Page 54 of Affair

“I thought I told you to wait inside.” Baxter materialized out of the intense darkness. One moment he was not there and the next he was standing directly in front of her. Moonlight glanced off the side of his face and glimmered on his spectacles.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes.” He took her arm and steered her back toward the house. “But I failed to catch him. He disappeared into the alley behind the garden. He knew his way around. Must have studied the house and planned his escape route before he undertook this night’s work. He seemed to know exactly where he was going.”

“Thank God you did not catch him. He might have had a knife or a pistol.”

“Kind of you to be concerned about my health.”

“There is no call for sarcasm.”

“Sorry.” He urged her back through the doorway. “I occasionally resort to sarcasm when I have had too much excitement in one evening.”

Charlotte chose to ignore that remark. Baxter had had a near brush with a villain. He had every right to be in a foul temper.

“Good heavens,” she whispered as he closed the door. “Something has just occurred to me. We heard no sound in the hall or on the stairs earlier. That means that the intruder must have been in the house when we arrived home.”

“Very likely.”

“What a ghastly notion.” Charlotte shuddered. “To think that he was there, listening, all the while you and I were … were …” She could not bring herself to finish the sentence.

“I suspect he was upstairs when we interrupted his plans.” Baxter lit a wall sconce. “He no doubt decided to wait until he was certain that we were well occupied before he fled.”

“Do you suppose he overheard us?”

Baxter lifted one shoulder in a disinterested movement. “Possibly.” He bent to examine the lock on the door. “But I suspect he was far more interested in making good his escape than he was in playing the voyeur.”

“I wonder if he managed to make off with anything.” She frowned at Baxter, who was fiddling with the door. “What are you doing?”

“Attempting to determine precisely how he got inside. The front door was locked when we returned so he must have entered the house through this entrance.” Baxter straightened, a thoughtful expression on his face. “But this lock has not been damaged and there are no broken windows. It would appear that our man knew what he was about.”

“How dreadful. A professional member of the criminal class was right here in my house.” Charlotte rubbed her hands over her chilled arms. “I must have a look around to see what is missing. I do hope that he did not steal the silver tea service or the ormolu clock.”

“I’ll walk through the house with you.” Baxter strode toward the stairs. “I caught only a glimpse of his coat in the darkness but he did not appear to be carrying anything heavy enough to slow him down. With any luck we shall discover that your possessions are still here.”

“Baxter?”

He glanced impatiently back over his shoulder, his whole attention clearly riveted on the matter at hand. “What is it?”

“Thank you.” Charlotte smiled tremulously. “It was very brave of you to chase that villain off tonight.”

“All in a day’s work, Miss Arkendale.”

•••

The incense burned low in the black and crimson room. His senses were open. It was time.

“Read the cards, my love.”

The fortune-teller placed the first card on the table. “The golden griffin.”

“He is persistent.”

She turned over the next card. “The lady with the crystal eyes.”

“A nuisance.”

The fortune-teller plucked another card from the deck. “The silver ring.” She looked up. “The griffin and the lady have formed an alliance.”

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