Royal Revels Read Online Free Page B

gotten engaged?” Pronto asked suspiciously. “Damme, Dick, this is no time to be oiling around some bit of fluff!”
    “Bite your tongue, you ridiculous object!” Belami answered with a laugh. “It’s not my bit of fluff I’m chasing this time.’’
    “All the worse, poaching on some other man’s. ‘Pon my word, Dick, you ain’t changing your ways a bit. You promised you’d swear off the muslin company.”
    “This is business, Pronto. Confidential business or I’d let you in on it. I’ll be back in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. I suggest you have your monkey suit pressed up and be ready to stand as my best man next week.” Belami looked impatiently at the clock on the mantelpiece.
    Pronto sniffed and began nibbling on the corner of his thumb, a great aid to concentration. “Charney don’t like your dabbling in crime if that’s what it is,” he felt obliged to remind his friend. “Just might be enough to turn her against you again.”
    “She likes it well enough this time,” Belami said nonchalantly.
    “You don’t mean she’s gone and lost that dashed diamond again after we just found it for her!” Pronto exclaimed indignantly.
    “No, no, it’s an entirely different matter, but mum’s the word.” A shapely finger was raised in admonishment.
    “I’ll be off then and let you get packed,” Pronto said with a suspicious alacrity. He normally reacted at the pace of an aged tortoise. “I’ll drop in and entertain Deirdre for you from time to time,” he offered with a cagey light in his blue eyes.
    “She’s coming with me, but thanks anyway for the offer. I’ll look you up as soon as we return. I really have to go now, Pronto.”
    “I won’t detain you,” Pronto said and ambled out, muttering into his collar.
    Dashed Belami thought he was so clever just because he had solved a couple of crimes. Anyone could do his deductions when he got the knack of it. Motive, method, opportunity—Pronto had heard him say so a dozen times. That’s all there was to solving these cases. Who did it, when, and why, in other words. And how—that was the trick.
    It was as plain as a pikestaff, after some basic deducing over a couple of ales at the Daffy Club, that Belami was nipping off to Brighton to pay off some lightskirt he had under his protection. And simple-minded enough to let Deirdre go with him, which naturally meant Charney went too.
    Whether he knew it or not, Belami would require the help of his best friend, Pronto Pilgrim. Who had arranged for the time and the privacy for Herr Bessler to mesmerize Charney in the first place and make her give Belami permission to marry Deirdre? Pronto Pilgrim! Who had done half the work in finding the diamond stolen from the duchess? Pronto Pilgrim! Who always helped Belami out of his scrapes? The same Pronto Pilgrim! And if by any chance Charney did learn of the matter, who would throw himself forward to rescue Deirdre from heartbreak? Pronto Pilgrim! But he wouldn’t do a thing to expose Belami. He was a gentleman, by Jove.
    He nipped smartly around to his apartment in Albany and had his bag packed for a short visit to Brighton. He’d put up at a spot convenient to Belami’s house on Marine Parade. The 0ld Ship was a decent hotel. Even had a spot of dancing in the evenings and a card game on Wednesdays as he recalled. He’d drive like the wind and be there before nightfall, if only the night would behave itself and not go getting dark in the middle of the afternoon, as it had the habit of doing in the winter. Prinney had made the trip in four and a half hours, or let on that he had at any rate. Pronto didn’t see any reason why he couldn’t better that record.
    * * * *
    There were three carriages with disgruntled passengers on the trip to Brighton. Belami regretted the slow pace he had to set to allow the duchess’s ancient carriage and team to follow him and resented that she wouldn’t allow Deirdre to go with him. Deirdre was also unhappy with her