God Rob Ye Merry Gentleman Read Online Free

Beauchamps grabbed a sheet each and twitched them off the machines, Hugo was checked in his disappointment, and his face actually lit up with joy. ‘A mobility scooter ! My good Lord, it’s a mobility scooter: one each. I presume the blue’s one’s mine. Oh, Manda, I do believe I love you – in the most platonic way, of course.’
    â€˜We’ll have great fun together, Hugo, and we’ll start today round by the stables where there’s no gravel.’
    â€˜Why the rush? Why today?’ Hugo didn’t see the need for any precipitate action with these new and probably quite lively machines.
    â€˜Because we’re going detecting tomorrow.’ Lady Amanda stood four-square in front of him, with arms akimbo and that familiar determined expression, which brooked no argument or opposition, on her face.
    â€˜Detecting?’ Hugo looked nonplussed. ‘But we don’t have a case on at the moment, do we, or am I completely losing my mind?’
    â€˜Yes we do, and no you’re not.’ Lady A answered both of his questions as efficiently as possible.
    â€˜What? What the devil are you talking about? What or whom are we investigating?’ asked Hugo, feeling kinda left out.
    â€˜It’s a secret,’ came the cryptic reply.
    â€˜What? Even from me? And I’m supposed to be helping you carry out this mystery investigation?’
    â€˜Hugo, if I told you, things would work nowhere near so well. It’s absolutely necessary that you have no clue as to what I’m up to. Come along now, and the Beauchamps will show us how to ride these babies round to the stable yard, so that we can get used to the controls for tomorrow.’
    â€˜Do we have to?’
    â€˜ Yes ! Now, get a move on, slowcoach.’
    â€˜Hugo, mind the hitching post!’
    â€˜Hugo, watch the stable door! Not so fast!’
    â€˜Hugo, these are not dodgem cars. Absolutely no bumping. I don’t fancy being, literally, bumped off by you, Chummy,’ this last, in quite a high-pitched voice, as Hugo’s scooter ran into the back of hers for the third time, unexpectedly jolting the use of his old nickname out of her.
    â€˜Hugo, where are you? How on earth did you get in there? Turn off the ignition and dismount, and I’ll summon Beauchamp to come and get your machine out.’ Hugo had driven into one of the stables, to which the door had been left open many years after the last horse had bolted. ‘And get the straw out of your hair. How you could just drive into a space like that I’ve no idea. They may be kept in there out of the weather, but we are certainly not training them in stable etiquette today.’
    Hugo staggered somewhat shakily out of the wooden building brushing at his trousers, which had got a bit covered in ages-old straw, his face a predictable strawberry red.
    â€˜Sorry, Manda. Got a bit mixed up with the rudders, and turned the wrong way, then couldn’t remember how to stop the blasted thing.’
    â€˜No worries, as they say Down Under, Hugo.’
    â€˜Do they?’
    â€˜Believe me, they could say a lot worse. Now remember how to steer and stop, and let’s give it another go. Thank you so much, Beauchamp,’ she concluded, as her butler parked the infernal machine back in the middle of the stable yard.
    Hugo had to go upstairs for a lie down with a headache – perchance to nap – after lunch, but Lady Amanda, ever intrepid, had carried on with her driving practice. Hugo could follow in her wake tomorrow, but she’d have to be spot on to see what she wanted to try to locate.
    Hugo reappeared for afternoon tea carrying two painkillers, a glass of water and with bleary eyes. ‘And where might we be going to carry out this secret investigation tomorrow?’ he asked, without preamble.
    â€˜In Belchester,’ she clipped.
    â€˜Why can’t Beauchamp just take us in in the Rolls, like