Midnight Masquerade Read Online Free PDF Page A

people might think it amusing to go dressing up like ghosts and stealing diamonds and throwing their mothers into pelters. I think they ought to be horsewhipped.”
    “I think their butlers ought to be turned off without a reference. Get me some champagne. Where’s the Duchess now?”
    “Gone to her room to gloat, and her niece with her. You’ll be wanting the whole bottle of wine, then?” he added in an accusing way.
    “We’ll start with one. What’s going on in there?” Belami asked, tossing his head towards the ballroom.
    “Gossip and a deal of drinking.”
    “Serve ‘em dinner, if it’s ready.”
    “It’s ready. Who is to sit at the head of the table? Her ladyship isn’t up to it. I shouldn’t think you will wish to show your face.”
    “What’s wrong with my face?” he asked, lifting one of his mobile brows.
    Snippe pinched his eyes into slits and left, to return in a moment with the bottle of champagne and a glass. “Here you go, then,” he said, chucking them towards his master.
    “Is Uncle Cottrell here?” Belami asked.
    “Aye, His Lordship is here.”
    “Good, he’ll be the host for dinner. Kindly tell him so. I have a spot of looking around to do. I’ll duck into your lair while you herd the guests into the dining room. Send Pronto to me.”
    “I’ve only got two feet,” Snippe pointed out.
    “Use them. Go!” He shook his head at the bad habits Bertie had allowed his servants to slide into. But then it wouldn’t be home if it were well run.
    He poured a glass of champagne and sipped carefully as he walked along to the butler’s private room, close to the door. The mask, gloves, sheet, and pistol the thief used indicated that some preparation had gone into the job. As it was only Charney’s necklace that had been stolen, this was apparently the thief s aim, to steal that one particular piece. The thief therefore knew she would be wearing it. This was helpful, as it eliminated the country neighbors. It had to be one of the guests from the city, then, and one close enough to Charney to know she had brought the diamond pendant with her. The next job would be to learn who had been in the ballroom when the thief entered. It was beginning to look like a case of eliminating suspects, and not finding one.
    He heard the babble of voices and shuffle of footsteps as the guests went to dinner. Soon there was a tap at the door and Pronto Pilgrim entered.
    “If you say ‘How could you,’ Pronto, I’ll land you a facer,” was Belami’s greeting.
    Pronto sniffed. “No such a thing. I know how you did it. Got it all figured out. Know why you did it too. Dashed havey-cavey business, Dick. Ought to give it back to her. Knag won’t work.”
    “ Et tu , Pronto?”
    Pronto sniffed again and looked about for a wine glass. Finding none, he called Snippe and sent him off for one. “We’re missing dinner,” he warned Dick. “Don’t know about you, but I’m ready for fork work.”
    “Have Snippe bring you a plate, if you dare incur his wrath.”
    “Don’t know why you keep that ghoul in your service. No, I’d sooner go hungry than have to look at his eyes disappear into slits.”
    As he spoke, he sauntered to the murky mirror on the wall and ran a hand over his brown hair. It was luxuriant and waved. He was proud of it. It was the one good feature on an otherwise undistinguished body. Pronto was blessed with no impressive physique. He was shorter than the average, with narrow shoulders, eked out with much wadding. There was no tailor clever enough to conceal the protruding stomach and bowed legs. His face was not actually ugly, but the bewildered expression he generally wore did not enhance it. He had gray eyes, a nose crooked from having been broken in a brawl with a chairman, and a scar on his left cheek. He found this assortment dashing, and hoped the scar would not sink into insignificance with the passing of time. He spoke vaguely of a duel when quizzed as to its origin, but in fact he