Read Online An Honorable Thief by Anne Gracíe - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Anne Gracíe
Ads: Link
ever get out of this one?
She glanced up at the crestfallen young blade who hovered awkwardly, looking crashed and miserable. Kit repressed another bubble of half-hysterical laughter. Young Mr Wollborough was only too aware that he'd blown his chance with the great heiress.
"Take me to my aunt, if you please, Mr Wollborough," said the heiress. "I find I have the headache."
As soon as they reached home, Kit broached the matter with Rose Singleton. "Young Mr Wollborough asked me about a diamond mine, Aunt Rose."
"Hmm, yes, dear?" said Rose, retrieving a trailing scarf which had almost slipped to the floor.
"He seems to believe —a number of people, in fact, seem to believe that I own a diamond mine."
"Yes." Rose's brow wrinkled at the look on her niece's face. "What is the matter? I know you did not wish it to be generally known, but these things have a way of coming out."
"But why would people believe I own a mine full of diamonds?"
"It was diamonds, was it not? I'm sure it was —I would have remembered if he'd said rubies or emeralds. Or sapphires—sapphires would go so beautifully with your eyes. But no, I was certain he said a diamond mine."
"Who said?"
Rose frowned. "Your father, of course! Who else?"
Kit closed her eyes briefly. Papa! Who else!
"My papa told you he owned a diamond mine?"
"Wait, I'll fetch the letter." Rose wandered into the front withdrawing room where her small Sheraton writing desk stood. She rummaged through the pile of papers in the desk, then turned and peered around the room, annoyed. "Now where has it got to? Things move in this house, there is no denying it."
"Oh, never mind," said Kit. "It will turn up sooner or later. Now just refresh my mind, will you please, Aunt dearest? Where did my papa say this diamond mine was situated?"
Aunt Rose looked at her in astonishment. "Don't you know where it is situated? How very odd. But I suppose..."
"Where is the diamond mine, Aunt Rose?" Kit prompted gently.
"Why, in New South Wales, of course. Where else?"
New South Wales? A diamond mine in New South Wales? Kit closed her eyes for a brief second. Of course. It was just like her father to throw in a last-minute embellishment like this. A quite impossible, ridiculous, ludicrous embellishment.
Kit took a deep breath and unclenched her fists. It was, after all, improper, not to say unfilial, if not downright impossible, to strangle the dead!
"Did I get it wrong, my love?" said Rose anxiously. "But where else would it be, for that was where you were living, was it not? My friend Mr Harris thought it an exceeding odd place for a diamond mine, too. Oh, where is that wretched letter?"
"You told your friend Mr Harris I owned a diamond mine in New South Wales? Oh, Aunt Rose! How could you? As if anyone would ever believe anything so fantastical. And ridiculous! New South Wales is a tiny, struggling convict settlement. A penal colony, for Heaven's sake!"
Kit took a deep breath as she considered her situation. Everything had been going so smoothly, so well —quite as if it were not one of Papa's schemes. Now, suddenly, she had an impossible diamond mine to somehow incorporate into an already impossible plan! It was quite like old times. Suddenly her sense of humour got the better of her. Kit collapsed in a chair and peals of laughter rang out.
"But was that not correct, my love?" ventured Rose uncertainly. "Only I could have sworn that is what your father explained to me. And his letter did most certainly come from New South Wales." She looked round her distractedly. "If only I could find his letter. It is quite mystifying to me, how so many things seem to disappear in this house." She lifted a blue satin cushion and peered hopefully under it, but no letter appeared.
"No," said Kit, the laughter dying from her eyes. "Papa started to tell me he had written to you, but he was dying. I knew only what he asked me to do. I might have known there would be other aspects to his scheme."
"Scheme.
She glanced up at the crestfallen young blade who hovered awkwardly, looking crashed and miserable. Kit repressed another bubble of half-hysterical laughter. Young Mr Wollborough was only too aware that he'd blown his chance with the great heiress.
"Take me to my aunt, if you please, Mr Wollborough," said the heiress. "I find I have the headache."
As soon as they reached home, Kit broached the matter with Rose Singleton. "Young Mr Wollborough asked me about a diamond mine, Aunt Rose."
"Hmm, yes, dear?" said Rose, retrieving a trailing scarf which had almost slipped to the floor.
"He seems to believe —a number of people, in fact, seem to believe that I own a diamond mine."
"Yes." Rose's brow wrinkled at the look on her niece's face. "What is the matter? I know you did not wish it to be generally known, but these things have a way of coming out."
"But why would people believe I own a mine full of diamonds?"
"It was diamonds, was it not? I'm sure it was —I would have remembered if he'd said rubies or emeralds. Or sapphires—sapphires would go so beautifully with your eyes. But no, I was certain he said a diamond mine."
"Who said?"
Rose frowned. "Your father, of course! Who else?"
Kit closed her eyes briefly. Papa! Who else!
"My papa told you he owned a diamond mine?"
"Wait, I'll fetch the letter." Rose wandered into the front withdrawing room where her small Sheraton writing desk stood. She rummaged through the pile of papers in the desk, then turned and peered around the room, annoyed. "Now where has it got to? Things move in this house, there is no denying it."
"Oh, never mind," said Kit. "It will turn up sooner or later. Now just refresh my mind, will you please, Aunt dearest? Where did my papa say this diamond mine was situated?"
Aunt Rose looked at her in astonishment. "Don't you know where it is situated? How very odd. But I suppose..."
"Where is the diamond mine, Aunt Rose?" Kit prompted gently.
"Why, in New South Wales, of course. Where else?"
New South Wales? A diamond mine in New South Wales? Kit closed her eyes for a brief second. Of course. It was just like her father to throw in a last-minute embellishment like this. A quite impossible, ridiculous, ludicrous embellishment.
Kit took a deep breath and unclenched her fists. It was, after all, improper, not to say unfilial, if not downright impossible, to strangle the dead!
"Did I get it wrong, my love?" said Rose anxiously. "But where else would it be, for that was where you were living, was it not? My friend Mr Harris thought it an exceeding odd place for a diamond mine, too. Oh, where is that wretched letter?"
"You told your friend Mr Harris I owned a diamond mine in New South Wales? Oh, Aunt Rose! How could you? As if anyone would ever believe anything so fantastical. And ridiculous! New South Wales is a tiny, struggling convict settlement. A penal colony, for Heaven's sake!"
Kit took a deep breath as she considered her situation. Everything had been going so smoothly, so well —quite as if it were not one of Papa's schemes. Now, suddenly, she had an impossible diamond mine to somehow incorporate into an already impossible plan! It was quite like old times. Suddenly her sense of humour got the better of her. Kit collapsed in a chair and peals of laughter rang out.
"But was that not correct, my love?" ventured Rose uncertainly. "Only I could have sworn that is what your father explained to me. And his letter did most certainly come from New South Wales." She looked round her distractedly. "If only I could find his letter. It is quite mystifying to me, how so many things seem to disappear in this house." She lifted a blue satin cushion and peered hopefully under it, but no letter appeared.
"No," said Kit, the laughter dying from her eyes. "Papa started to tell me he had written to you, but he was dying. I knew only what he asked me to do. I might have known there would be other aspects to his scheme."
"Scheme.
Similar Books
