Page 9 of Fiendish Delights
Shit. I’d hoped this was going to be easy. I sighed with frustration, pulled away from the edge of the bridge, got to my feet and dusted myself off. Alas, I could only do so much: there was a long smear of smelly wet mud stretching down the side of my old jeans.
In contrast, Hugo was wearing an immaculate three-piece suit complete with starched collar, pristine white shirt and a perfectly folded handkerchief peeping out of his breast pocket. Of course he was.
He offered me a crooked smile, revealing the dimple in his cheek. ‘It’s good to see you again, Daisy. You should have called ahead to let me know you were coming.’
‘I didn’t think you’d be here. I assumed you’d be away on another treasure hunt.’
‘I’m between jobs right now.’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘How about you? Have you had much success so far?’
‘Lots,’ I lied. ‘Lots and lots and lots. In fact, I’m on a very important job at the moment. I’m hunting for a very specific and very valuable item.’
Interest flashed in his blue eyes. ‘Oh yes? What is it?’
I tapped the side of my nose to indicate that it was a secret; Hugo didn’t need to know that I was searching for a doll. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Hester open her mouth. She was clearly preparing to tell him everything, so I carried on talking before she could reveal the truth. ‘Anyway, I need to find Duchess. I need her help. Where has she moved to?’
‘Oh, she’s still here,’ Hugo assured me. ‘But at this time of day she’s usually inside.’
My mouth dropped. ‘Inside?’ Duchess? ‘Insideyourhome?’
‘Oh yes. We’ve become quite friendly over the last few months. Many people, even trolls, find me charming.’ He smirked and pointed at the castle. ‘She often comes in to enjoy a spot of afternoon tea.’
‘I told you!’ Otis said. ‘Are there cucumber sandwiches?’
‘Sometimes.’ Hugo smiled.
‘And macarons?’ Hester asked.
‘Naturally. You should come in and join us.’
Hester and Otis almost fell over each other in glee.
‘Daisy?’ Hugo asked.
I pasted on my best smile and reminded myself that Hugo and I were supposed to be friends now. Come on, Daisy. Play nice. ‘That would be lovely,’ I said. ‘Thank you.’
Chapter
Four
Hugo led the way, taking us through the massive castle gate, across a cobbled courtyard and into a huge hallway with a grand staircase that looped upwards. I looked around, noting a burnished oak floor, a sparkling chandelier and at least four suits of armour. Suits offreakingarmour.
‘I’m going to go out on a limb,’ I said faintly, ‘and assume that you don’t do your own cleaning.’
Hugo laughed. ‘Oh, you’ll frequently find me in a pinny and with a feather duster in hand.’
I tried hard to get that image out of my head. In my imagination, he was naked apart from the pinafore while the feather duster… No. I forced the thought away.
‘But you’re right,’ he continued, apparently not noticing my blush. ‘It takes a lot of people to keep this place going. Most of the Primes stay here too,’ he said, referring to his group of treasure-hunting colleagues. ‘The castle is more than big enough to house us all, and anything is better than knocking around here on my own.’ He shot me a sideways glance. ‘I’m very aware,’ he added in a quieter voice, ‘that I’m incredibly privileged.’
‘In that case,’ Hester piped up, ‘you should give Daisy some of your money. She’s broke.’
‘I am not!’ It was true. I had savings. I was doing fine. I didn’t need charity from anyone.
Hugo stopped walking and turned to me, a strangely intense light in his eyes. ‘Are you doing okay, Daisy?’ he asked.
Exasperated, I waved my hands. ‘Yes! Hester’s only annoyed because I wouldn’t buy the diamond earrings she spotted in a shop window last week.’
‘They would have set off your eyes perfectly,’ she said, folding her arms.
