refuge for Lost Women on the Lower East Side.

No, it didn’t affect my morals in the slightest. For one thing, I went to work for my first employer, Mrs. Armslow when I was 13. I started as a scullery maid, but when Mrs. Armslow became ill, she liked to have me around her. I did her hair in a certain way that she liked. Also, I’m sorry to say it, but people will take advantage of the elderly and the sick. Certain things of Mrs. Armslow began to go missing. The family was convinced it was a servant, but. . .I was able to prove otherwise.

What’s my interest in crime? I don’t think I have one. I have an interest in fairness. Some deaths seem to matter more than others. When Norrie Newsome was killed, people talked about nothing else. “The murderer must be brought to justice!” But when poor Sofia was killed, people just shrugged and said she was Italian, Italians are violent, probably some love affair gone wrong. When the truth was quite different.

No, I told you, I won’t say anything more about that. Or the Newsome murder. Or any of the other deaths the Tylers have faced; really, it’s not their fault, they’re a splendid family.

If you want to know more, I guess you’ll just have to read that book I’m going to write.

You can read more about Jane in Death of a New American, the second book in the “Jane Prescott” historical mystery series, released April 1, 2019.

Death of a New American by Mariah Fredericks is the atmospheric, compelling follow-up to the stunning debut A Death of No Importance, featuring series character, Jane Prescott.

In 1912, as New York reels from the news of the Titanic disaster, ladies’ maid Jane Prescott travels to Long Island with the Benchley family. Their daughter Louise is to marry William Tyler, at their uncle and aunt’s mansion; the Tylers are a glamorous, storied couple, their past filled with travel and adventure. Now, Charles Tyler is known for putting down New York’s notorious Italian mafia, the Black Hand, and his wife Alva has settled into domestic life.

As the city visitors adjust to the rhythms of the household, and plan Louise’s upcoming wedding, Jane quickly befriends the Tyler children’s nanny, Sofia—a young Italian-American woman. However, one unusually sultry spring night, Jane is woken by a scream from the nursery—and rushes in to find Sofia murdered, and the carefully locked window flung open.

The Tylers believe that this is an attempted kidnapping of their baby gone wrong; a warning from the criminal underworld to Charles Tyler. But Jane is asked to help with the investigation by her friend, journalist Michael Behan, who knows that she is uniquely placed to see what other tensions may simmer just below the surface in this wealthy, secretive household. Was Sofia’s murder fall-out from the social tensions rife in New York, or could it be a much more personal crime?

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Meet the author
Mariah Fredericks was born and raised in New York City, where she still lives with her family. She is a graduate of Vassar College with a BA in history. A Death of No Importance, the first in the Jane Prescott series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award. The second, Death of a New American, is in stores now.

To learn more about Mariah, visit her website at mariahfredericksbooks.com.

All comments are welcomed.