The Missing Duchess Read Online Free PDF

knee, entertained no such sentimental feelings about Sir Hedley's 'feline army', the innumerable stray cats he had given home to over the years.
    'It's disgusting -'
    'Come now, Vince, I consider that rather an admirable and endearing trait,' said Faro. 'Can't you see it as a pathetic gesture, an appeal for companionship from a lonely old man?'
    'I can't see it, but I assure you, I can smell it. When he opens the door - really, Stepfather, the place should be condemned as a hazard to health. I could hardly breathe. That poor woman, too. I just hoped she wouldn't succumb to asphyxia before I did.'
    Faro, who had been unfortunate enough to cross the threshold on several occasions, could only agree. Still, he did find Vince's animosity trying. He went on and on about it. Why on earth should he hate this tiresome but well-meaning old man? Such venom was quite out of character with Vince's normal serenity, his generous spirit.
    'What happened to your patient?'
    Vince shrugged. 'I left her there. Offered to see her safely home, of course. But she said no, she would prefer to rest a while. She did seem in rather a state,' he added, frowning. 'In the normal way, I would have insisted, but I just had to get out of that house. I had to breathe fresh air. He said he'd go out and get a carriage and I wasn't to worry. So I didn't,' he ended, closing his mouth defiantly.
    Faro had been too preoccupied with getting dried and heating water to make himself a hot toddy to feel sympathetic towards Vince's encounter with the Mad Bart.
    Now when he mentioned his own unpleasant near-accident with a runaway carriage that hurtled out of the darkness, he was somewhat hurt by Vince's merriment as any possibly sinister implications were mockingly dismissed.
    'Really, Stepfather, it happens all the time. After all, the West Bow's a threat to everyone, the sooner it's pulled down the better.'
    Glancing at Faro's solemn face, he smiled. 'Come now, you know as well as I do that carriages are positively uncontrollable there if the cobblestones are wet or icy. You are lucky there was no more damage than a buckled wheel -'
    'And a long walk home on a very wet night,' Faro put in acidly, seized by an uncontrollable fit of sneezing.
    Vince was unrepentant. He stretched out his hand firmly. 'And I'll take some of that hot toddy too, if you please. I could do with it, I can tell you. After my experiences.'
    Faro said no more. Bidding his stepson goodnight, he went grumpily up to bed where he fell asleep to be haunted by bad dreams. Closed carriages drawn by wild black horses swept towards him and ghostly lights appeared at the windows of Major Weir's house, to a grisly accompaniment of maniacal laughter.
    As always, Vince's good temper was restored by a night's sleep. The prospect of a weekend house party at Lethie Castle with some decent golf pleased him to no end.
    The impending visit to Aberlethie had also caused a flurry of extra activity in Mrs Brook's kitchen, where the warm smell of baking battled with the aroma of hot irons and boot polish.
    As the two men cautiously entered her domain, she beamed on then proudly. She did like her gentlemen being well cared for. A task she sometimes found extremely difficult since Inspector Faro cared not the slightest what he wore as long as it was clean, moderately tidy and comfortable, appropriately warm or cool according to the prevailing state of the weather.
    Now to his disgust Faro was called upon to pay particular attention to sartorial matters, the choice of shirts and trousers, collars and cravats. At last the hour of departure dawned, the Lethie carriage arrived and they set off in some style with a proud Mrs Brook waving goodbye.
    'And enough luggage behind us,' said Faro, 'to accommodate an entire family of grown-ups and children on a seaside holiday for a month.'
    Aberlethie lay some twelve miles east of Edinburgh on the shore of the River Forth. It was a journey that, given the right weather, no traveller