That Would Be a Fairy Tale - By Amanda Grange Page 0,40

is. It’s the perfect setting in which to spring the trap, and it’s near enough to Goss’s own place to make it seem natural for me to invite him. He can just, without too big a stretch of the imagination, be considered to be one of my new neighbours.’

‘And he’s accepted the invitation, you say?’ asked Eugenie.

‘Yes.’ Alex gave a twisted smile. ‘Mr Goss will be delighted to attend.’

‘Then we’ve got him.’ Eugenie spoke with confidence.

‘Not yet,’ said Alex cautiously. ‘There’s still a long way to go before we can say that. But we’re well on the way.’

‘And what about the bait?’

‘I’m picking the necklace up from the jewellers tomorrow. I meant to go yesterday, but — ‘ He hesitated, as he thought of Cicely’s exploding range ‘— something came up. But you’ll have it in time for dinner. That way it will have a chance to excite gossip, and once Goss hears about it he’ll be sure to want to steal it. He’s in low funds at the moment, and he needs something to get him out of the clutches of the moneylenders. The necklace will appear like a dream come true to him.’

Eugenie sighed. ‘It’s just a pity Hyram couldn’t be here,’ she said. ‘He would have loved to see us catch the rat. But it wasn’t a good idea, not after he was at the last house party where Goss stole something. If Goss saw him he might decide it was too risky to steal something else in case Hyram put two and two together. And that’s why I wanted to come as my maiden self, because if he was introduced to Mrs Hyram Dortmeyer, it would be just as likely to make him decide it wasn’t worth the risk. Besides, I like being Miss Eugenie Postlethwaite again for a few days, it makes me feel young.’

‘You will always be young!’ said Alex.

‘Flatterer,’ she said, but she smiled.

‘If I can’t flatter my oldest friend, who can I flatter? It’s not everyone who would help me catch a thief. And I want to catch him so badly. I want to hand him over to the authorities so that he’ll be made to pay for what he did to Katie - and, incidentally, to make sure he doesn’t do it to any other innocent young girl. For the duration of the party you will be Miss Postlethwaite, proud possessor of a fabulous necklace.’ He stood up. ‘I should be back from the jewellers by three o’clock, but to be on the safe side I suggest you meet me here at four tomorrow. I will hand over the necklace, and you, my dear Eugenie, will wear it every day until it’s stolen.’

Cicely, having finished her breakfast, was putting the finishing touches to her toilette. Being Sunday, the assembled company was going to church, and Cicely was to be one of their number.

As she settled her plumed hat on her head she caught sight of Alex walking down the drive and as she saw him her spirits lifted and she realized that her feelings towards him were now wholly different to what they had been when he had arrived in the village. She had thought he would be brash and heartless and humourless, but as she had come to know him she had come to realise that he was no such thing. He was strong and brave and ambitious, but he had a softer side, too, and, like her, he loved to laugh. and he made her light up whenever he was near.

He was also someone she could rely on. It was a novel experience. Her father, dear though he had been, had in many ways been more like a child than a grown man, and he had always looked to her to see to the practicalities of life. And since his death the burden of sorting out the muddle he had left behind had fallen entirely on her shoulders.

Even better was the way Alex made her feel whenever he was near, and the way he made her feel inside when he touched her. She had never known such wonderful feelings existed.

To make her pleasure complete, she saw that he did not escort Miss Postlethwaite, who had just emerged from the house. Instead, he escorted one of the married women. So there was nothing between the two of them after all!

The day seemed impossibly bright. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the sky was blue, and she had a