The Phantom Lover Read Online Free Page A

minutes?” Lady Sybil hissed in annoyance. “We’ve all told you we don’t want any.”
    â€œBut perhaps Nell …?” Lady Amelia suggested timidly.
    â€œI’m sure Nell doesn’t want any tea at this hour either,” Lady Sybil snapped.
    â€œBut I do, ” Nell said with a warm smile for the old lady. “Please let me have a cup, Amelia dear.”
    Lady Sybil frowned at Nell in disgust. “You are interrupting the proceedings, you wretch. All that clinking of teacups will give me the headache.”
    â€œSorry, my dear,” Nell said with a contrite smile. “I promise I shall drink very, very quietly.”
    â€œIn any case,” added Mr. Prickett, packing up the papers on the table in front of him, “I believe the ‘proceedings’ are over, are they not?”
    â€œThey most certainly are not, ” Lord Charles declared. “You haven’t told me how long I must wait to put my hands on the money.”
    This time Mr. Prickett actually permitted himself a small sigh. In his many years as legal and business advisor to the fifth Earl of Thornbury, he’d never had to deal with the Earl’s willful, spoiled, rather dim-witted second son. All the legal and financial dealings had been strictly controlled by the Earl or by Edgar Thorne, the Earl’s eldest son. Edgar Thorne had been the Earl’s pride and joy, and the only member of the family whom the Earl had respected. But a hunting accident had taken Edgar’s life fifteen years before, leaving the old Earl embittered and lonely. Only Henry Thorne, Edgar’s son, had been any comfort to him, and he had left long ago for the army.
    After Edgar Thorne’s fatal accident, his son became the heir to the title and lands, the Earl’s grandson’s claim having precedence over that of the second son. The old Earl had often confided to Prickett that this arrangement was not only legally, but rationally and morally justifiable. His grandson, Captain Henry Thorne, was the only member of his family whom the Earl believed capable of controlling the family pursestrings. The Earl had been given ample evidence for concluding that Lord Charles and Lady Sybil could, between them, easily fritter away every penny brought in by the Earl’s very large estates.
    Mr. Prickett was in wholehearted agreement, but of course, he could not expect Lord Charles to be happy about the arrangement. Slow in understanding, Charles had only one interest in life—he was addicted to gambling. He was, therefore, always deeply in debt. Now, with Captain Thorne’s disappearance, Charles had, not surprisingly, begun to hope that he might come into control of the inheritance.
    â€œYou are not answering,” Charles repeated, shaking Mr. Prickett from his reverie. “Didn’t you hear me? How long must I wait?”
    â€œI simply cannot give you an answer. We must allow time for the Captain to be located,” Mr. Prickett said with forced patience.
    â€œHe must be dead,” Lady Sybil said funereally. “I feel sure he must be dead. No one has heard of him in months!”
    â€œWe’ve had a letter from Sir Arthur, you know,” Charles added. “It doesn’t offer a word of hope. Very kind letter it was, praising Henry to the skies and all that, but he admits that the poor fellow hasn’t been seen since Talavera.”
    â€œNevertheless, we must keep looking. The law is quite clear on that point. Does the letter say anything else?”
    â€œNo, nothing of any significance. Would you like to see it? I believe I tossed it into the drawer there to your right.”
    Mr. Prickett found the letter and scanned it quickly. “Well, my lord, you seem to be right. It gives us no new information about Captain Thorne’s possible whereabouts.” There was a moment of glum silence while Mr. Prickett perused the letter more carefully. “Interesting,” he