gentleman," Prance pointed out.
"That's just clothes and talk. Easy to change. He'll have got a jolt at seeing us there if he's guilty. I wonder what he'll do."
"Why don't you follow him and find out?"
"Why don't you? I'm going to take a run out to Hummer's place, sniff around for clues."
Prance considered this a moment, then said, "I'll do better than that, I'll offer him a lift home, since he doesn't have his carriage here."
"Dandy. I'll take a hackney home and jog on out to St. John's Wood. How would I get there?"
"It's really very simple. You drive north on Edgeware Road. At St. John's Wood Road, Edgeware Road becomes Maida Vale Road."
Coffen looked completely bewildered. "No wonder I get lost, roads changing their names for no reason." Prance repeated the directions two or three times, finally wrote them down and Coffen wandered off in search of a hackney.
Mr. Danby outwitted Prance. He refused a lift home, but was suitably grateful to be dropped off on New Bond Street. Prance watched him for fifteen minutes, but when it seemed Mr. Danby planned to shop the day away, he went home.
----
Chapter 6
Lady deCoventry was becoming bored with her own company. Luten was busy at Whitehall finishing up some business so that he could accompany her to Ireland for their wedding with a free conscience. Although it would be her second marriage, it was his first and they wanted some ritual to the affair.
As far as Corinne was concerned, she felt it was her first real marriage. She had not been in love with Lord deCoventry when her papa sold her to him seven years before for five thousand pounds. She had been barely seventeen years at the time, Lord deCoventry exactly three times her age. He had wanted a son to inherit his title and estate. He took the blame for not achieving his goal on his own shoulders, like the gentleman he was, and had been happy with his bride despite the failure. For four years they had lived in peace and harmony, during which time the Irish hoyden's rough edges were honed to a stylish town bronze.
Her elderly husband demanded little of her time. Lord deCoventry's cousin, Lord Luten, often accompanied her about town. Her own cousin, Coffen Pattle, was a part of the group and Sir Reginald a friend and neighbour of both gentlemen. Within a year of deCoventry's death Luten offered for her. The offer caught her completely off her guard and in her astonishment she had uttered a nervous laugh and refused him. The extremely eligible Marquess of Luten was not accustomed to being laughed at, especially when he was making an offer of marriage.
Her refusal left him so stunned and angry he spent the next three years snipping and sniping at the lady. When he finally came down off his high horse and repeated the offer, she accepted. One of these days they would get around to the marriage ceremony, if murder didn't get in their way.
It was during a case at Prance's estate, Granmaison, that Luten had busted his ankle, which delayed the trip down the aisle. His ankle was healing now and Sir Reginald was supposed to be working on the wedding arrangements. He always put himself in charge of anything in the way of a party or celebration.
When she saw Coffen coming out of his house, she assumed he was coming to visit her and was disappointed when he crossed the street and headed to Prance's house. She decided to join him and see how the wedding plans were coming along.
Entering Sir Reginald's bijou house was like stepping into a jewelry box. Though small, everything was of the finest without being garish. He spurned red window coverings and gilt furnishings, choosing instead a subdued gold brocade silk for the window hangings and a Persian carpet with traces of dusty blue and rose, which he gave them to know was priceless. The tables gleamed from frequent applications of beeswax and turpentine, but it was in the minor decorative touches that he really shone.
Each bibelot that graced the tabletops had been chosen with
"That's just clothes and talk. Easy to change. He'll have got a jolt at seeing us there if he's guilty. I wonder what he'll do."
"Why don't you follow him and find out?"
"Why don't you? I'm going to take a run out to Hummer's place, sniff around for clues."
Prance considered this a moment, then said, "I'll do better than that, I'll offer him a lift home, since he doesn't have his carriage here."
"Dandy. I'll take a hackney home and jog on out to St. John's Wood. How would I get there?"
"It's really very simple. You drive north on Edgeware Road. At St. John's Wood Road, Edgeware Road becomes Maida Vale Road."
Coffen looked completely bewildered. "No wonder I get lost, roads changing their names for no reason." Prance repeated the directions two or three times, finally wrote them down and Coffen wandered off in search of a hackney.
Mr. Danby outwitted Prance. He refused a lift home, but was suitably grateful to be dropped off on New Bond Street. Prance watched him for fifteen minutes, but when it seemed Mr. Danby planned to shop the day away, he went home.
----
Chapter 6
Lady deCoventry was becoming bored with her own company. Luten was busy at Whitehall finishing up some business so that he could accompany her to Ireland for their wedding with a free conscience. Although it would be her second marriage, it was his first and they wanted some ritual to the affair.
As far as Corinne was concerned, she felt it was her first real marriage. She had not been in love with Lord deCoventry when her papa sold her to him seven years before for five thousand pounds. She had been barely seventeen years at the time, Lord deCoventry exactly three times her age. He had wanted a son to inherit his title and estate. He took the blame for not achieving his goal on his own shoulders, like the gentleman he was, and had been happy with his bride despite the failure. For four years they had lived in peace and harmony, during which time the Irish hoyden's rough edges were honed to a stylish town bronze.
Her elderly husband demanded little of her time. Lord deCoventry's cousin, Lord Luten, often accompanied her about town. Her own cousin, Coffen Pattle, was a part of the group and Sir Reginald a friend and neighbour of both gentlemen. Within a year of deCoventry's death Luten offered for her. The offer caught her completely off her guard and in her astonishment she had uttered a nervous laugh and refused him. The extremely eligible Marquess of Luten was not accustomed to being laughed at, especially when he was making an offer of marriage.
Her refusal left him so stunned and angry he spent the next three years snipping and sniping at the lady. When he finally came down off his high horse and repeated the offer, she accepted. One of these days they would get around to the marriage ceremony, if murder didn't get in their way.
It was during a case at Prance's estate, Granmaison, that Luten had busted his ankle, which delayed the trip down the aisle. His ankle was healing now and Sir Reginald was supposed to be working on the wedding arrangements. He always put himself in charge of anything in the way of a party or celebration.
When she saw Coffen coming out of his house, she assumed he was coming to visit her and was disappointed when he crossed the street and headed to Prance's house. She decided to join him and see how the wedding plans were coming along.
Entering Sir Reginald's bijou house was like stepping into a jewelry box. Though small, everything was of the finest without being garish. He spurned red window coverings and gilt furnishings, choosing instead a subdued gold brocade silk for the window hangings and a Persian carpet with traces of dusty blue and rose, which he gave them to know was priceless. The tables gleamed from frequent applications of beeswax and turpentine, but it was in the minor decorative touches that he really shone.
Each bibelot that graced the tabletops had been chosen with
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