The Watercress File: Being the Further Adventures of That Man from C. A. M. P. Read Online Free Page B

have floral names, if you hadn’t noticed.”
    â€œWhy not Pansy?” Craig could not resist asking. “That’s a flower too.”
    Far from being annoyed, Honey only chuckled. Watching him, Jackie was not so perturbed as Mathews. In fact, he was far from it. It was true, Honey was effeminate, the type often described as languid.
    He had grown, however, since Jackie had last seen him, into a terribly pretty queen—thin, but with a graceful elegance about his appearance and movements. His trousers were rather loose fitting, but even so Jackie had seen a nicely formed, if small, fanny, and now that Honey was facing him, he could scarcely ignore the outline in the trousers that, unless his eyes were playing tricks on him, extended nearly halfway to the knees—and Honey had very long legs! Nelly or not, Honey had quite a lot to offer—and Jackie found himself looking forward to the offer.
    That, however, would have to be later. He forced his eyes from Honey’s leg, meeting Honey’s understanding smile with a wink. Business first, before Honey’s business.
    â€œI’ll tag along with you,” he said to Mathews. “I’m curious about that note myself.”
    â€œIt isn’t necessary,” Mathews told him. He was beginning to feel dazed by the strange people who inhabited this house, and had no desire to keep company with any of them longer than necessary.
    â€œI’d like to, though,” Jackie insisted. “After all, I flew all the way here from the West Coast just to see if that was authentic. I’m entitled to be a little curious now.”
    Mathews yielded, more interested in reaching the safety outside than in arguing. “Well, all right,” he agreed, heading for the door. “But we’d better get with it.”
    Jackie followed him, pausing at the door to look back at the others. “I’ll be back later,” he promised. “That is, if you can find room for me. I could always sleep on a sofa.”
    â€œOr you could double up with Honey,” Nasturtia said.
    Honey grinned. “Sounds fine,” he said, his voice a purr. “Those sofas are beastly anyway.”

CHAPTER FOUR
    Mathews’ “taxi” was still waiting outside, the driver looking as patient and fresh as though he had been there only a minute or two. “My place,” Craig instructed him as theyclimbed in. Jackie followed him inside and sat back in silence.
    â€œI gather the family was quite a surprise to you,” Jackie said finally.
    Now that he was safely away from them, Craig could afford to grin slightly. “I’ll have to admit, they are different,” he said in a voice that might have been genuinely amused, or sarcastic, for all Jackie could tell. Mathews’ mask was an all-time thing, and thus far just about impenetrable.
    â€œSpeaking of families, reminds me,” Jackie said, deciding to try another approach. “How did a no-mystery-about-it Irishman like you ever get a name like Mathews? Wouldn’t O’Malley have been more appropriate?”
    For the first time the mask seemed really to slip, and when he spoke, Mathews might have been talking to a friend instead of a casual business acquaintance whom he was keeping at arm’s length.
    â€œWould ye laugh?” he asked in a brogue so thick it could have been cut with a knife. “If I tell you it should have been O’Malley?”
    â€œI won’t laugh at all,” Jackie answered with sincerity. “But I’ll admit you’ve got me curious.”
    â€œIt’s not that much of a story,” Craig said, in his normal voice. “My mother was first generation, and still pure Irish. She’d have no part of any young man who wasn’t from the Isles, although there was one who was daft about her—Mathews, his name was.”
    â€œI’d guess he finally changed her mind,” Jackie said with a smile.
    â€œHe did