London Calling by Elliott Anna

Author:Elliott, Anna [Elliott, Anna]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Wilton Press
Published: 2012-02-20T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Susanna felt horribly exposed stepping out from the Russell Square house and back into the street. The back of her neck prickled, and her stomach clenched as she looked round, seeming to see lurking figures in every patch of shadow.

But as she had told James, she could not risk anyone’s noticing she was gone from her room in Admiral Tremain’s house. She had to be back inside before the servants were up and about.

James, too, was tense as they crossed Russell Square and started back towards the Tremain house. He kept one hand on the pistol he had slipped into his pocket before they left. But nothing occurred. The attacker had evidently been frightened off for the night, and they encountered only an elderly flower seller shuffling along with her basket of wilted violets.

When they reached their destination, James drew to a halt in a patch of deeper shadow cast by the house next door to Admiral Tremain’s. He said in a half-whisper, “I don’t suppose you happened to leave a useful length of rope dangling out you window? No? A length of knotted sheet?”

Susanna gave James a look. Though she supposed he had a point. When she had followed Major Haliday out, she had not spared a thought for how she was to get back in.

Of course the injustice was that Major Haliday, being a man, could walk straight in the front door without anyone’s blinking an eye over his having been abroad in the city at night. Whereas if anyone happened to see Susanna come in—

“Come on,” James said in the same low tone. “There’s bound to be a ground-story window we can force open for you.”

James was right; a search round the perimeter of the house yielded a set of tall windows at the side, which opened into the Admiral’s library. They were low, scarcely three feet above the ground, and James surveyed the catch with a practiced eye.

“Child’s play. The Admiral would do well to improve the security of his home. But it’s a lucky thing for us that he has not.” He produced a long, thin pocket knife and slipped it between the glass and the casement. A quick twist, and the lock had sprung open. James raised the sash.

“In you get, then. Just lock the window again after you. With luck, no one will even notice that the catch has been forced.”

Susanna nodded. James offered her his hand, preparing to lift her up to the window. But instead Susanna stood still, looking up at him. His face was patched with shadow, but she could see the easy self-confidence in his pose, read the undercurrent of humor in his voice.

This was the James she remembered‌—‌as she had encountered him during their first adventure together. The man who seemed to thrive on danger, who turned even the risks he took and the dangers he faced into a kind of game, a sport to be laughed at.

In a way, she was glad to see that part of him return.

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.