Mairelon the Magician
Page 28
quietly, smiling slightly as Andrew and Robert fought Dan
back under control
"There, you," Robert panted "Now, before you continue,
would one of you mind explaining why that—" he waved a
free hand at the Saltash Platter, then had to grab Dan's arm
again, "—is so all-fired important? I'm getting tired of not
knowing what, exactly, is going on "
"It's perfectly plain," Jonathan said "The Sacred Dish—"
"Oh, stop nattering about the Sacred Dish," Robert
begged "This is serious, Jon "
"Quite serious," Mairelon said over Jonathans spluttered
protests "This is—"
"—the Saltash Platter, part o' a set as was stolen from the
Royal College of Wizards upwards o' five years ago, by a
245
person or persons unknown," said William Stuggs. He smiled
seraphically over Jack Stower's shoulder at the circle of sur-
prised faces, and before the surprise could turn to speculation
he added, "I 'ate to disco nvenience the Quality-like, but I 'ave
to inform you that you, Lord Gregory St. Clair, and you,
Mr. Daniel Laverham, and this cove 'ere, 'oose name I ain't
'ad the dubious pleasure of bein' told, are all under arrest in
the name o' the Law, for the theft o' the Saltash Set, breakin'
an' enterin', 'olding a lot o' respectable folk at gunpoint, an'
one or two other things as are against the Law o' the Realm "
"He's a Runnen" Kirn burst out before she thought,
"Jasper, you fool!" said Lady Granleigh, too angry to re-
member that her brother was still comatose on the hearth-
stone.
"Good Lord!" said Andrew "Miss D'Auber, did you know?"
"It is to me a great surprise also," Renee D'Auber assured
him- "It is entirely a good thing after all, however, since
Monsieur St. Clair and that person with the pistols are ar-
rested, so I shall not repine in the least "
"Well, well," Mairelon said He stepped forward, holding
out the Saltash Platter to Stuggs "I expect you'll want this as
evidence?"
"I fear not," St. Clair put in. Kirn looked back at him and
froze. He was holding one of Dan's pistols trained on Stuggs,
who stood between him and the door, and his expression was
grim. "Or rather, you may want it, but you won't have it."
"Don't shoot!" Jack Stower pleaded, twisting in Stuggs's
grip in a vain effort to get out of Lord St. Ctair's line of fire.
"I ain't no nabbing cull! Don't shoot me!"
"You can't shoot all of us with only one pistol," Mairelon
said gently to St. Clair, ignoring Jack's frantic cries
"Quite true," Lord St. Clair agreed. His left arm shot out
and grabbed Marianne, who shrieked loudly as he pulled her
close and pointed the pistol at her head. "But 1 doubt that any
246
of you will let the young lady be hurt just to keep me here- 1
shall let her go in Dover, when I board the packet for
France—provided, of course, that no one does anything fool-
ish."
"Here. now'" Freddy expostulated "What d'you think
you're doing?"
"Lord St. Clair!" Lady Granleigh exclaimed in tones of
shock.
"You wouldn't dare," Andrew said to St Clair.
"He certainly would," Maireton said to Andrew. "I think
you had better move away from the door, Stuggs. Your supe-
riors will have to be content with half a haul this time.1'
St. Clair smiled and started forward, dragging Marianne
along with him, as Stuggs reluctantly moved aside. "Don't
forget the platter, Merrill," St. Clair said, turning his head
slightly.
At that precise moment, Freddy Meredith stepped in front
of Gregory St. Clair and astonished the entire company by
knocking him down- His success was due only partially to his
catching St. Clair completely off guard; Kirn had to admit
dial the blow had been a regular wisty castor. Lord St. Clair
fell backward, discharging his pistol into the ceiling above
the hearth. A shower of plaster descended on Jonathan and
the unfortunate Jasper, who coughed, choked, and sat up at
last, holding his head and moaning.
"Well struck!" Robert said after a stunned moment.
"Dash it all, Freddy, that was a stupid trick to pulll"
Jonathan complained, brushing at the plaster dust that cov-
ered his shoulders. "I might have been shot!"
"Oh, Freddyt" said Marianne, throwing her arms around him
in ecstasy. "How bravef
"Get up, you villain, and I'll do it again," Freddy said.
"Dashed lot of nerve you've got, bullying ladies and frighten-
ing Marianne."
247
St Clair did not reply He lay sprawled on the floor, his
top hat gone and his hair disarranged, staring at Freddy as if
he could not believe what had happened
"I knew he was a regular Captain Sharp," Kim said with
considerable satisfaction to no one in particular
To her surprise, Mairelon answered her "Yes, you did, and
very right you were, too Just hand that other bit of cord to
Andrew, will you, Kim? Then look around for something to
tie St Clair I'll fee! considerably happier when all three of
them are, er, secure "
"That's good sense, gov'ner," Stuggs said approvingly "An'
pick up them other pops while you're at it They 'adn't ought
to be lyin' about for the likes o' 'im to get 'is 'ands on "
"There ain't no rope or string or anything," Kim said, pick-
ing up the second piece of cord and Dan's other pistol "I
already looked "
"Amelia?" jasper's voice rose querulously from the hearth
"What's happening? Have you got the platter?"
"You imbecile'" Lady Granleigh stalked to her brother's
side, the better to berate him "Fool' That man of yours is a
Bow Street Runneri"
"Stuggs? Don't be silly, Amelia Monkton recommended
him; he'd hardly send me a Runner, now, would he?"
Mairelon glanced at the two of them, then took the cord
and pistol from Kim and walked over to Laverham, Robert,
and Andrew He handed the cord to his brother and said,
'Tie him up "
"Of course," Andrew answered "Richard—"
"In a minute, Andrew Mr , er, Stuggs, I believe you'll find
this useful, at least until we've gotten things sorted out "
Mairelon handed Stuggs the pistol, then tapped Freddy, who
was still glaring pugnaciously at Lord St. Clair, on the shoul-
der
"I think this would be a good moment for a discreet depar-
248
ture," he said when Freddy turned He nodded his head in
the direction of Lady Cranleigh and her brother, quarreling
in front of the fireplace
"What?" said Freddy "Oh, 1 see Good of you to mention
it. Come on, Marianne " He abandoned St Clair to Stuggs
and the pistol, and he and Marianne slipped out the open
door
"That was very kind," Renee D'Auber said to Mairelon "But
^ have you not perhaps made for yourself more trouble?"
^ "I'm sure of it," Mairelon said cheerfully "But f believe i
owe Lady Cranleigh one
, for setting her unspeakable brother
on me, and I can't think of a better way of evening the score "
"It seems singularty appropriate," Robert said, stepping for-
ward "But I would like to point out that 1 still haven't had my
explanation Not in any way that is remotely satisfactory,
that is 1 don't suppose you'd care to try again?"
"Good luck," Kim said under her breath She gave the rest
of the dropped pistols to Mairelon, then sat on a nearby
footstool to watch Andrew and Renee were both looking ex-
.. pectantly at Mairelon, Jonathan was scowling at him, and any
.- minute now Lady Granleigh would realize that her wealthy
ward had managed to escape again It ought to be better than
a Dmry Lane comedy
249
-VA^' (L i airelon set the Saltash Platter on the seat
JMp*.^ IVi of a high-backed chair and put the pistols
f r Kirn had given him on top of it, When he
turned back to the group, he was no longer smiling. "Yes,
there do seem to be a number of loose ends," he said. "For
instance, what are you doing here, Renee?"
"It is as your brother has said," Mademoiselle D'Auber re-
plied. She thought for a moment, then added scrupulously,
"For the most part."
"We came because Miss D'Auber had heard (here was a
Runner on your trail," Andrew put in.
"And you wished to assist him?" Mairelon said politely-
"No!" Andrew looked hurt- "1—we came to warn you- And
to help you, if we could, though I suppose you've no reason
to believe that "
"Why didn't you just tell Kirn the Bow Street Runners were
about?" Mairelon asked Renee. "Why the meeting? And why
weren't you there?"
"Meeting?" Andrew stared at Renee D'Auber in surprised
speculation. "You didn't tell me anything about a meeting "
250
"But of course not," Renee said. She gave the brothers a
brilliant smile- "You have both got the heads of pigs, and if I
had told you—" she nodded at Mairelon, "—that Monsieur
Merrill the elder was here, you would have said a great many
things of no politeness and gone away without seeing him,
because you thought he did not believe you. And if I had told
you—" she glared at Andrew, "—that we were to meet with
your brother, you would have made a great many excuses of
no merit and not have come, because you did not want to
face him and admit you made the mistake five years ago That
is why I was late," she added, turning to Mairelon. "He was
being difficult."
"Difficult? I was being difficult?" Andrew was almost beyond
speech.
"Do you mean to say that you dragged Andrew down here
to force the two of us to make up with each other?" Mairelon
demanded with equal incredulity
Renee opened her eyes very wide. "But of course This feud
was all very well when you were in France and he was here,
but it would be altogether tiresome if you were both in En-
gland, and me, I do not like the things tiresome. So I thought
I would arrange it."
The brothers exchanged a look of complete accord, and
Kim suppressed a grin. That served Mairelon a bit of his own
sauce! Stuggs shook his head sadly "French," he explained to
the room at large-
"And you weren't looking for the Saltash Platter?" Mairelon
asked Renee, though Kim could tell from his tone that he did
not really have doubts any longer
"It would have been a very good thing, I think, if I could
have gotten it," Renee answered, unperturbed. "For then we
should not have had all this confusion which you have still
not explained in the least "
"But for yourself?"
251
"For me?" Renee looked at Mairelon with convincing hor-
ror- "But no! Only consider! The Saltash Platter makes per-
sons speak the truth, and that would have been of all things
the most inconvenient "
Kirn laughed. Mairelon looked at her with an affronted ex-
pression, which only made her laugh harder. Slowly Mairelon
began to smile "Yes, under the circumstances, I can see
where it would have been, er, inconvenient."
Lady Granleigh chose this moment to stop abusing her
brother and turn back to the rest of the room- "Marianne, it is
high time—where is Marianne?"
"Cone," Mairelon answered helpfully
Jonathan snickered, and Lady Granleigh rounded on him.
"It is not humorous, young man! Stand aside," she com-
manded Stuggs "I must leave at once, to prevent my ward
from throwing herself away on that lamentably foolish young
man
"I 'ave my duty," Stuggs said, not moving- "And I 'ave one
or two questions as you ought to answer, beggin' your pardon
for the inconvenience."
"Of course, you could always pay a call in Bow Street
later," Mairelon put in as Lady Granleigh stared, unable to
believe that Stuggs had not immediately followed her orders.
"!t would cause quite a sensation among the ton, you might
even set a new fashion."
"Amelia!" Jasper had gone pale. "We can't! The duns would
be after me the minute they got wind of it."
"What is it you wish to know?" Lady Granleigh said stiffly.
"'Ow did you come to 'ave an interest in that there platter?
An' what sort o' interest did you 'ave?"
"I am very much afraid that 1 can answer that," a new voice
said from behind Stuggs
Stuggs jumped back and whirled, so that he could cover
both the doorway and the corner where Laverham, Stower,
—252—
and St. Glair stood Then he smiled and relaxed. "Sir!" he
said, and stepped aside
Four men entered behind him Hunch was the only one
Kirn recognized; the other three were gentry toffs, middle-
aged and dressed for riding, but she didn't recall seeing any of
them before She glanced around the room, sizing up the
reactions of the rest of the group Lady Cranleigh was staring
at the man who had spoken, and she had gone rather pale.
Jonathan Aberford turned red when he saw the second toff,
but Robert smiled in relief at the same man Laverham and
Slower wore blank expressions, St Glair's eyes narrowed and
his lips thinned as he stared at the newcomers, and Kim got
the impression that he was not at all pleased- Stuggs was
watching the third man with a respectful expression. Andrew,
Renee, and Mairelon all looked startled to various degrees
"What 'ave you been a-doing now. Master Richards" Hunch.
demanded, ignoring the rest of the company entirely.
"An excellent question," Robert murmured "Perhaps you'll
do better at getting an answer than we have."
"Well, well," Mairelon said. He blinked, smiled, and swept
a bow "Your servant, Cranleigh, Bramingham. I'm afraid
you've missed most of the excitement, Edward "
"I am desolated," the third man replied. With a start, Kim
recognized his voice he was the Earl of Shoreham, who had
sent Mairelon off to Ranton Hill in search of the Saltash Plat-
recall telling you not to attract atten—Andrew^ What the devil
are you doing here?"
"No, no, we've already had that bit," Mairelon said "I want
to know what Cranleigh here meant when he said he could
account for Lady Granleigh's, er, actions And how you all
happen to be here," he added as an afterthought
"I received some information last night, after Hunch left,"
the Earl replied. He glanced toward Laverham and St Glair
— 253—
"I thought it sufficiently urgent to post down, but it seems to
have been an unnecessary effort."
"!f you're talking about the irregular relationship between
Mr. Laverham and St. Clair, yes, that's come out," Mairelon
said. "But where did you pick up these others?"
"Hunch told me you'd gone to Bramingham Place," Shore-
ham said. "Naturally we went looking for you there. Mrs.
Bramingham had just discovered that most of her houseguests
had vanished, and Bramingham and Granleigh elected to
come with me in hopes of hunting them up."
"And in hopes of getting away from the excellent Mrs. Bra-
mingham's frenzy," Mairelon murmured "Quite understand-
able. Now, what was that you were saying about Lady Gran-