Devil of Montlaine by Claudy Conn

Author:Claudy Conn
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Scarsdale Publishing, Ltd
Published: 2017-07-19T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Morning!

It came with clear, crisp, sweetly scented summer air. The season was still in its heyday and wildflower blooms were everywhere. All this serene beauty was, however, wasted on the two young gentlemen meandering through the Penrod Park grounds.

Randall of Southvale took hold of his cousin’s shoulders and turned him so they were face to face. “Imperative, Rick. Absolutely imperative, I tell you. We must leave here at once!”

“Don’t be a noddy,” Rick returned, pulling a face. “We can’t. We have to stay the course with m’sister.”

“It is for your sister that we must leave. Write to your father…tell him…”

“Tell him what? That m’cousin has…”

“RICK!” Randy interrupted him. “Tell him that things are havey-cavey here at Penrod. Not the respectable place they think it is…not for Ness, no. Tell him at once and I have no doubt he will send for us.”

“Havey-cavey? That’s famous.” Rick chuckled. “What the deuce is wrong with you?” Rick was beginning to feel uneasy, however, very uneasy. He knew his cousin well and something had overset him.

“Rick, I saw her.”

“You saw who?” Rick demanded.

“The girl in the cupboard,” Randy returned on a whine.

“The girl in the cupboard? Have you gone daft? I think you have.” But Rick knew better. He had to think and was stalling as he tried to find an answer to this new turn of events.

“You know I haven’t. What’s more, you know who I mean. I am not needle-witted, never have been, but I know what I saw. I know what I heard and it’s all too smoky by half. Pack up your sister and take her back to Brighton, that’s the ticket. It is the only reasonable thing to do.”

“You’ve gone noddy on me, cuz. What are you talking about?” Rick still stalled as he hadn’t a clue how else to handle this.

His cousin lowered his voice. “Look here, Rick, the thing is…she didn’t mean for me to see her. ‘Tis none of my affair if Lady Penrod chooses to hide girls in her cupboard and if you choose to play your games, but if Ness gets mixed up in this muddle, Uncle will have both our heads, and that is a fact!”

“What makes you think Ness will get involved?” Rick asked, still stalling.

“What makes you think Ness won’t?” Randy snapped, now out of patience, and fidgeting.

“We can’t go home. Randy, you don’t understand,” Rick said quietly.

“I understand we are slipping into something better left alone. Rick…I…I thought Sheila an angel, but last night…I had myself a good listen and a good look. These Echworths are not the thing, you know, but they are searching for their niece, you know that, and I suspect Lady Penrod is hiding her in the cupboard.” His voice now was exploding with desperation.

Richard of Grey grimaced. “How do you know that for sure?”

“Who else could the girl be? And it’s no use saying you know naught about the affair when it was you she was calling for this morning!”

“What?” Rick knew he was now at a dead end.

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