A Question of Numbers by Andrea Penrose

Author:Andrea Penrose [Penrose, Andrea]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery.Historical Mystery
Amazon: B07N31LRJN
Barnesnoble: B07N31LRJN
Goodreads: 43713505
Publisher: Andrea Penrose
Published: 2019-04-07T22:00:00+00:00

Clouds had blown in to obscure the crescent moon and the air was turning heavy with the scent of approaching rain. Arianna and Grentham, both dressed in black, their faces darkened with ash, crept along a narrow alleyway, hugging close to the convent wall. They moved with care through the fetid gloom, picking their way by feel through the rotting detritus.

Arianna didn’t care to contemplate what lay beneath her feet.

After several more steps, she looked up. The steeply-pitched roof of the building abutting the bell tower was silhouetted against the fitful night sky, the dark-on-dark terracotta tiles looking slightly menacing through the ghostly swirls of mist.

“This is a good spot,” she whispered. “It provides the right angle for the grappling iron.”

Grentham handed over the coil of rope slung over his shoulder.

After a quick tug to test the knot attached to the barbed metal, Arianna stepped back and paid out a length of the heavy rope.

“I trust you’ve done this before,” he murmured.

“More times than you might like to know,” she replied, hefting the hook to feel its weight.

The quicksilver spasm in the shadows might have been a quirk of his lips.

“You know the plan,” added Arianna. “Once I’m up and give the signal—” The hoot of a barn owl, two quick times in succession, had been agreed upon. “—You move around to the street to keep watch on the rear gate for any sign of alarm, while Sophia takes up her station here.”

They had decided that a single horse and rider had the best chance of going unnoticed. And given her friend’s equestrian skills, Sophia was the perfect choice for carrying Pierson’s daughter to safety, leaving the minister free to deal with any trouble that might arise. She and Grentham, who had been dropped by carriage several streets away, would make their own way back to the house.

“I, too, have done this before,” he drawled.

Arianna checked that her pistol was snugged in one pocket and a second length of rope in the other. “Then let us get on with it.” Looking up again to gauge the distance, she began to swing the grappling iron.

Swoosh, swoosh—the hooked metal cut through the air like a raptor taking to its wings. “Godspeed, milord,” she said, and let it fly.

The iron hit with a brittle thump and began to scrabble over the weathered tiles.

Arianna darted sideways, and with a hard flick of her wrist yanked the rope taut.

The sounds ceased.

She pulled again, leaning back to set her full weight on the hooks. They held. Without a glance at Grentham, she began a shimmying climb up the wall, her rope-soled shoes moving with barely a whisper over the mortised stone. It took only a few moments to reach the narrow parapet and jump over to the steep slant of the roof.

So far, so good. A quick scramble halfway up would allow her to slide over and gain access to the bell room of the tower. From there, the circular stairs would lead down to the courtyard.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.