Wolf Whistle by Marilyn Todd

Author:Marilyn Todd [Todd, Marilyn]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Mystery
ISBN: 9781611876680
Amazon: B00IOZLZ5W
Publisher: Untreed Reads Publishing
Published: 2014-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

XIX

The intruder dragged himself on to all fours and shook his head like a dog. ‘For a foggy night,’ he said miserably, ‘I’m seeing one heck of a lot of bright stars.’

‘Orbilio?’ Claudia stepped over his back and set light to a couple of wicks. ‘Good grief, man, don’t you know better than to go around breaking other people’s footstools?’ She jabbed the gaping upholstery. ‘The horsehair’s coming out in tufts.’

‘Listen, if anyone’s hair’s falling out it should be mine. From stress.’

‘There’s a leg loose, as well.’

‘Mine, probably.’

Claudia sat down on the battered footstool and studied her burglar at close quarters. ‘I thought you were a thief,’ she explained, resting her chin in her hands. ‘Or I wouldn’t have hit you so hard.’

‘But you’d still have hit me?’ Marcus Cornelius leaned back on his knees. ‘That’s reassuring.’

‘What do you expect, creeping around like a common burglar? Didn’t you think to try the front door?’

‘Would you have let me in?’

‘No.’

‘Well then.’ Gingerly he tested the bump on his head. ‘Anyway, the other way was barred.’ He smoothed his dishevelled mop, then squinted. ‘Is that frock real, or am I hallucinating?’

‘Oh no,’ she said smugly. ‘This is the genuine article, guaranteed to knock the old trouts’ eyeballs right out of their sockets.’

‘Should you find mine while you’re about it, send them home, will you?’ He hauled himself to his feet and massaged the back of his neck.

‘It’s not that bad,’ she chided, shaking out her sleeves. ‘Scarlet, blue, with a spot of green here and there. What do you mean, the other way was barred?’

‘You missed out the yellow, orange, pinks and purples.’

‘I asked you a question.’

‘I’d have knocked at the shutters, only I heard music downstairs and assumed you were there with the others.’

Claudia rose to her feet. ‘That wasn’t the question.’ He was right about the music. The best way to defend is by attack and a robust pace demanded robust entertainment, bring on the horns and the cymbals.

‘Would you prefer me,’ she asked, ‘to scream “thief” at the top of my voice? “Arrested for housebreaking” might add a certain cachet to your CV.’

‘As I recall, you tried to rob me.’ Orbilio poured himself a glass of wine from the jug on the table. It had not reached his lips before the goblet was snatched from his hand and was flouncing out into the cool night air.

‘All right, all right,’ he called, as her mouth formed a wide O. ‘If you must know,’ he stepped on to the balcony to join her, ‘I spent last night in Gaius’ bed.’

‘You?’

For a moment, he was non-plussed. ‘Mother of Tarquin.’ He ran his hand over his face. ‘You thought it was Magic, didn’t you? That’s why you nailed up the shutters.’

‘There was a draught,’ she said, tilting her chin at where the moon would be, had it not been hidden by so many clouds. ‘So I’ll thank you kindly to keep your size tens out of that room from now on.’

‘You want me to sleep here?’ he asked mildly, swivelling his eyes towards the bed.

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