Larcenous Lady (5 page)

“Shall we go and join Deirdre?” Pronto suggested.

Elvira took hold of Pronto’s elbow with a firm grip, her sister’s with another, and said, “Let us form another square. Deirdre most particularly wishes to practice her French.” She led them away to the far corner of the room and soon had the set completed.

There were some strange undercurrents here that Pronto couldn’t quite fathom. He had figured out by now that Dick knew all along Deirdre was here, of course. Wasn’t a complete flat. What he couldn’t understand was why Dick didn’t just go and ask her to dance. It wasn’t as if Charney were here to stick a spoke in his wheel.

But really these were only minor mysteries. What intrigued him more was that Elvira Sutton, a dasher of the first water, was spurning Belami’s advances. Of course he knew Dick was only after her to make Deirdre jealous, but she couldn’t know that.

What absolutely defied explanation was that Elvira seemed very sweet on himself. In the general way, he never cared much for these ladders of girls. Lucy was more in his style, but Lucy was batting her lashes at Belami as hard as she could. Very strange doings all around. It amused him to see Dick trying his charms on Elvira, wondering why he wasn’t having any luck.

“Where are you pilgrimaging to, Mr. Pilgrim?” Miss Sutton asked.

“Europe,” he said. “How about you, Miss Sutton?”

“The same,” she answered, biting back a smile at this odd little man. “Are you and Lord Belami working on a case at the present time? I’ve heard you two are famous investigators.”

Pronto’s chest swelled to be harnessed so properly in tandem with Belami in these investigations. “We’re taking a holiday from crime. The only crime we’ve come across is that Dick got hold of a counterfeit coin at Dover. He was within ame’s ace of missing the boat, but I got him blasted off.”

Miss Sutton’s smile encouraged Pronto to tackle a compliment. “Seems to me it’s a crime for a lady to be so dashed pretty as you, Miss Sutton. Maybe we ought to look into it, what?”

She laughed lightly. “You are a shocking man! Just what part of me did you plan to look into?”

Pronto blushed and sought a suave extrication. “I never look a gift horse in the mouth, and that’s a fact.”

“Then my teeth are safe,” Miss Sutton teased. “But I warn you, sir, my fetlocks, my withers, and especially my flanks are out of bounds.”

“Heh, heh.” Miss Sutton was a high flyer, and no doubt about it. Pretty warm talk for a maiden! “Don’t worry I’m trying to saddle or bridle you,” he said. “Not that I mean to say I wouldn’t like to! That is—oh, dash it, Miss Sutton, you know what I mean.”

“Let us abandon this metaphor, Mr. Pilgrim. So you and Lord Belami are in Europe only on pleasure?” she asked again.

“That’s it. Tell me, Miss Sutton, am I wrong, or have you taken Belami in aversion for some reason?”

She gave him a bold smile. “I never poach, sir. Till we see whether he and Miss Gower are indeed through with each other, I shall keep my distance. Really, Belami is not in my style. Is it all over with those two?”

“The lord only knows. It’s been over a dozen times, but he keeps coming back to have his head kicked in again. It wouldn’t surprise me if he took it into his noggin to go tagging after her. Er, what is your style, Miss Sutton?”

“I prefer shorter men. Someone I can look in the eye,” she said boldly as she looked down into his eyes from her clear blue orbs. Pronto was knocked endways by that look.

“Where are you folks heading to?” he asked.

“Rome,” Miss Sutton answered firmly.

“Rome, eh? Perhaps we’ll meet again there and have another dance. Shall we make a date?”

Elvira gave him a mysterious smile. “Let us leave it in the hands of fate,” she said.

By the time the dance was over, Pronto knew his fate was sealed. Wherever Elvira went, he meant to follow. She wasn’t the woman he ever thought he’d fall in love with, but there it was. Fate. She was a lively young lady, not one to keep her tongue between her teeth and make a fellow do all the talking. She was a mite taller than him, but she preferred short men. If that wasn’t an invitation he was a yahoo.

Both Pronto and Belami returned to Mrs. Sutton’s table at the end of the dance. During the intermission, Deirdre’s partner took her for a glass of orgeat. Belami sat down and tried to make conversation with the chaperone.

“Is the duchess planning to join the party?” he asked.

“No, she’s gone to bed. We must leave soon, too.”

Her first speech was music to Dick’s ears. It seemed possible he might arrange a private meeting with Deirdre. He ordered a bottle of wine and talked to Mrs. Sutton while Pronto entertained the youngsters.

“I see you’ve managed to find an English newspaper,” he mentioned. “Is there any news from home?”

“This is several days old,” she replied. “English papers are at such a premium a gentleman at the hotel offered me his.”

Belami glanced at it and noticed a piece had been cut out. When Mrs. Sutton closed the paper, Belami saw a brown stain on the front page. The paper was the
Dover Chronicle,
bearing the date of their departure. “Would you care to have it?” she said.

“I’ve read that issue, thank you.” He frowned at it. “You didn’t by any chance get it from a retired sea captain?”

“No—that is, I’m not sure what the man’s calling was. I didn’t actually know him. Why do you ask?” she said.

“It’s a small world. That looks like the paper I gave to a gentleman on the boat. We spilled brandy on it during the crossing. Captain Styger must be putting up here at the Licorne. I may look him up tomorrow.”

He glanced up and saw Elvira staring at him. She looked conscious for a moment, then smiled. She had a charming smile. The wine arrived, and during the intermission some desultory conversation ensued. When the next set began forming. Pronto grabbed Elvira’s hand, and Dick went after Deirdre.

She had been keeping a sharp eye on him and hoped for some such move. As he approached, however, her pride demanded a show of pique. She smiled very thinly and said, “Nice party.”

“Charming,” he sneered, and lifted her hand from the Frenchman’s sleeve to lead her away. She didn’t object. In this mood, Dick was capable of any havoc. “But all good things must come to an end,” he warned, “and now it’s time for us to talk.”

She leveled a cold stare at him. “I can’t imagine what you and I have to say to each other, Lord Belami. It seems to me we exhausted all our threats and insults some time ago.”

“Speak for yourself. I still have a full budget! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming to Europe?”

“Why should I? We’re only here for my aunt’s health.”

“No doubt your dancing with that French gigolo is an inestimable help to her.”

They reached the far side of the room, and Belami showed her a chair. “My aunt is getting her sleep. Why should I retire at nine o’clock? I’m not a child.”

Dick saw the chaperone across the room stir restively and decided it was time to abandon his petulant pose. “Mrs. Sutton plans to leave soon. Deirdre, we have to talk. Meet me down here. The duchess won’t hear you go.”

“You can say anything you have to say now,” she replied. She lifted her gray eyes to his and was set trembling at the look he wore. It was the face of the man she’d fallen in love with. One black brow was arched imperiously over a flashing dark eye, but the gentle smile on his lips told a different story. It spoke of his continuing affection—his love. He seized her hand and squeezed it tightly.

“I can’t do what I want to do,” he said softly in an intimate voice that sent chills down her spine. He gazed at her lips as he spoke, till she felt them quiver.

“Dick, behave yourself!” she said, blushing.

“Give me half a chance and I shall behave just as you always liked. Come back down and meet me, darling. There’s no impropriety in it. Pronto’s here as well. We’ll just have a dance—that’s all.”

Deirdre leveled a searching gaze at him. “This is not the way you spoke last month at Fernvale,” she reminded him.

“I can’t go on being savage with you. It’s destroying my sanity. Last month at Fernvale I was a madman. Who wouldn’t be, with the wedding put off for the third time? My bovine pride has been coerced by your absence. We broke off the engagement in haste, and I’ve repented at leisure.”

“Also with considerable pleasure, if rumor is to be believed. You were out every night in London.”

“Out trying to forget you, most unsuccessfully. You know my erratic temper, Deirdre. My patience was tried beyond endurance, but now that I’ve had time to think— Oh, damme, here’s Miss Sutton, come to claim you.”

Miss Sutton was advancing at a swift stride, with a very purposeful glint in her eyes. “Mama thinks we ought to retire now, Deirdre,” she said, without even glancing at Belami. That woman’s arrogant manner was beginning to bother him unduly.

“Pray tell her we are busy,” Belami said curtly.

Miss Sutton looked at him, and he was hard pressed to imagine why she disliked him so intensely. This was no cunning act of dislike to heat up his interest. There was blue fire in her eyes—yet she’d smiled at him a few minutes ago.

“Is that the message you wish me to take to Mama, Deirdre?” she asked.

“No, of course not. I must go, Dick,” she apologized.

“You’ll do as I asked?” he said. “What we discussed?”

A small smile glowed in her eyes. “Very well.” The dimple that occasionally flashed at the corner of her lips peeped out for a brief instant to enchant him. “It was nice meeting you again,” she added, to give an air of finality to their parting.

Belami escorted the ladies back to Mrs. Sutton and took a polite leave of them all. He noticed Pronto smirking at Miss Sutton and quizzed him about it when they were alone.

“Tossing your bonnet at the young Amazon, are you?”

“The bonnet’s on the other foot. She’s a dasher, Dick. Bold as can stare. Very fond of Pronto Pilgrim.”

“I admire her taste,” Belami said satirically. Elvira’s aloofness still bothered him. “What’s the secret of your success in that quarter?”

“I’ll be dashed if I know. We think it’s fate. Do you mind, Dick, when you was telling me about you and Deirdre once before she jilted you—the time you had old Bessler mesmerize Charney, I think it was. You said Deirdre was your other half—that’s how it is with me and Elvira. We met and something clicked.”

“Your money and her love of same, perhaps?” Belami suggested. “Those ladies are not exactly top of the trees, Pronto. I swear young Lucy dropped a dozen aitches while we were dancing, and was none too steady on her grammar.”

“Elvira didn’t drop anything but a hint that she liked me pretty well,” Pronto said with satisfaction. “I did notice Elvira seems a touch above her little sister. I wonder what accounts for it.”

“Mrs. Sutton seems genteel enough,” Belami said, frowning at this small puzzle. “It’s strange to discover that sort of discrepancy within a family.”

He idly opened the newspaper as he sat, waiting for Deirdre to return. He looked at the spot where an article had been cut out. Odd how he found himself wondering about that one article more than all the others that were there for him to peruse if he wanted to.

“What are we waiting for?” Pronto asked.

“Deirdre’s coming back down,” Belami said.

“Eh? Who says so?”

“I say so,” Belami told him, and smiled.

“Well, if you ain’t a flat, Dick! You’re going to let her and Charney kick you around the field again?”

“We’re just going to talk, that’s all,” Dick told him.

“When you two talk, it’s either April and May or fighting. Believe I’ll just toddle along to our hotel.”

“No, stay,” Belami urged. “It will look better if she’s not alone with me. Don’t worry. Nothing will go wrong this time. I’ve got my lucky guinea,” he said, and took it out of his pocket to flip. He glanced at the open paper. “That’s what’s missing!” he exclaimed.

“It ain’t missing. It’s right there—in the air. In your hand now,” Pronto pointed out.

“No, the article that’s been cut out of the paper. It’s the one about the counterfeiters, the Jalbert gang.” He riffled quickly through the paper to verify it.

“What the devil are you talking about?”

Belami explained about lending the paper to Captain Styger and finding it in Mrs. Sutton’s hands. “I wonder why Styger cut it out.” Belami frowned.

“Who’s to say he did? Maybe Mrs. Sutton cut it out.”

“Why would she do that? I wonder—”

“What are you on to?” Pronto asked, with more foreboding than pleasure. He knew that pensive face.

“I’m going to see if Styger’s still here, at this hotel.”

“Why?”

“It’s a matter of suspicious coincidences,” Belami said.

“That means clues, which means a case,” Pronto deduced.

“Styger was at Dover, where the gang eluded the police. He called himself a sea captain, but oddly he didn’t know much about the navy. He’s the man I got my counterfeit coin from, indirectly, and seemed very upset when I mentioned it. He even offered to buy it back. He asked me if I was a government agent, too. I found that rather odd. And he’s been here, in this hotel. It almost seems like fate throwing him in my path. What a crown to our career, Pronto, if we caught an international counterfeiter. I’m going to inquire if Styger’s here,” Belami decided. “If Deirdre comes, ask her to wait. I shan’t be a moment.”

He was back soon, still wearing his pensive frown, which Pronto noticed had grown stronger. Certainly looked like the makings of a case. “What’s up?” he asked.

“There was never a Captain Styger registered here at all.”

Pronto hunched his narrow shoulders. “There goes your clue. Mrs. Sutton must have got the paper from someone else.”

“Perhaps, but I have a more interesting explanation. When I described Captain Styger to the clerk, he said there was a man matching my description—an
anglais,
grizzled hair, gruff-voiced, but calling himself Mr. Plunkett. Men don’t adopt an alias without a reason. He wasn’t registered, but took some meals here the past few days. Enough that they knew his name.”

“It’s as I said,” Pronto explained. “Styger left the newspaper in the hotel—someone picked it up and passed it along to Mrs. Sutton. You’re making bricks without straw here, Dick. You don’t know the Jalberts ever went abroad at all.”