Murder in Piccadilly by Charles Kingston Page B

shilling we’ll be entitled to for keeping to ourselves the exact method by which Cheldon so unexpectedly inherited his uncle’s estate.”
    â€œBut you said yourself this evening that I was to make love to her,” he protested weakly.
    â€œExactly, and only for the purpose of keeping Cheldon’s jealousy at boiling point. He must be reminded every moment that Nancy is wanted by someone else. My little lie about a contract helped, but there must be a rival besides the continental tour, and you can be that.”
    Billy’s expression cleared.
    â€œIt’s the part of the scheme I like best.” Then his face clouded again. “But somehow Nancy isn’t the same to me as she used to be.”
    â€œWhy should she? Here’s a good-looking johnnie with ten thousand a year in prospect who is willing to lick her boots. What can you offer her? She knows too much about poverty to see any romance in it. Cheldon thinks poverty is wonderful. That’s the difference between the three of you. But mind you, Billy, there’s one other thing.”
    â€œYes?” Billy yawned. Excitement was passing and there was nothing else to keep in subjection his physical exhaustion.
    â€œNancy must never be told of our plan.”
    â€œDo you take me for a fool?”
    â€œYes, I do,” was the blunt retort. “You’re in love with Nancy. It’s because you’re in love with her that you’ve kept her as your dancing partner. Don’t I know that if you weren’t so desperately hard up you wouldn’t lift a finger to help Cheldon to marry her? But you want money more than you want her, and to get the money you’ve got to help me to make it possible for Cheldon to engage a church and parson.”
    â€œShe’s too good for him,” he muttered.
    â€œDoes Nancy think so? But we’re old enough, Billy, to be sensible—at least I am. Now listen to me before you biff off. I hinted to Cheldon that he could see me at any time, and that means he’ll be looking for me before I’m a dozen hours older. When we do meet I’ll drop a few more seeds.” The simile always amused him. “And by the time he’s starting for the mansion he’ll be thinking only of the quickest way to arrange for his rich uncle’s funeral.”
    â€œBut how will you trick him into providing proof—the proof that we must have?”
    â€œLeave that to me.” Nosey looked excessively sly. “Billy, he’ll go down to Broadway—”
    â€œBroadbridge Manor,” his companion corrected.
    â€œTo this whatever-you-call-it full of zeal for helping Uncle Tom—”
    â€œThat’s not the name. It’s Mally or—”
    â€œWhat on earth does the name matter?” Nosey was almost testy. “And don’t interrupt. As I was saying, he’ll arrive at Broadway Mansion with a knife in one pocket and a packet of poison in the other, both birthday presents for Uncle Algy. But do you think he’ll take ’em out of his pockets when he’s welcomed to the ancestral halls? Not on your life. He’ll be too frightened to do more than look a bigger fool than he actually is and keep awake all night thinking about the hangman.”
    â€œA fat lot of good that’ll do us,” Billy grumbled.
    â€œMy boy,” said Nosey who from the neck downwards bore some resemblance to Napoleon and who now assumed a Napoleonic pose, “it’s your profession to think with your feet—mine to think with my head. Leave the conduct of the campaign to me. I’ll produce the goods if you’ll promise to do as I tell you.”
    â€œI don’t want any fireworks,” the dancer protested.
    â€œThey burn your fingers if you’re clumsy or unlucky.”
    â€œNo one will be any the wiser except ourselves,” was the re-assuring reply. “Can’t you see that I’m rehearsing Cheldon for the