That Would Be a Fairy Tale - By Amanda Grange Page 0,51

for some time now were becoming clearer . . . but he must get over them. Cicely had made her choice. So all he had to do now was forget her.

Yes. That was all . . .

The door opened, breaking in on his thoughts. He looked round, and there was Cicely. Standing in the doorway, with the gas light from the hallway casting a golden halo round her, she looked more lovely than he had ever seen her. Her dark hair was soft and inviting, her slight curves appealing in her fashionably low-cut gown. Her skin was golden, and her eyes were full of beauty.

‘You can’t do it,’ he said.

He shouldn’t have said it, but he couldn’t let her throw herself away on Chuffington.

Her lips parted in surprise.

He couldn’t take his eyes away from them. She had the most kissable lips he had ever seen. And how he longed to kiss them again.

She seemed to know exactly what he was talking about. ‘It will work,’ she said.

It will work. Could she really believe that? he asked himself.

‘But how did you know?’ she queried.

His voice was tight. He made an effort to make it sound normal. ‘It was Chuffington. He told me.’

She looked perplexed. ‘But Chuff Chuff doesn’t know. I haven’t told him about my plan.’

‘Plan?’ Alex frowned. How could marriage be a plan? Unless they were at cross purposes. ‘What plan?’ he asked cautiously.

‘My plan for catching Mr Goss.’

Her words stunned him. Her plan for catching Mr Goss?

And then he was out of the strange state that had gripped him when he had seen her enter the room, and back in the real world. He gave a sigh, though whether it was of frustration or relief he didn’t know. He had been about to tell her that she couldn’t marry Chuffington; to sweep her into his arms and prove it to her with hot words and impassioned kisses; but her unexpected words had brought him back down to earth.

‘I can’t be sure, of course,’ she said. ‘Perhaps I should have said, I think it will work.’

‘Come in. Have a seat. I was surprised to see you,’ he said by way of explanation of his strange behaviour. ‘I thought all the houseguests had gone to bed.’

‘They have. But I wanted to speak to you, and I did not want to leave it until tomorrow, so I stayed behind. I have already seen two innocent young women blamed for Mr Goss’s crimes, and I don’t want to see it happen again. I won’t rest until he has been put behind bars.’

His surprise quickly gave way to understanding. ‘I feel the same. Unfortunately, I don’t see what else I can do,’ he said, sitting down opposite her. ‘Goss will not attend another party given at the Manor, nor, I suspect, any other party given by me. I haven’t given up hope of bringing him to justice, but at the moment I cannot see a way to do it.’

‘But I can.’

He looked at her with interest. ‘Go on.’

Cicely took a deep breath, and then began. ‘According to Gibson, who hears all the local servants’ gossip, Mr Goss is badly in need of money, and I believe he will soon strike again. He is deeply in debt and needs to get out of it as quickly as possible. It is my belief he will attempt to steal something of significant value when he goes to Marienbad.’

‘Marienbad?’ Alex raised his eyebrows. He did not know the name of the town.

‘It’s in Austria. It’s a spa town,’ she explained. ‘High society goes there to take the waters. They used to go to Bath, but Bath has fallen out of fashion and now they go abroad, to Marienbad, instead. Marienbad attracts all the best people. King Edward himself is a regular visitor.’

‘And you think Goss is likely to go there?’ he asked.

‘I know he is. Mrs Capstone was complaining about it only last week. "We are going to Marienbad at the end of August," she said. "As you know, we go every year. I do so enjoy it, and I’m convinced it does Herbert’s bronchitis good. My only regret is that the wretched Martin Goss will be there. His mother is the most charming of women, but Martin is a cad." So you see, I know he is going.’

Alex’s eyes became alert. He pushed himself out of his chair and strode over to the fireplace. ‘It has possibilities,’ he said, turning the idea over in his mind. ‘Distinct