Episode Details

Two countesses, one duel at dawn, and a man found dead in the reeds before breakfast. When Lady Venetia Temple-Barrett and Lady Aurelia Westmarch settle a romantic rivalry with pistols, the encounter appears harmless and theatrical—until their shared admirer, Rupert Delacourt, is discovered murdered by the lakeside moments later. The duel explains nothing: the shots went wide, yet Delacourt fled, was dragged through mud and reeds, and left behind evidence pointing everywhere at once—jealous rivals, rearranged alibis, stolen horses, and a husband who returned home either too early or too late. As a storm closes in on Hartlepool House, the Belgian Detective must cut through honour performed for show and secrets hidden beneath silk and stone to answer one question only: who met Rupert Delacourt after the duel, and why did he never walk back? The Duel of the Two Countesses is an original Golden Age–style aristocratic mystery inspired by the real 1829 “petticoat duel,” presented as a full-length audiobook by Nocturnal Tales.

This is an original mystery inspired by the traditions of classic detective fiction.
All characters and events are fictional. No affiliation or endorsement is implied.

When honour is performed in public, where does the real crime usually happen—on the field, or afterward?

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