The Sans Pareil Mystery (The Detective Lavender Mysteries Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Magdalena tonight.’
    ‘You can still do that,’ Woods said. ‘Those theatres don’t come alive until late anyway. In fact, she might want to go with you. You could both stay and enjoy the show.’
    ‘That’s hardly appropriate, Ned,’ Lavender said. ‘I’m a detective, investigating the case of a young woman murdered in distressing and suspicious circumstances. I can’t sit down in the theatre where she worked and enjoy the show. Besides which, I’m not sure that a bawdy Covent Garden theatre is the place to take Doña Magdalena.’
    Woods shrugged. ‘Why not? Who’s to know if you watch the show? And even your favourite surgeon said you should be more sociable. It is my opinion that you should be more adventurous in your courtin’.’
    ‘You’re full of advice about the ladies again, I see.’ Lavender’s tone was ironic. ‘And as a matter of fact, Sir Richard is not my “favourite surgeon”.’
    ‘Well, you do need a prompt now and then.’ Woods was a man on a mission and no amount or irony or sarcasm would deter him. ‘Faint heart never won fair maid, sir. Besides which, Betsy said she’s a lively gal who stays in her lodgin’s most of the time and is weary of the boredom.’
    ‘Betsy?’ Lavender’s head turned sharply. ‘When did Betsy meet her?’
    ‘Your Spanish widow called around at our home last Monday and introduced herself. They had quite a chat, I understand – though Betsy did complain later that she had arrived, unannounced, in the middle of wash day.’
    ‘Good God.’ Lavender tried to imagine the gracious and aristocratic Magdalena seated at a kitchen table, sharing a cup of strong tea with his constable’s wife, surrounded by soapsuds and mountainous piles of dirty laundry. ‘What on earth did they talk about?’ He couldn’t understand what the two women could have in common.
    Woods paused for a moment and screwed up his broad face, trying to remember. Eventually, he said: ‘Us. I think.’
    ‘Us?’
    ‘Yes.’
    The two men stared blankly at each other. Lavender decided that this didn’t bear thinking about. He’d known the diminutive and feisty Betsy Woods for as long as he’d known her loyal hulk of a husband. Betsy knew more about him than he cared to admit and he had a twinge of unease about what she might have told Magdalena.
    ‘Anyway, Betsy said you should bring her round for supper some time but remember to give her some warnin’. Apparently, Doña Magdalena can be forgiven for turnin’ up unannounced – but you won’t be.’

Chapter Four
    ‘He’s here, the Señor Detective!’
    Magdalena Morales sighed. She had spent many hours over the winter teaching the English language to her maid, Teresa, but despite this Teresa’s grammar still left a lot to be desired. It always worsened when she was excited, and there was no doubt that Teresa found the visits from Detective Stephen Lavender very exciting. The girl had hovered by the large casement window that overlooked the street for the past half an hour.
    ‘I make the coffee for the Señor Detective! Strong, oscuro , like him.’ Teresa hung their battered copper kettle over the fire in the grate. She fussed with the coals and reached up to the shelf for their mismatched china cups and saucers.
    Magdalena moved across to the window. Stephen stood in the bustling street by the hansom cab. He glanced around and frowned.
    What was the matter? she wondered. When he smiled he was a very attractive man with genuine warmth in his brown eyes. Unfortunately, he didn’t smile often. Her eyes roamed over his smart burgundy coat. She noticed how well it fitted his tall, slender frame. His slenderness belied the strength in his muscular shoulders and arms. She remembered the thrill she had experienced a few weeks ago when he had held her close to comfort her. It had been nearly a year since she had last seen her late husband. A long time to be without a man , she thought, and forgave herself for the guilty