The Ninety-Three by Hannah Howe

Author:Hannah Howe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Romance, Suffragette
Publisher: GoylakePublishing
Published: 2024-07-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Sir Percival Agnew-Jacobs lived in a sprawling seventeenth century mansion, set in acres of rolling green grounds. His mansion spoke of tax, or rather of tax avoidance, for Sir Percival’s ancestors had removed chimneys to avoid paying the hearth tax, and blocked up windows to sidestep the window tax. It was said that Sir Percival stored his vast wealth in foreign bank accounts although, of course, I had no proof of that.

The large number of motor vehicles parked on Sir Percival’s forecourt suggested that he was entertaining guests. I knew from gossip within my social circle that Sir Percival spent his weekdays in London, in parliament, and his long weekends at home in Somerset. We were approaching the weekend, so I reckoned that it was fair to assume that he’d be in residence.

With dusk falling, Aubrey and I hid amongst the trees, in a forest that bordered Sir Percival’s mansion. The air was chilly, so I rubbed my arms for warmth.

“Nervous?” Aubrey asked, misinterpreting my gesture.

“Not really,” I said. “In fact, I’m feeling quite calm.”

“How so?”

“I reckon that once we’ve informed Sir Percival of our predicament, he will help us. He will pull strings within the government and free us from our woes.”

“You are a very trusting person,” Aubrey said, pausing to scratch the stubble on his chin. His stubble was turning into a beard; events had moved at such a pace, he hadn’t found time to shave. “Maybe, in the future, you should consider marrying that trust to a little caution.”

“I’m delighted,” I said, “that you reckon I have a future.”

Aubrey smiled. “I’m a pessimistic-optimist; I see the darkness first, then look for the light.”

At ten o’clock, in their finery, Sir Percival’s guests drifted from his mansion. They climbed into their cars and fired their engines. Amongst the engine roars and plumes of smoke, Aubrey took hold of my hand and led me towards the servants’ entrance. There, a butler was standing on the doorstep, smoking a cigarette.

“How do we get rid of him?” I whispered.

“That’s simple,” Aubrey said. He picked up a stone and hurled it at the greenhouse. The shattering of glass attracted the butler’s attention, and he strode into the gardens to investigate. Seizing our chance, and my hand, Aubrey dragged me into the mansion.

With stealthy tread, we made our way through storerooms and the kitchen into a wide corridor. Portraits lined the corridor, depicting men wearing stern expressions and military uniforms. The few women on display looked grumpy too. Patently, the Agnew-Jacobs were filthy rich, yet not particularly happy.

We waited for Sir Percival to enter his library. Then we followed him into the wood-panelled room, and closed the door.

Sir Percival was reaching for his monocle when we entered. Doubtless, he intended to read a passage from a book before retiring for the night, a book about the Romans, to judge from the shelf he’d been studying.

With a look of surprise on his angular face, Sir Percival turned to stare at me. “Anna, what are you doing here?” He glanced at Aubrey.

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.