The Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cosy Read Online Free Page B

blue eyes, and he was smiling at her engagingly.
    'It is.' She looked for a few seconds, then her face cleared. 'Of course. You're Lucy Arbuthnot's nephew.'
    'My word, you've a good memory.'
    'For faces. I can never remember names.'
    'Giles Deveraux.'
    'Of course. We met at her Yorkshire place about three years ago.'
    'That's right. How are you, Lady Burford?'
    'I'm very well, thank you.'
    'And the Earl - and Lady Geraldine?'
    'They're both in excellent health, I'm thankful to say. You're looking extremely fit. Been abroad?'
    'Yes, for several months.'
    'Lucky you.'
    'It was far from pure pleasure. My work keeps me on the move.'
    'Oh, of course, you're in the Navy, aren't you?'
    'Was, I left a couple of years ago. I'm by way of being a writer now.'
    'Indeed? What sort of things do you write?'
    'All sorts. Bit of freelance journalism. Travel books. Guide books.'
    'And what is the current project?'
    Deveraux hesitated. 'Um, well, I'm about to start on a hectic series of country house visits in connection with a commission I've received.'
    'Oh?' Lady Burford fixed him with an enquiring gaze.
    Deveraux seemed a little embarrassed. 'Actually, I've been asked to write a book on famous British houses - one of a series. Each one will cover a different period - Elizabethan, Queen Anne, Georgian, and so on.'
    'And which period are you dealing with?'
    Deveraux cleared his throat. 'Er, late Stuart.'
    'I see.' Lady Burford looked at him somewhat grimly. 'And why isn't Alderley being included? It's the finest smaller Carolean mansion in England.'
    'Unfortunately, the houses have been more or less selected by now—'
    'Which ones?'
    'Well, Eltham Lodge, Ramsbury, Honington, Belton—'
    Lady Burford interrupted with a snort. 'You must be out of your mind! Some of those places aren't in the same class as Alderley.'
    'Well, that's a matter of opinion—'
    'Fiddlesticks! It's not a matter of opinion: it's a matter of fact. You ever been to Alderley?'
    'No, I've seen pictures of it.'
    Lady Burford dismissed pictures with a gesture of contempt. 'You definitely committed to include certain houses and no others?'
    'Not really. There's nothing about it in the contract.'
    'Then you must come and see Alderley. Don't make up your mind until you've been. I guarantee that afterwards you'll agree Alderley's got to be included. How about it?'
    'It's very kind of you. But I'm afraid my time has been very carefully allocated. At the end of next week I'm off to Eltham, and from then on it's a different house every few days until the end of October - and my publishers want the manuscript by the New Year.'
    'I see.' Lady Burford thought for a few seconds. Then she said: 'What about this coming weekend?'
    Deveraux hesitated again. 'I haven't made any firm arrangements. I was hoping to do some sailing . . .'
    'You must come to us. Now don't argue. You'll be under no obligation to include Alderley afterwards if you don't want to. But you must see the place and talk to my husband before you make up your mind. Will you?'
    'Well,' Deveraux smiled, 'if you insist.'
    'That's settled, then. We are giving a small house party, anyway, so it'll fit in quite nicely. Thursday suit you? That's when most of the others are arriving.'
    'Thursday will be admirable.'
    'Trains at quarter-past ten, twelve, two, and four from Paddington. Takes about two hours. Tell the guard to stop at Alderley Halt. It's an old right we've got.'
    'Actually, I shall probably motor down.'
    'Well, it's easy enough to find. Look forward to seeing you. 'Bye.'
    'Good bye, Lady Burford. And many thanks.'
    Deveraux watched Lady Burford walk briskly away. Then he strolled off in the other direction. He gave a little smile to himself. 'Well, my boy,' he muttered under his breath, 'congratulations, I must say you arranged that very nicely indeed.'
    * * *
    Richard Saunders eyed the man who was sitting opposite him, fastidiously sipping coffee out of a Crown Derby cup. Then he pushed an open box of cigarettes