and I had rather not spend valuable minutes smoothing
matters over. And please try not to wander from the subject. Or tell
anecdotes. You are not here to entertain anybody. You are here to
obtain information. Is that clear?”
“ You’re
so forgetful,” he said. “Don’t you remember telling
me that you’re the brain and I’m the brawn? Naturally I
expect you to do all the talking. And naturally I shall knock heads
and toss people out of windows as required. Or did I misunderstand?
Did you want me to think, too?”
Chapter 4
RUPERT DISLIKED THE
VISCOUNT NOXLEY ON sight.
He was a few inches
shorter than Rupert and not so broad across the shoulders and chest,
but he was fit enough. His hair and eyes were the tawny color
properly belonging to cats. Rupert especially disliked the eyes and
their expression when regarding Mrs. Pembroke.
It was the look a
hungry lion cast upon the gazelle selected for dinner.
Rupert wished she’d
left her veil down.
But she’d
thrown it back as soon as she entered the room, and his lordship’s
face lighted up, bright as the sun, at the sight.
And then, as soon
as she’d explained what had happened, it was as though a vast
thundercloud mounted over the fellow’s head.
Servants hurried in
with the obligatory coffee and sweets and hurried out again at his
brusque signal.
“ This is
incredible,” Noxley said. “I can scarcely take it in.
What fool would leap to such a conclusion, let alone act upon it? But
no, it must be a madman. The idea is monstrous. I am sure your
brother never gave the smallest indi-cation of a breakthrough of that
magnitude. Quite the contrary. He is exceedingly modest about his
work. One can scarcely persuade him to speak of it.”
“ I agree that
it is bizarre,” she said. “But the two matters must be
connected. Or do you believe it is mere coincidence?”
“ No, no, yet
I hardly know what to believe.” He shook his head. “It is
shocking. I need a moment to collect my thoughts. But I am remiss.”
He indicated the coffee tray with its array of elegant silver dishes.
“Do take some refreshment, I beg. Mr. Carsington, you may be
unfamiliar with the local delicacies.”
He explained the
food while lovingly arranging a plate for Mrs. Pembroke. Less
lovingly, he prepared one for Rupert. Once this task was done, Noxley
forgot about Rupert and devoted his attention to the lady.
Rupert let his
attention wander to his surroundings. The room was entirely in the
local style. Acres ofTurkeycarpets. Plastered and whitewashed walls.
Elaborately carved and painted wooden ceiling with chandelier
suspended therefrom. High, latticed windows. Low banquettes running
along three sides of the room, heaped with pillows and cushions.
Paneled cupboards above the banquettes. Paneled doors almost but not
quite facing each other. The one they’d entered was shut; the
other stood partly open. The opening was clearly visible from where
Rupert sat. A figure moved past, then returned and hovered there. A
veiled face peeked round the edge of the door, and a dark gaze met
his.
He pretended to
study the design of his coffee cup while covertly watching the woman
watching him.
After a moment, she
grew bolder and showed more of herself. There was a great deal to
show, the veil being the only modest feature of her attire. It must
have been too heavy for her, because she dropped it once or twice.
Still, Rupert was
attuned to the conversation nearby. Mrs. Pembroke was prodding Noxley
to remember something Archdale might have said or done to cause
someone to leap to conclusions.
Noxley still seemed
bewildered. He described the small dinner party—merely three
guests besides Archdale, all English: one artist and two colonels. “I
did wonder,” he said, frowning. “Your brother’s
reason for going toGizathis time seemed odd to me. But I supposed I
must have misunderstood him. Either that or he had some private
business there he preferred to
matters over. And please try not to wander from the subject. Or tell
anecdotes. You are not here to entertain anybody. You are here to
obtain information. Is that clear?”
“ You’re
so forgetful,” he said. “Don’t you remember telling
me that you’re the brain and I’m the brawn? Naturally I
expect you to do all the talking. And naturally I shall knock heads
and toss people out of windows as required. Or did I misunderstand?
Did you want me to think, too?”
Chapter 4
RUPERT DISLIKED THE
VISCOUNT NOXLEY ON sight.
He was a few inches
shorter than Rupert and not so broad across the shoulders and chest,
but he was fit enough. His hair and eyes were the tawny color
properly belonging to cats. Rupert especially disliked the eyes and
their expression when regarding Mrs. Pembroke.
It was the look a
hungry lion cast upon the gazelle selected for dinner.
Rupert wished she’d
left her veil down.
But she’d
thrown it back as soon as she entered the room, and his lordship’s
face lighted up, bright as the sun, at the sight.
And then, as soon
as she’d explained what had happened, it was as though a vast
thundercloud mounted over the fellow’s head.
Servants hurried in
with the obligatory coffee and sweets and hurried out again at his
brusque signal.
“ This is
incredible,” Noxley said. “I can scarcely take it in.
What fool would leap to such a conclusion, let alone act upon it? But
no, it must be a madman. The idea is monstrous. I am sure your
brother never gave the smallest indi-cation of a breakthrough of that
magnitude. Quite the contrary. He is exceedingly modest about his
work. One can scarcely persuade him to speak of it.”
“ I agree that
it is bizarre,” she said. “But the two matters must be
connected. Or do you believe it is mere coincidence?”
“ No, no, yet
I hardly know what to believe.” He shook his head. “It is
shocking. I need a moment to collect my thoughts. But I am remiss.”
He indicated the coffee tray with its array of elegant silver dishes.
“Do take some refreshment, I beg. Mr. Carsington, you may be
unfamiliar with the local delicacies.”
He explained the
food while lovingly arranging a plate for Mrs. Pembroke. Less
lovingly, he prepared one for Rupert. Once this task was done, Noxley
forgot about Rupert and devoted his attention to the lady.
Rupert let his
attention wander to his surroundings. The room was entirely in the
local style. Acres ofTurkeycarpets. Plastered and whitewashed walls.
Elaborately carved and painted wooden ceiling with chandelier
suspended therefrom. High, latticed windows. Low banquettes running
along three sides of the room, heaped with pillows and cushions.
Paneled cupboards above the banquettes. Paneled doors almost but not
quite facing each other. The one they’d entered was shut; the
other stood partly open. The opening was clearly visible from where
Rupert sat. A figure moved past, then returned and hovered there. A
veiled face peeked round the edge of the door, and a dark gaze met
his.
He pretended to
study the design of his coffee cup while covertly watching the woman
watching him.
After a moment, she
grew bolder and showed more of herself. There was a great deal to
show, the veil being the only modest feature of her attire. It must
have been too heavy for her, because she dropped it once or twice.
Still, Rupert was
attuned to the conversation nearby. Mrs. Pembroke was prodding Noxley
to remember something Archdale might have said or done to cause
someone to leap to conclusions.
Noxley still seemed
bewildered. He described the small dinner party—merely three
guests besides Archdale, all English: one artist and two colonels. “I
did wonder,” he said, frowning. “Your brother’s
reason for going toGizathis time seemed odd to me. But I supposed I
must have misunderstood him. Either that or he had some private
business there he preferred to
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