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He gave me a long, long look. ‘I shall endeavour not to.’
Mr Rikkard Ambrose extended his arm to me like the perfect gentleman he would never be.
‘Shall we?’
Without thinking twice about it, I slipped my arm into his.
‘We shall.’
And we set out towards the house, leaving behind a sad pile of snow, an old top hat and a half-eaten carrot. As we proceeded along the garden path, more people joined us. Men of all sizes and ages, but all with the same hard, sharp, sensible look in their eyes - a look that I had seen every time I looked at one of Mr Ambrose’s hired guards. Halfway to the house, a big shadow rushed out from behind a hedge and planted himself in front of me.
‘Who?’ Karim demanded. ‘Who was it that brought shame upon me? Whoever it was, I shall rip them apart! I shall fight them to the death and then I shall take their dead body and-’
Further description of what the poor, unsuspecting bodyguard intended to do with his employer’s little sister was cut off by one of Mr Ambrose’s trademark arctic stares.
‘Not now, Karim.’
‘But Sahib, the insult to my honour-’
‘-will still be just as insulting in an hour or two. There is not time right now. Dalgliesh is here.’
Karim had just been about to open his mouth to protest again - but at hearing that, he shut up. His hand shot to the sabre at his belt, and his eyes turned into slits. I had a feeling that whatever he had planned for the inventor of Prince Fragrant Yellow Flower in the Happy Moonlight, it was nothing compared to what he’d like to do to Lord Daniel Eugene Dalgliesh.
We didn’t enter the house through the usual back door. With as many as there were of us, it would have taken ages for us to file inside. Mr Ambrose unlocked the French windows on the terrace, and his small private army marched into the beautiful drawing room, sticking out like a forest of sore thumbs.
‘Where exactly did you get those keys?’ I enquired. ‘Did your father give them to you?’
His face was a mask. ‘I like to be prepared for every eventuality.’
‘Dear me! Copying your own relative’s keys? I’m shocked!’
And I was. Shocked that I hadn’t thought of the idea first. Once I got home, I would have to see how I could get my hands on Aunt Brank’s key ring. That could come in handy.
We moved through the house at a swift pace, our circle of guards never loosening or falling behind. Just as we stepped into the entrance hall, a door at the other side of the hall opened and Adaira, accompanied by her mother and a few curious guests, stepped out to meet us.
‘Ah, Rick! There you are.’ Lady Samantha looked very relieved. ‘Have you heard?’
‘Yes.’ Mr Ambrose’s voice was cold enough to freeze a desert at noon. ‘One of our guests has seen fit to return.’
‘Indeed.’ Lady Samantha glanced away. ‘I will be welcoming him. Will you come with me?’
‘Yes.’ His gaze slid over to Adaira. ‘But she won’t.’
His little sister’s spine stiffened as if strapped to a posing stand.[18]
‘I won’t stay behind! I’m not a child, and I won’t be treated as though-’
A normal older brother might have taken this opportunity to point out that yes, she was indeed a child, which would lead to further denial and an eventual row that would rock the walls of the house. Mr Ambrose just snapped his fingers, and a contingent of his guards formed a line in front of Adaira, keeping her from going anywhere unless she wanted to ram head first into her brother’s hirelings.
‘I’m going to get you for this!’ came a determined, if muffled, voice from behind a wall of muscle. ‘Just you wait!’
Ignoring his little sister completely, Mr Ambrose turned towards the front doors and started forward. I followed suit, nearly running to keep pace with his long strides. Out of the corner of his sea-coloured eyes, he glanced down at me.
‘I suppose I can’t talk you out of accompanying me?’
‘No.’
‘And if I order my men to keep you here, along with my sister?’
