Lord Scoundrel Dies Read Online Free PDF

might be nothing more than another
lantern left burning in anticipation of Sutton’s return. Cautiously
holding her breath, she peered around the doorjamb. What she saw
made her gasp in shocked surprise. The sound brought the
gentleman’s head around and their glances locked, his with
consternation, hers with horrified panic. Harry had a fleeting
thought that she had seen that open countenance before but now was
definitely not the time to dwell on memories. Whoever he was, the
fellow was standing over the body of Lord Sutton and she had seen
more than enough to warrant an alteration to the evening’s program.
Turning around, she prepared to put her backup plan into action and
flee!
     
    Charlie had not expected to find Lord
Sutton’s front door ajar but had availed himself of the opportunity
to take the easy way in.
    His plan was beautiful in its
simplicity.
    Get into Lord Sutton’s house, find Monty’s
chits and depart.
    It didn’t get any more basic than that. The
hardest part had been convincing Monty that his help was not
required.
    ‘But they are my chits,’ he
had pointed out, quite reasonably. ‘I should come along and help.
In fact, you were supposed to be coming along to help me .’
    ‘I’m well aware of that but I’ve been
thinking about it and it’s best I go alone. You know what they say
about cooks and cooking, old fellow.’
    Monty had looked befuddled. ‘No. What?’
    Charlie had paused, not quite remembering
what it was they said but knowing the gist of it. ‘Something about
there being a crowd in the kitchen, I daresay. We don’t want
that.’
    ‘Are we going to be in the kitchen?’
    ‘Of course not. D’you think the fellow has
hidden your chits in the flour bin?’
    ‘Then why did you mention cooks?’
    ‘A figure of speech. It doesn’t matter,’
Charlie had said impatiently. ‘All I meant was that it would be
better if there wasn’t a crowd of us blundering around the place.
I’m awkward enough but you, you’re an absolute disaster.’
    Monty knew this to be true. He was the kind
of person who merely had to stand beside anything breakable for it
to fall inexplicably to the floor. ‘But it don’t feel right,
leaving you to do my dirty work.’
    ‘Believe me, better me than you. I don’t owe
the fellow a penny. If somebody happens to tumble to me, I can say
that I called on him for something or other whereas you would be
under suspicion, my lad, especially as Percy Tuckerton told me that
he heard you and Sutton have words the other night.’
    ‘I told you. He was sneering at me in that
repellent way of his and I told him that he should take his silly
grin elsewhere.’
    ‘Of course you did. Perfectly
understandable. But we don’t want you anywhere near his house. The
nasty blighter will probably call “welsher” as soon as he discovers
those chits are gone.’
    Monty had thought about this for a moment.
The wheels turned slowly but they proceeded with a certain
ponderous reliability. Charlie was reasonably sure Mr. Truelove
would see the sense of what he was saying eventually.
    ‘I suppose that’s true,’ he had agreed
finally. ‘I’ll wait at your place.’
    ‘Or I could just come round and see you
afterwards,’ Charlie had pointed out, ‘seeing as how you only live
five minutes away from Hill Street. Make sure that you invite a few
fellows over for some cards. Just so all and sundry know where you
are when I’m poking around the snake’s house.’
    ‘Good point. So you’ll come by
afterwards?’
    Charlie had assured him that he would do
exactly that, hopefully with the IOU’s that Sutton had managed to
acquire. He had set off at a little before eleven. Discovering the
door open had been a stroke of luck and Charlie had taken the
opportunity to step inside with alacrity. There had been a candle
burning in the hallway and another light further along the
corridor. Charlie had headed towards it, for no better reason than
it had been an invitation to explore.