Bright Hair About the Bone by Barbara Cleverly Page A

He’d not bothered to count the occasions on which he’d been called on as final authority to decide which one of them was right, only, having announced his decision, to be set upon by both of them. Laetitia, tall and fair-haired, had all the stalking elegance of an egret when seen next to her small friend, who was as bright-eyed and neat as a robin. He decided to bluster a little more. Sometimes they got bored and left him alone if he went on for long enough.
    â€œOne more word and I’ll ship the pair of you off to darkest Burgundy and have you chained up like Andromeda—to a postbox! You deserve it! I can hardly begin to believe what you’ve done today. If that young thug Dalton takes it into his head to open his mouth—and we all know how discreet
he
can be—bang go
my
dining rights in several colleges. You ought never to have made contact with this American and offered your services, which I’ll bet is what happened. I don’t believe a word of all that nonsense about a post being advertised, my girl. My suspicion is that
you
approached this Paradee and said you’d go and work for no recompense and he replied saying thank you very much and requesting testimonials. Am I right?”
    Laetitia’s cross face told him all he needed to know. “I curse Daniel for putting such ideas into your head, Letty, and I’m not at all convinced that you’re reading him aright anyway. It all sounds a bit thin. Two full stops indeed! Where’d you get hold of all this
School for Spies
stuff? What rubbish! And what about poor Andrew Merriman, who was gracious enough to nurse you through a year’s apprenticeship in Egypt? You’re getting
him
to vouch for you too? How did you manage that?” Catching a deepening of Letty’s colour, he groaned. “Oh no! More blackmail! Well…it can’t have been difficult, I suppose. Andrew would always be a very easy target for blackmail. Dash it! More fences to mend!”
    â€œBut, Daddy! We owe it to Daniel to do as he asked us with his last words, don’t we?” She thrust the postcard at him. “Won’t you listen to him? One last time? We’ll never hear his voice again! Are you silencing him forever?” After an hour of explaining, cajoling, and reassuring, it had come down to this. She had no more tricks left. But her father had always listened to Daniel.
    He took the card and silently read the words again. Finally he looked up. When he spoke, his voice was husky with emotion. “Soppy old thing! Very well…I concede. We’ll hearken to what the old reprobate has to say. But, my girl, we’ll stick to the letter of what he says or we’ll take no action at all. Is that agreed?”
    Letty nodded solemnly, disguising her satisfaction at hearing a sally port creak open.
    â€œThen it all comes down to Mr. Plod, the Policeman. The character stipulated by your godfather. I would never allow you to go abroad, not even as far as Deauville…” He considered for a moment. “…and perhaps rather particularly
not
Deauville, without a reliable escort. You find yourself a suitable companion—and I’m not offering any assistance here, you’re on your own!—and you can go. There will, of course, be certain requirements…”
    â€œRequirements? What sort of requirements?” Letty asked with misgiving.
    â€œThe lucky candidate for this journey to Hades and back must be elderly—a retired officer of experience and heavy with years, sufficient years to put him beyond the range of your allurements and blandishments, my girl! He should be the male equivalent of the College bedders—what is the phrase?
De aspecto horribile.
That’s it.” He laughed, beginning to enjoy himself. “Ugly as sin! And he must have an unblemished record, be in full possession of all his faculties, able to speak French, and willing to take on the guise of