"When we are in the country, we keep country hours, jas-
per," Lady Cranleigh replied "I explained that to you yester-
day, had I known you were going to be obstinate, I would
have postponed our expedition until tomorrow I am sure that
Lord St Clair would have been delighted to accompany us "
"Of course he would," Freddy said gallantly "I mean to
say, lovely ladies, pleasant company—anyone would be de-
lighted "
Jasper Marston had by this time taken his place in the
coach, and Lady Granleigh had had more than enough of
Freddy, nephew of Lord Cecil Meredith or not "It is high
time we were going," she announced "Good day, Mr Mer-
edith Driver'"
The coachman nodded and slapped the reins lightly against
the horses' backs The team snorted and began to move, in
another moment, the landau had pulled out of the inn's yard
and was on its way east to Swamton
109
ELEVEN
~^-w-^' vy im drew a shaky breath as she watched the
SS^~^ 1- coach pull away, all too conscious that only
f ^ good luck had kept Jasper Marston from notic-
ing her She wanted to run away, to hide, and she wished
suddenly and passionately that she were back in London,
where she might have had some chance of doing so With
both Jack Slower and the skinny toff in Ranton Hill, it was
beginning to look very much as if staying in London would
have been safer than leaving
Freddy Meredith, who had also been watching the coach,
chose this moment to turn and see Kim "Hi, boyi Get some-
one out here to take this horse, will you^"
Clad of the excuse, Kim nodded and went inside. The inn-
keeper was coming out of the kitchen into the hallway, carry-
ing a tray "And where the devil have you been, boy?" he
asked when he saw K-im
"Man outside wants someone to take his horse," Kim in-
formed him, ignoring his question
The innkeeper rolled his eyes "Quality' Well, I'll see to it
110
Your master wants you, third door on the right at the top of
the stairs Take this along with you "
The stairs were narrow and steep, and Kim had some diffi-
culty in climbing them without dumping everything off the
tray the innkeeper had handed her She made it to the top at
last, and stood balancing the tray against the railing while she
caught her breath Then she counted doors and kicked at the
third one
"Enter," Mairelon's voice called from inside the room
"I can't," Kim called back crossly "You'll have to open the
door yourself "
She heard a scraping sound on the other side of the door,
and then Mairelon opened it "Kimi What are you doing with
that?"
'The buffer downstairs said you ordered it," Kim replied,
setting the tray on the table
"And was too lazy to bring it up himself, hmm? Good
Lord, you're white as a winding-sheet' Sit down, sit down,
before you fall over " Mairelon took the tray from Kirn's sud-
denly shaking hands and set it on the small table beside the
window Kim sank into the nearest chair She was cold and
her legs felt like jelly, she was too stunned even to think,
though a corner of her mind marveled distantly at the
strength of her reaction
"Here," Mairelon said, pressing a glass into her hand
"Dnnk this Will you be all right alone for a moment? I'm
going to get Hunch "
Kim nodded, and Mairelon left She took a deep breath,
and the feeling of being far away from everything began
to lessen She sipped at the glass Mairelon had handed her,
and coughed as a fiery liquid ran unexpectedly down her
throat
The door opened and Mairelon reentered the room "Now,
111
what's given you the wind up? Did your friend from the Dog
and Bull see you?"
"I don't think so," Kim said. "But how did you know—"
"He's staying in the next room," Maireton said, "I could
hardly help noticing his presence, and I thought there was
something familiar about his voice- So I contrived to get a
look at him as he left If it wasn't our skinny friend, what's
upset you?"
"I ain't sure," Kim said. She was feeling more like her-
self, and her momentary weakness bothered her "I ain't
never done nothin' like that before, not even on my first crack
lay."
"Really- And how long has it been since you did any house-
breaking?" Mairelon asked.
"Couple years. Since old Mother Tibb died, anyways. After
what happened to her, I lost the taste for it, sort of."
"What happened to her?" Mairelon said very softly.
"The nabbing culls got her. Most of the others, too 1 was
lucky I got away " She took a tiny sip from the glass and
closed her eyes. "They got transported, mostly, but Mother
Tibb swung because she ran things for the lot of us."
"I see."
"I shouldn't of gone to watch. It was stupid. And after
that. . ."
"After that, you didn't feel as if you could go back to
housebreaking "
Kim shrugged "I never took to it much, not tike some of
the rest Besides, it ain't a good lay for a loner, and I couldn't
join up with one of the other gangs because—" She stopped
short and shook her head Why was she telling Mairelon all
this?
"Because they'd have discovered that you were a girl,"
Mairelon finished quietly He was looking at her with an odd
112
expression that she didn't have the energy to figure out "Was
it so important to you, staying a boy?"
Kim nodded wearily. "You ain't never seen the stews in St
Giles, or you wouldn't need to ask. Mother Tibb kept me on
a good three years longer than most, because I had a knack
for locks, but that wouldn't of lasted much longer- Anybody
else would of packed me off as soon as they found out 1
wasn't a boy "
Mairelon went still "Drink your brandy," he said, and his
voice was harsh.
The brandy wasn't so bad, now that Kim knew what to
expect It was a great deal better than the cheap gin she had
sometimes bought in London She sipped it slowly, and in a
few minutes more her grim mood began to lift.
"I found out some things you ought to know," Kim said to
end the long silence.
"Wait until Hunch gets here," Mairelon said "No sense in
going over everything twice."
Fortunately, Hunch was not long in appearing. He snorted
through his mustache when he saw Kim, which did more to
make her feel herself again than even the brandy.
"Sit down and stop grumphing, Hunch," Mairelon said
"I've taken separate rooms for tonight, but we can hardly talk
through the wall, and Kim says she's found out something of
interest."
"That's as may be," Hunch said darkly "But she 'adn't ought
to be 'ere, and neither should you Someone's been asking
questions down at the stable."
"But it's such an interesting pla
ce," Mairelon said, waving in
a general way at the walls of the inn "Really, Hunch, you
have no idea how fascinating this inn is "
"Maybe not," Hunch said, "but I know when you're at one
113
o' your queer starts. Master Richard And you 'adn't ought to,
not this time Someone's looking for us."
"Oh, really, Hunch, how can you be sure of that?"
"'Ow many people 'ave a yellow wagon with red wheels
and a painting of a man in a top 'at on the back?" Hunch
countered-
Mairelon frowned- "Someone's asking questions about the
wagon?"
Hunch nodded. "It's us she's looking for, right enough "
"She?"
Kirn thought that Hunch was enjoying the effect his news
was having, though his expression remained dour. "Aye. One
of them grand ladies, they said. Offered a meg to anyone as
'ad news of it, and a shilling extra if she could be sure no one
else 'ad the news afore 'er"
"What a good thing we left the wagon in the woods,"
Mairelon commented- He moved to the window and stared
down at the stable-
"That ain't all, neither," Hunch said. "There was a cove
nosing around, too, 'anging about in back of the inn and
be'aving oddly The 'ostler said 'is name was James Fenton."
"Fenton''" Kirn said. "There was a Mr Fenton in the tap-
room for a while; he looked like a footman or somethin'. I
think he works for that Meredith cove, the one who had that
platter and lost it playin' cards."
"Does he," Mairelon said thoughtfully- "1 wonder. What
was he doing here, do you know?"
"He came to meet a Mr. Aberford," Kirn said "He wanted to
sell him the news about Meredith's losing the platter, only Ab-
erford knew already." Quickly she recounted the scene in the
taproom. "When he took off, I followed him, and then—" She
hesitated-
"And then?" Mairelon prompted-
"I think maybe I ought to go back to London," Kirn
114
blurted, staring down at her hands to avoid seeing Mairelon's
or Hunch's expressions "I'm goin' to be trouble for you if 1
stay "
"I see," Mairelon said after a moment of silence that to K-im
seemed to go on forever "Or rather, I don't seo Why don't
you begin by telling us exactly what happened, and then per-
haps 1 will "
"It was }ack Slower," Kim said "He's one of Laverham's
boys I told you about Laverham "
"i remember "
"I swear ! don't know how he followed me from London, I
swear 1 don't He didn't see me, but if he's pokin' about, he'll
find out I'm here for sure, and—"
"Slow down and back up," Mairelon said "Where and
when did you see StoweP In the halh On the stairs?"
"Outside, talkin' to that Meredith cove," Kim answered.
Reminded of the task she had originally been set, she out-
lined the scene she had witnessed in the innyard. "Bra-
mingham said his uncle was comin' down tomorrow, and he
was goin' to give the platter to him as soon as he got there,"
she finished. "The Meredith cull got Aberford inside, and
then the toff from the Dog and Bull turned up. He's the Fri-
day-faced mort's brother, name of Jasper Marston. They all
drove off, and I came in
Mairelon was staring into space with a heavy frown, look-
ing as though he had not heard a word Kim had said for
several minutes at least "Slower, Laverham, Fenton," he mur-
mured. "And a lady asking questions A grand lady—Lady
Granleigh, perhaps^"
"She acted grand enough," Kim said doubtfully -
"And her brother is the unpleasant but not altogether
bright gentleman who arranged for my wagon to be broken
into, thus beginning our acquaintance. And he obviously
knows considerably more than he has any right to Someone
115
is playing a very deep game, I wonder whether it's him or
her?"
"I don't see as it matters," Hunch said. "'Ooever it is, we
adn't ought to stay ere tonight"
"For once, Hunch, I believe you are right," Mairelon said
Hunch's jaw dropped MaireSon did not notice; he was dig-
ging through the drawers in search of something Not finding
it, he went to the door of the room and opened it "None of
us will stay the night at the inn Hi, landlord' Bring me up a
pen and some paper "
"I thought you said we weren't stayin'," Kim said, be-
wildered
"We are not staying the night There is no reason not to stay
the afternoon; it's a long drive to Swafflton, and the ladies
will more than likely be shopping for hours- Besides—ah,
thank you, landlord."
The innkeeper had arrived, carrying a scruffy-looking
quill, an inkpot, and a sheet of paper- Mairelon took them
with a charming smile and shut the door in his face "Besides,
I don't expect this to take long," he finished, setting the im-
plements on the table.
"What are you goin' to do about Slower?" Kim asked as
Mairelon made a face at the quill, dipped it in the inkpot, and
began covering the paper with flowing, spidery letters.
"I am going to do nothing whatever, for the time being at
least," Mairelon answered He wrote another three lines and
set the quill aside "No sand? Our landlord seems singularly
unprepared for Quality clientele, can it be that he seldom has
any?" He picked the page up by one corner and waved it
through the air to dry the ink
"I'd better go back to London, then," Kim said
"You will do no such thing Hunch is the one who is going
to London He'll be quite all right, this Laverham fellow isn't
looking for him " He folded the note and handed it to
H6
Hunch, who scowled and chewed absently on one end of his
mustache. "Hire a horse and change whenever you have to I
don't want any more time wasted Give this to Shoreham and
tell him what we've found out so far. I've asked him to learn
what he can about Laverham, Marston, Slower, and Fenton;
stay til he has an answer to send He'll be quicker about it if
he knows you're waiting "
Hunch's scowl lessened slightly during this speech, but his
expression remained gloomy "All right, Master Richard But
you ain't staying 'ere, are you?"
"After what I have heard, I have not the slightest intention
of doing so," Mairelon said with evident sincerity.
Hunch chewed more vigorously, and his frown returned.
"You ain't going to do nothing dreadful while I'm gone, are
you?"
"That depends to some extent on how long you take,
doesn't it?" Mairelon said, rising "Come along, let's break it
gently to the landlord that his newest guests are leaving al-
ready. I doubt that he'll be pleased "
The innkeeper was not nearly as unhappy about their
abrupt departure as Mairelon had predicted, primarily be-
cause Mairelon informed him casually that he would, of
course, pay for the rooms he had bespoken even though he
would not remain to use them. He t
hen hired a gig with
which to drive to the next town and agreed to pay for the
stabling of the horses until they could be sent for A large
purse changed hands; Kim had not known there was so much
money in the wagon, and she wondered what else she had
missed.
Three people were a tight fit in a gig, but they managed
Kim was almost grateful to be squashed between Hunch and
Mairelon,- they hid her very effectively from view on either
117
side, and with her cap pulled low and her head tucked down
she felt that Jack Stower was unlikely to recognize her, even
if he should suddenly appear from around a corner
Fortunately for Kirn's peace of mind, Jack was nowhere to
be seen, and once they were out of the village she relaxed a
little Mairelon was silent during the drive, staring out over
the fields and hedges with an absent expression that made her
think he was not really seeing any of them. Hunch chewed
rhythmically on his mustache and scowled at the horse, cast-
ing intermittent glances in Mairelon's direction but saying
nothing
There was no one in sight when they reached the woods
where they had left the wagon, for which Kirn was grateful.
Mairelon the Magician Page 13
