Lord Darcy by Randall Garrett

Author:Randall Garrett [Garrett, Randall]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Publisher: Orion
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

18

‘I trust you are feeling fit, my lord.’

The always punctilious Geffri put the caffe urn and the cup on the bedside table.

‘Quite fit, Geffri; thank you,’ said Lord Darcy. ‘Ah! the caffe smells delicious. Brewed by your own hand as usual, I trust? Carlyle House is, except for my own home, the only place in the Empire where one can get one’s morning caffe at exactly the right temperature and brewed to perfection.’

‘It is most gratifying to hear you say so, my lord,’ said Geffri, pouring the caffe. ‘By the by, I have taken the liberty, my lord, of bringing up this morning’s Courier. There is, however, another communication which your lordship might prefer to peruse previous to perusal of the news.’ He produced an envelope, ten inches wide by fourteen long. Lord Darcy immediately recognized Master Sean’s personal seal upon the flap.

‘Master Sean,’ said Geffri, ‘arrived late last night – after your lordship had retired. He requested that I deliver this to your lordship immediately upon your lordship’s awakening.’

Lord Darcy took the envelope. It was quite obviously the report on the tubby little Irish sorcerer’s thaumaturgical investigation and the autopsy report on the body of Sir James Zwinge.

Lord Darcy glanced at his watch on the bedside table. ‘Thank you, Geffri. Would you be so good as to waken Master Sean in forty-five minutes and tell him that I should like to have him join me for breakfast at ten o’clock?’

‘Of course, my lord. Is there anything else, my lord?’

‘Not at the moment, I think.’

‘It is a pleasure to serve you, my lord,’ said Geffri. Then he was gone.

By the time an hour had passed, Lord Darcy had read both Master Sean’s report and the London Courier, and was awaiting the knock on the door that came at precisely ten o’clock. By that time, Lord Darcy was dressed and ready for the day’s work, and the hot breakfast for two had been brought in and laid out on the table in the sitting room.

‘Come in, my good Sean,’ Lord Darcy said. ‘The bacon and eggs are waiting.’

The sorcerer entered with a smile on his face, but it was quite evident to Lord Darcy that the smile was rather forced.

‘Good morning, my lord,’ he said pleasantly. ‘You’ve read my report?’ He seated himself at the table.

‘I have,’ Lord Darcy said, ‘but I see nothing in it to account for that dour look. We’ll discuss it after breakfast. Have you seen this morning’s Courier?’

‘No, my lord, I have not.’ Master Sean seated himself and began to dig into the bacon and eggs. ‘Is there something of interest there?’

‘Not particularly,’ said Lord Darcy. ‘Except for some rather flattering references to myself, and some even more flattering references to you, there is little of interest. You may peruse it at your leisure. The only offering of any consequence is the fact that there will be no fog tonight.’

*

The next quarter of an hour was spent in relative silence. Master Sean, usually quite loquacious, seemed to have little to say.

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