Free Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone by Dene Low Page B

James as he took a few peppermints.
    "Cheer you up."
    "
Sweeten
me up, don't you mean? The two of you are dashed lucky that I'm such a gentleman, or I might mention a few of your escapades, such as how the ducks got into the wash tubs in the laundry not less than a year ago."
    Jane placed a gloved hand over her brother's mouth. "Stop! You're not supposed to know about that one. You were away on holiday."
    I stifled a yawn. "I do hope the inspector does not keep us waiting too long, or we shall have aired all our dirty laundry, and Uncle Augustus will have an entirely different view of us. Although I'll wager that Uncle was not above a little clandestine mischief in his time. Am I right, Uncle?"
    "A man my age should not have to answer questions about youthful follies," said Uncle Augustus. "Read your newspapers, children, and I shall peruse my book." He tapped
Insectile Creatures.
    We obediently divided up our various newspapers and magazines and set to reading. I was anxious to see if the papers contained anything else about the kidnappings, but they had nothing more than what we knew already. Every few minutes, I glanced at my watch. I sighed. I read some
more. I checked my watch against a clock on one wall and adjusted my watch by two minutes. I read some more. Did the inspector mean to make us wait so long? Did he not care that we had information, or did he think we would not have anything of importance? I began to run out of patience, and when I shook the sweets bag, I found I was also out of peppermints.
    "Lord Sinclair and party. The inspector is ready to see you now," called the man at the front desk.
    After going up some stairs and down a hall, we found Inspector Higginbotham's office. He sat behind a businesslike desk, but there were no chairs for us to sit on, which I am quite sure was a conscious effort on his part to make him seem kingly while visitors played the peasants.
    Inspector Higginbotham came directly to the point. "Yes? Your message, Lord Sinclair, said that you had more information."
    James motioned for me to come forward. "Thank you for seeing us, Inspector. We followed your example after you left and looked for more clues and discovered these not far from where you found the ruby. We thought you should have them."
    I drew the tiara and
peso
from my handbag and placed them on the inspector's desk. "Dame Carruthers was wearing that tiara when she was abducted."
    "And the coin is from Colombia," Jane chimed in.
    The inspector picked up both items and turned them over several times, his mouth pursed in thought. Finally, he said, "These do establish that the dame and generalissimo were there, and the state of the tiara indicates a struggle." He heaved a sigh. "They do not, however, establish who the kidnappers are."
    "Petronella! Augustus!" My aunts' voices rang down the hall.
    We all stared at one another in horror. Aunts are devastating enough in one's home, but to have them invade Scotland Yard is a desperate situation indeed. Inspector Higginbotham put his forehead on his desk for a moment, as if attempting to draw fortitude from within. So it was that when Great-aunt Theophilia and Aunt Cordelia pushed their way into his office, followed by Cyril, Crimea, and Boeotia, the inspector was able to stand and greet them with more dignity than I thought possible under the circumstances.
    "Aha!" Great-aunt Theophilia said upon seeing us. "We thought we'd find you here. Augustus, you simply must not allow Petronella to gallivant among the lower classes in this manner. It is most unseemly."
    Boeotia, safe behind her mother's skirts, stuck her tongue out at me, while Crimea looked especially satisfied with my plight.
    The inspector strode from behind his desk to shake both aunts' hands. "Why, Lady Worffingdon and Lady Farworthy, how delightful to see you again so soon. I'm sorry I'm not able to offer you seating accommodations, but as you can see, we're rather cramped at the He waved a hand at our group and