The Carlswick Affair

by SL Beaumont

  Chapter 19

  “James,” Alex shouted, annoyed.

  James tried to slip out of the house through the kitchen. But the smell of freshly baked biscuits made him pause and he grabbed a handful that were cooling on a wire cake rack on one of the granite kitchen benches. That was his mistake.

  “Hey,” Grace called across the kitchen. “Thief!” But there was a smile in her voice.

  Unfortunately, her calling out had alerted Alex to James’s whereabouts and he came bursting into the room.

  “There you are, little brother. My office. Now.” He turned on his heel and strode back across the hallway towards his open study door.

  James hesitated, sorely tempted to continue his escape out the side door.

  “It’ll be easier to just get whatever he wants over and done with,” Grace advised, sensing his indecision.

  James sighed. “I suppose.” He grabbed another couple of biscuits, receiving a smack on the hand from Grace, and sauntered after Alex.

  Alex’s office was dominated by a huge polished antique mahogany desk. On one wall was a row of bookshelves and opposite was a glass fronted cabinet containing collectible rare volumes. A large chesterfield sofa had a variety of antique chairs clustered around it.

  James loitered in the doorway. “What?” he asked sullenly. “I was just on my way out.”

  “Sit.” Alex raised his voice and pointed to a chair, his eyes steely.

  James sighed, but did as instructed, dropping heavily into the nearest chair and rocking back so that he was sitting on two legs rather than four.

  Alex rolled his eyes. “You do realise how much that chair will cost you if you break it?”

  It was James’s turn to roll his eyes, but he eased the chair back onto its four legs.

  “Now, I thought Grandfather and I had made it very clear that you were to stop that Cooper girl from snooping around.” He looked accusingly at James. “Why is she up in London now, making enquiries at the National Gallery regarding works of art that we may or may not have in our possession?”

  “What. Stephanie is?” James said, confused.

  “Well a girl fitting her description was. Seems a little coincidental, don’t you think? You do know she was back here the other day with some flimsy reason to snoop around in the library?” Alex said.

  “Was she now?” James said slowly, thinking back to the previous weekend when he’d passed her on the road outside the manor. “Did you see her?”

  “No – Grace let her in,” Alex said.

  James was thoughtful for a moment. “What’s so important about this anyway?”

  Alex went very red in the face, battling to control his temper. “What’s so important? I’ll tell you what’s important. I have been working on this deal for the last five years and secrecy is of the upmost importance. I. Will. Not. Have. It. Fall. Through,” he finished, shouting. “Do you realise how much the upkeep on this house is? With our darling mother traipsing all over the world spending our inheritance, someone has to raise enough money to keep this place going. Playing a few gigs down at the pub certainly isn’t going to do it.”

  James stood and backed towards the door.

  “Okay. Don’t get your hair in a knot. I’ll tell her again, but I can’t see what she would have to do with one of your deals,” he said.

  “No you wouldn’t, but she must be stopped before she does some damage. Her drawing attention to us now could ruin everything! I need her kept out of this for another three or four days and then you can do what you like with her. If this gets screwed up, I will hold you personally responsible and you know what that means,” Alex said menacingly.

  James held his hands up as if in defeat. He had suffered enough of Alex’s beatings over the years to fear getting on the wrong side of him. “Alright, leave her with me. I’ll find out what she’s up to and put a stop to it.”

  Alex nodded and said, “Just make sure you do. Because if you don’t, I will find someone who will and it won’t be pretty.”