The Circle of Sappho Read Online Free

the floor.
    ‘Come, my carriage will be waiting outside by the time we are downstairs.’
    Swann followed Lady Harriet out into the corridor, where she handed the note he had written to the well-dressed man still standing there. He took it obediently and gave an almost imperceptible bow. Lady Harriet and Swann descended the three flights of stairs he had recently climbed, but instead of leaving by the front entrance they descended another flight that led to the basement. From here they walked along a corridor toward the farthest room. Lady Harriet lifted a flaming torch from outside the room and went inside, where a curtain hung on the opposite wall. She lifted it and Swann saw a door behind. Lady Harriet unlocked it with a key she had on her person and gestured for Swann to go through first. Stepping inside herself, she followed him through, then closed and locked the door. The passageway in front was now cast into light from the torch. Lady Harriet went ahead again as they moved along another corridor, this one made of earth. It smelt damp but the floor beneath Swann’s feet was thankfully dry. If this part of the building had flooded, someone had done a good job of clearing it up. Swann measured about two streets’ worth of passageway until they reached another door. Again Lady Harriet unlocked and relocked it. There was now a flight of stairs heading up. Given the fact Swann had entered the building from the south, with the river behind him, and that the subterranean route they had taken was north, this meant, if his calculations were correct, that they were now under Peter Street. They climbed the staircase and passed through an unlocked door into the stock room of a shop. Swann followed Lady Harriet through the shop itself, where none of the workers or customers gave either of them a second glance, and outside on to the road he had correctly predicted: Peter Street. No sooner had they emerged than a four-horse carriage pulled up and its driver jumped down to open a door; Lady Harriet and Swann stepped in. The carriage then sped off.
    ‘I assume moving the black flag in your plant pot is what summoned your driver,’ said Swann.
    ‘That is most observant of you, Swann, but from your reputation nothing less is to be expected. Yes, the driver waits with the carriage at Beechen Cliff and when I remove the black flag and plant pot from the window, he knows I wish to be collected. We have it down to a fine art, as you have experienced. But as for the urgent matter with which I require your assistance, it is in connection with a girls’ school a little way out of the city at Grove Park. It is a private establishment run by a close acquaintance of mine. An incident has taken place there which I wish you to investigate.’
    ‘What kind of “incident” and why do you think I can help?’
    ‘The bodies of a teacher and one of the pupils were discovered yesterday in the grounds and I want you to ascertain exactly how they died.’
    ‘They were found together?’
    Lady Harriett nodded.
    ‘I want to engage you professionally, Swann. As I said, it is my understanding that you have acquired a reputation for solving several crimes since being in Bath.’
    ‘Your message mentioned national security,’ queried Swann.
    ‘I will give you more details after we have been to the school; which is where we are heading now.’
    ‘If I do take this case, there will be two provisions.’
    Lady Harriet said nothing but waited for Swann to continue.
    ‘I carry out the investigation in my own way. No interference from the school, yourself or anyone connected with the Alien Office, back in Avon Street.’
    Lady Harriet smiled.
    ‘My compliments, Swann. How did you know?’
    ‘I did not for sure, Lady Harriet. It was an educated assumption. I have been aware of their existence for a number of years, as my work with the Bow Street Runners in London occasionally brought me into contact with their agents; one of whom I believe I