Lessons in Discovery by Charlie Cochrane Read Free Book Online Page A

troth. I gave him the old ‘thank you but no thank you’ and he pulled me
    behind the arras—I can see you sniggering, Jonty and it doesn’t
    become you—and started to take the grossest liberties. All he got was a black eye—it was a real shiner, I was rather proud of
    myself—and he departed. Then I had to go and find Richard again
    and explain why I’d been late for our next dance. Had the suspicion that he thought your dear mama was a bit of a
    flibbertigibbet, but he held my hand once more and called me his
    ‘dear little peach’. I can see you smirking again , Jonty, and if it happens a third time I will have no hesitation in taking you across my knee and spanking you. Anyway, I was furious, furious
    beyond all measure. So when poor George Le Tissier came up all
    beaming with excitement and asked for my hand, I forgot myself
    entirely. It was pent-up anger, and I am not proud of myself. Now, are you ever going to make me that cup of tea or will you watch
    your poor mother sit here, wasting away parched and drained?”
    “Mother, I won’t even put the kettle on until you tell me
    what you did that was so bad.”
    “Laid him out, dear. One great big punch and goodnight
    sweetheart . Now that ends that trifling matter and you need to address the greater one of my desiccated throat.”
    When Mrs. Stewart was watered sufficiently to be able to
    attempt the return journey, Summerbee, the porter, found a cab
    (she wasn’t inclined to fly the broom). With many a kiss, hug and wave she was sent on her way.
    “Well, what do you think?” Jonty grinned as they wandered
    back to his set.

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    Charlie Cochrane
    Any answer was stifled by the call of Miss Peters, who sped
    across the grass with a bundle in her hand. “Can’t stop, have to get back to sick bay. This flu is making life very difficult for all concerned. These are the things I told you about, copies of a
    whole raft of documents which were discovered not two weeks
    back, up in the attics of the lodge. Came out of the ark with Noah, well, out of the abbey with the Woodvilles, perhaps. Bit of a
    complication on the horizon, though.” She thrust her burden into Stewart’s arms, then went on her way, tripping along like a girl.
    “Extraordinary woman.” Orlando looked on awestruck.
    “Now does that remark refer to Miss Peters or to my mama?
    She’d be very cross to know that she had a rival for your
    affections.”
    “Both of them, Dr. Stewart. But I’ll keep your mother at the
    top of my list, if I may. Miss Peters never sees fit to cover me with perfume and powder, even if it is accidental. You can tell her that she has my heart forever.”
    Jonty swallowed hard at the familiar words, ones that
    Orlando had spoken to him on many an intimate occasion. He
    smiled at his friend affectionately. “Let’s take these back to your rooms to put with the others—we could manage an hour or two on
    them before hall. I wish I knew what this wretched complication
    was, though.”
    Once back in his set, Orlando decided to take a first look at
    the codes and Jonty, applying his knowledge of the period,
    thought he might pore through the other documents with a view to building upon the notes his friend had started to make.
    The room was hot, Orlando having stoked the fire up, so
    Jonty stripped off his jacket and tie and rolled up his sleeves. He wore a fine pair of dun-coloured braces, articles which brought
    bittersweet memories. He and Orlando had often, on their return
    from holiday, played a game in which they tried to ping the
    other’s braces in public without anyone else noticing. Such
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    Lessons in Discovery
    satisfaction it had given, not just from the wonderful thwack which the elastic made when it was released, but from the little sting of pain that it would provoke in the man who’d been caught.
    There were no such games now.
    Jonty bent over his work, but was interrupted by a hand
    upon his