Page 23 of Snowbound with the Scoundrel
From across the garden, a woman’s voice shouted, “Look out!Above you!Move back, move back!”
Rupert sprinted for the door.As he flung it open, there was a heavy thump, and a spray of snow flew into the air.Rupert saw that it was a large carved stone of the same sort from which the castle was built.From the look of things, it had fallen from above, and it had only missed the Baxters by about two feet.
Clarissa Weatherby came sprinting down the stairs from the covered walkway that led to the orangery.She seized Mrs.Baxter’s elbow.“Get inside.Hurry!”
That got Rupert’s attention.He would’ve expected her to say, “Good heavens, what was that?”and perhaps fly into a panic, as Mrs.Baxter was doing.
But, unless Rupert was very much mistaken, the assassination attempt had not come as a surprise.
Clarissa Weatherby had been expecting it.
Rupert wondered ifshewas the agent Sir Henry had dispatched.
It made a certain amount of sense.Rupert had never worked with a female agent before.But Clarissa was terribly clever, and she had an undaunted quality about her.Rupert could only imagine that she was fantastic at her job.
Speaking of the job at hand, Rupert hurried over.“I say, did that stone just fall?”
“It did!”Mrs.Baxter cried.“Someone is trying to kill us!”
“Now, darling,” her husband said, sounding annoyed, “don’t be irrational.It was probably just a bit of loose masonry.”
Rupert didn’t know if Baxter really believed that, or if he was just making an excuse because he didn’t realize that Rupert worked for the Home Office.
Clarissa took charge.“Mr.Baxter, please escort your wife inside.I will check the roof and see what might have occurred.”
Now Rupert was sure Clarissa was his partner on this mission.Because there was no earthly reason for a guest at a house party to go up on the castle’s roof to evaluate its structural integrity.A guest would have alerted Lord Helmsley, who would have sent a servant up to have a look.
“I’ll go with you,” Rupert offered.She was his partner, even if she didn’t know it yet, and he obviously couldn’t let her go up on the roof to confront the murderer alone.
“Thank you, Mr.Dupree, but that will not be necessary,” she said crisply, already striding toward the back door.
“I insist,” he said, dogging her steps.
“There is no reason for you to go up on the roof.”
He snorted.“I have about as much reason to inspect the roof as you do.”
She peered over her shoulder at him, eyes narrow and flinty.
“Listen, Clarissa—”
She jerked to a halt.“What did you just call me?”
“Sorry.Miss Weatherby.”
“Now, Mr.Dupree,ifyou will excuse me—”
Rupert grabbed her elbow.“You’re heading the wrong way, you know.”
She glanced about, startled.“I’m… what?”
He steered her toward the northwest corner of the house, as the servants’ stairs back there were the only ones that went all the way to the roof.“See?You need me.I’ve been coming here for years, after all.”
She bristled but didn’t protest, although he could tell that it irked her.
He opened the door to the correct stairway and held it for her.“Thank you, Mr.Dupree.”She stepped in front of him, blocking his way.“I can handle things from here.”
“Not a chance,” he said cheerfully, slipping under her arm and taking the stairs two at a time.He wanted to be in front.The murderer might still be up there and, in the event that they had a gun, he didn’t like the idea of Clarissa being the first one through the door.
