Read The Scandal at 23 Mount Street (An Angela Marchmont Mystery Book 9) for Free Online Page B

at the time I didn’t have any choice, for reasons I won’t go into, so I said I’d do it.’
    ‘I see,’ she said.
    ‘The man I was dealing with said it would be an easy job, and that they’d be in and out within minutes. It’s a private collection, you see. It’s not like a museum where there’d be bars on the windows, guards, and suchlike. This chap said nobody would even find out they’d been in until the next morning. I didn’t like or trust him, and didn’t want to mix with his associates, who are a pretty notorious lot—yes, even among our circles—but I told myself it would be a matter of meeting the fellow after the job, taking the stuff and disappearing.
    ‘Of course, as it turned out it wasn’t as simple as that. First of all they whacked that old fellow on the head. I hadn’t agreed to that—in fact, I’d made it quite clear that I wouldn’t be associated with that sort of thing. Then they wanted me to shelter two of them for a week or so, just until the hue and cry died down, even though I’d said I hadn’t the slightest intention of seeing any of them again after the job was done. And on top of all that they tried to back out on the price we’d originally agreed. By that point I could see quite well the way things were going, and I had no desire to get into an argument, so I—er—took something as payment for my time and made myself scarce.’
    ‘And you think that’s not stealing?’ said Angela, aghast.
    ‘Well, yes, I suppose it is,’ he admitted. ‘But I didn’t plan it, exactly. It was a spur of the moment thing. Old habits die hard and I simply couldn’t help myself.’
    He gazed wistfully at the ruby brooch in his hand.
    ‘But it’s not yours ,’ said Angela.
    ‘I know, but I’m afraid I couldn’t resist it. It’s so awfully pretty.’ Before she could reply he approached her and held it up to her breast, where it sparkled against the black of her dress. ‘Don’t you think it would look beautiful on you?’ he said in his most persuasive tones.
    She pushed his hand away and took a step back.
    ‘Don’t!’ she said. ‘I don’t want the thing near me, and if you think you can win me round with that sort of nonsense you’re very wrong indeed. Oh, what’s the use?’ she went on, throwing up her hands. ‘I can see there’s no sense at all in trying to talk to you. I’d better go. My friends will be wondering where I am.’
    ‘No!’ he said quickly. ‘Don’t go. I’m sorry.’
    ‘Sorry you took it? Or sorry I found you out?’ said Angela. He did not reply, and she continued, ‘Look, it’s perfectly obvious this is something we’ll never agree on. You think it’s all just fun—a terribly good joke. But it’s not; it’s wrong, and however much you try to pass it off as something quite innocent, nothing changes the fact that it’s theft—pure and simple.’
    She paused, then before she could stop herself admitted the thing which had hurt the most.
    ‘But why did you have to bring me into it, Edgar?’ she said quietly. ‘Why did you have to lie to me on top of everything? Silly of me, but I really believed you meant it when you said you were going to retire. You needn’t have said that at all. I already knew what you were; I had no expectations of you. Then why make a fool of me again? Is it just because you can?’
    ‘Please don’t say that,’ said Valencourt. ‘I never dreamt of trying to make a fool of you. I promise you I was telling the truth. This was my last job and I won’t be doing any more. It’s just unfortunate that it turned out the way it did, since it means I’ll have to disappear rather more quickly than I intended. But I swear I haven’t lied to you. Not this time.’
    ‘I take it these people are looking for you, then.’
    ‘I’m afraid so,’ he said. ‘And not to shake my hand, either.’
    ‘So that’s why you’re planning to lie low,’ said Angela. ‘I see now. And what do you intend to do with the