Somewhat Scandalous (Brambridge Novel 1) by Pearl Darling Page A

at that tabard over there. Do you see what it says?”
    ‘Pablo Moreno’s Grand Travelling Museum’ was inscribed on the sign in small words, followed by ‘THE GRAND SALVATORE’. Agatha blinked.
    “Read on,” said the big man impatiently. “I paid a lot for that sign.”
    “Come and watch the greatest knife thrower of all time.” Agatha’s tongue rasped against her dry mouth as she spoke. “I don’t see what this has to do with me.”
    Pablo nudged her. “There’s more.”
    “Watch as the Grand Salvatore, dressed in gold, throws knives at his able assistant Nathalia.”
    “That’s what you are going to do for me tonight if you want to get your pelisse back.”
    “Oh no no no, Mr. Moreno. You can’t! She doesn’t even know how to throw knives.” Nathalia thrust her arms out at Pablo in a beseeching gesture.
    “I most definitely can’t—”
    “It doesn’t matter that you can’t throw them.”
    Agatha frowned. That was not what she was going to say. She was going to mention that she had a prior engagement that night from which she would be missed. A musicale, in fact, that Victoria wanted her to go to.
    “All will become apparent when you perform.” Pablo stared at her, a hard look in his eyes.
    “Mister Moreno! This is my life you are endangering.” Nathalia’s pleading became a screech.
    The large man paid no attention.
    “Bertino will be fine, Mister Moreno, it’s just a cough that he has. He will be ready tonight.” Nathalia fell to her knees. Agatha nodded vigorously. She assumed Bertino was the knife thrower.
    “Pa,” the young acrobat said urgently. “Fanny has sent for the doctor. She says that Bertino has thrown up, can’t stand up and can’t even see properly.”
    With a groan, Nathalia fell to the ground in a faint.
    Agatha stared down at the ground. With the knife thrower out of action there was no escape for her.
    “Oh dear.” She gasped as darkness appeared at the edges of her vision.
    “Nathalia, Pedro? Go away.”
    Pedro nodded at Pablo and walked away slowly with unnaturally high steps. Nathalia stuttered. “I, err. Pablo please.”
    “I don’t know why I don’t get rid of you,” Pablo muttered. “Go away, Nathalia.”
    Agatha shivered. Pablo seemed to be the man to whom ‘get rid of’ had rather permanent connotations.
    He turned to her and brought his face down close to hers. “You know, the main reason why so many of the ton were coming tonight and have bought advanced tickets is to see the Grand Salvatore.” His voice sank to a low and deadly whisper. “The grand gentlemen with their obsession for shooting and danger are agog to see the precision throwing of the knife grandmaster. That man is even now lying in his wagon putting me severely out of pocket. If I have to refund the tickets, I will have to disband the circus.”
    He didn’t need to tell her his livelihood depended upon her. She was already terrified enough. “You’ll have to refund them anyway if I miss,” she quavered, but Pablo shook his head.
    “But then I had a job to do this evening that was also going to get me a lot of money.” He stared at her, perspiration beading his brow. “Perhaps I can kill two birds with one stone.”
     

CHAPTER 12
     
    “What is it, Ames?” Henry stretched and put down his book on Umbria. His study filled with sunshine through the large sash window that stood slightly open. He longed to go out and enjoy the warmth.
    “It’s the young lady, sir.”
    “Victoria?”
    “No, the other one. The one that you asked me to keep an eye on.”
    Henry groaned. What had she done now? “Tell me.”
    “After three days of shutting herself away, she finally left the house.”
    “No one told me that she had left!”
    “She left alone, sir.”
    Henry took in a deep breath. “No maid? Please tell me she had a maid with her?”
    “No. She even neglected to check on the little experiment she has running in the understairs cupboard, sir.”
    “Good grief.”