Page 23 of The Curious Story of the Missing Lady
“Where have you been?” said Lady Elizabeth.
“Terribly sorry, M’Lady,” said Garret. “It’s my heel. It’s hurting me something terrible.”
“The wretch has been singing.”
He looked askance at her. “Singing?”
“A sound like a thousand earaches,” she said, grabbing the cloth sack emptying its contents upon the table.
“He was out of neat’s tongue. There’s some nice kidneys there, though.”
She made a disgusted sound. “Would that we lived in a time where simple provisions are simply procured.”
“I could get some more,” he said hesitantly.
“What about your foot?”
He massaged his aching heel. “It’s worse than ever, but no matter, M’Lady. I’d walk along the edge of a volcano bare of foot if it would please you.”
She shook her head at the paltry cuts before her. “They’ll have to do.”
He looked up at the ceiling. “Singing, you say?”
“If it keeps up, she’s to have no book. Make that clear to her.”
“Yes, M’Lady.”
“You’ve delivered the letter, no?”
“I have.”
“Well?”
He gave a slight smile. “My man tells me they all but put him on the rack. He didn't know nothing, of course. How could he? I’ve kept him in the dark as much as any man.”
“I don’t care a fig about your man,” she snapped. “What is the situation at Aspendale?Thatis the only thing that concerns me at the moment.”
“It’s as you’d imagine, M’Lady. The Earl has already organised a search party. He’s got the town constable on the case.”
“A more beguiled lot I don’t think there ever was. That constable – Herrick, is it? I’d doubt if Herrick could find a clove stuck in an orange peel.”
“Right, M’Lady.”
“Well, they’re scurrying like a flurried nest of weasels, then. Good.”
“Yes, M’Lady.” He dropped his ankle and folded his arms. “I wonder. Would it be wise perhaps to, er, how would you put it, M’Lady?Expeditethe process?”
She turned to him, cuts of meat dripping blood onto the floor. “What do you mean?”
“Should you perhaps ask for the ransom now and be done with it? Oh, I don’t mean nothing by it, M’Lady. I figure it would spare you the hardships you’ve had to endure for that much longer, is all.”
“I’ve sent the letter,” she said. “These things take time, Mr Garret. They must. I want to leave this miserable place as much as anyone. More so. But we must bide our time with the plan.”
He moistened his lips. “Er, what’ll you do?”
“What?”
“What’ll you do?”
