The Scandal at 23 Mount Street (An Angela Marchmont Mystery Book 9) Read Online Free PDF

them? They don’t suspect anyone else?’
    ‘Oh, no, it was certainly them,’ said Freddy. ‘They’re quite brazen and don’t bother to wear gloves, so the police have their finger-prints.’
    ‘Are they foreigners? That doesn’t sound like an English name.’
    ‘Yes, they’re German, I think,’ said Freddy. ‘Or possibly Austrian. They’ve been marauding about the capital cities of Europe for some time now, leaving a trail of violence and broken glass in their wake. It’s all terribly vulgar.’
    Angela’s brow cleared.
    ‘Goodness,’ she said. ‘They sound quite dreadful. Still, at least you ought to have plenty to write about for a while.’
    The dance finished and they returned to their table to find the waiter just arriving with drinks. Angela was becoming increasingly nervous at the prospect of seeing Edgar Valencourt and found herself drinking a little more than she had intended, but quickly realized what she was doing and stopped. It would not do to be muddle-headed when they met—if indeed he turned up, for she had seen no sign of him so far. Perhaps he had changed his mind or been unable to get in. The thought dismayed her more than she cared to admit, and she spent the first part of the evening in a state of some preoccupation.
    It was not until after supper that she spotted him, standing by the edge of the dance floor, not looking at her. She was passing with a little group of ladies, and deliberately allowed the others to get ahead of her. Valencourt watched until they had disappeared out of sight, then turned to her.
    ‘Awful crowd here,’ he said.
    ‘Terrible, isn’t it?’ she said. ‘It’s like this every year. I don’t know why I agreed to come.’
    ‘You look quite beautiful,’ he said.
    ‘Thank you,’ she said, glancing down at her dress, which was not the one she had originally intended to wear, for she had had to substitute her first preference for a frock that went with long gloves.
    ‘Will you dance with me?’ he said.
    She gave him her widest smile. She could not help it.
    ‘I should be delighted,’ she said.
    He led her on to the floor and very soon they were pressed as close together as public decency would allow.
    ‘What shall you say if your friends ask who I am?’ he said.
    ‘Oh, I shall just say that I know you slightly from some committee or other, and that you’re very worthy and polite but rather dull,’ she said. ‘Just to allay suspicion, of course.’
    ‘Of course,’ he said.
    She adopted the most convincing bored look she could muster.
    ‘What do you think?’ she said. ‘Do I look as though I’m finding your company too terribly tedious?’
    ‘Oh, absolutely.’
    ‘Then nobody will ever suspect a thing,’ she said.
    ‘You have the advantage of me, I’m afraid,’ he said. ‘I could never even pretend to find you dull.’
    ‘You say the nicest things,’ said Angela. ‘It’s a pity you have to leave. I could keep you in a box and bring you out to cheer me up whenever I was feeling particularly cross or out of sorts.’
    ‘I’d do that and welcome,’ he said. ‘But I’d rather you didn’t keep me in a box.’
    ‘No. I expect you’d get rather creased after a while. Very well, I shall let you go wherever you choose, and find another way of cheering myself up whenever I need it.’
    ‘I see one of your friends has spotted us,’ he said, and she glanced back and saw Freddy standing not far off, looking at them.
    ‘Freddy. I might have known,’ she said, assuming her bored expression again.
    ‘So that’s Freddy, is it? The inquisitive reporter.’
    ‘Yes. He hasn’t been doing it long, but I think he’ll get on very well, since he has morals of indiarubber.’
    ‘Is that so?’ said Valencourt, regarding the young man with interest.
    Freddy was no longer looking at them, and shortly afterwards moved away. Angela and Valencourt turned their attention back to one another and resumed their conversation—which could hardly be