A Farewell to Baker Street Read Online Free PDF Page A

photograph, it struck me from your account that if Morton had managed to purchase Stanhope’s original oil painting - and had been so sure that you were the model in it - it was also extremely likely that he had acquired the accompanying photograph. In my experience, blackmailers relish a solid back-up plan.”
    â€œSimply astonishing!” she uttered, a broad smile now covering her face. “So, vanity was my undoing, yet again. And you are quite correct about the content of the telegram. I had not heard one word from Roger Morton since the night of the fire and believed that he had no further hold on me with the destruction of the canvas. The telegram came as a complete shock.”
    â€œIt would be helpful to see the precise wording of the message,” said Holmes.
    She rose from her chair and passed the telegram to my colleague. He looked it over for some minutes and then read aloud: ‘ More to come on Cheddington scandal…a photograph... will prevent marriage = M .’ Very interesting - it seems that Mr Morton is determined to scupper your wedding plans, Mrs Aston-Cowper, and is prepared to go to great lengths to do so. That recent announcement in The Times has clearly been picked up by our man in America who now plans to travel back to England to sow the seeds of your undoing.”
    I then interposed. “Why do you say that, Holmes?”
    â€œWell, he has no way of knowing that Mrs Aston-Cowper has already told your nephew about the canvas and photograph so is labouring under the delusion that his disclosure of the latter would prevent the wedding. That said, if the photograph were to fall into the wrong hands, it could still be tremendously damaging to both their reputations. And yet, Morton clings to some hope that he can negotiate a deal. If that were not the case, he would already have exposed the photograph to the American press, who would no doubt relish a story about the fall from grace of a British Lady. The telegram was sent from New York yesterday evening by the Western Union Telegraph Company. It seems to me that Morton despatched it before boarding a passenger liner for the transatlantic passage to Liverpool.”
    With that, he leapt from his seat and began to rummage through a pile of loose folders in a corner of the room. Mrs Aston-Cowper looked on with some consternation. When he returned to his seat a minute or two later, Holmes was waving a bright-coloured pamphlet.
    â€œHere it is - a brochure for the British and North American Royal Mail Steam-Packet Company. The passenger liner Scotia was due to set off yesterday for the eastbound crossing. This is the oceangoing steamer that won the Blue Riband for the westbound passage three years ago. The voyage is estimated to take between ten and fourteen days, which should mean that Roger Morton will be docking at Liverpool in early September.”
    Mrs Aston-Cowper continued to look confused. “And what happens then?”
    â€œWhy, it should be a simple matter of greeting him at the port and persuading him to hand over the photograph,” Holmes retorted. “That is a task you can leave to the inestimable talents of Dr Watson here.”
    I was flattered by Holmes faith in me, but not a little disturbed at the thought that the social standing of both my nephew and his bride to be might depend on my success in completing the mission. Mrs Aston-Cowper seemed delighted by the plan, rising from her chair to come and shake me warmly by the hand, before offering some words of encouragement.
    â€œDoctor, I will forever be in your debt if you can manage to resolve this issue. It is more than I could have hoped for in coming here today, when my principal objective was to persuade you to attend a wedding! And I will be eternally grateful for the professional assistance you have offered, Mr Holmes. You have a rare set of talents. I must now take my leave. And while I am loath to keep anything from Christopher - as I