Affair Read Free Page B

precisely what you wrote in your letter to your recently retired man-of-affairs.”
    “There is no need. I am perfectly aware of what I wrote to Mr. Marcle.”
    Baxter ignored her. He reached into the inside pocket of his slightly rumpled coat and removed the letter he had stored there. He had read the damn thing so many times that he almost had it memorized, but he made a show of glancing down at the flamboyant handwriting.
    “ ‘As you know, Mr. Marcle, I require a man-of-affairs to take your place. He must be a person who presents an ordinary, unassuming appearance. I want a man who can go about his business unnoticed; a gentleman with whom I can meet frequently without attracting undue attention or comment.
    “ ‘In addition to the customary duties of a man-of-affairs, duties which you have fulfilled so very admirably during the past five years, sir, I must ask that the gentleman whom you recommend possess certain other skills.
    “ ‘I shall not trouble you with the details of the situation in which I find myself. Suffice it to say that due to recent events I am in need of a stout, keenly alert individual who can be depended upon to protect my person. In short, I wish to employ a bodyguard as well as a man-of-affairs.
    “ ‘Expense, as always, must be a consideration. Therefore, rather than undertake the cost of engaging two men to fill two posts, I have concluded that it will prove more economical to employ one man who can carry out the responsibilities of both positions—’ ”
    “Yes, yes, I recall my own words quite clearly,” Charlotte interrupted testily. “But that is not the point.”
    Baxter doggedly continued:
    “ ‘I therefore request that you send me a respectable gentleman who meets the above requirements and who presents an appearance that is as bland as a potato pudding.’ ”
    “I fail to see why you must repeat aloud everything on the page, Mr. St. Ives.”
    Baxter pressed on:
    “ ‘He must be endowed with a high degree of intelligence as I shall require him to make the usual delicate inquiries for me. But in his capacity as a bodyguard, he must also be skilled in the use of a pistol in case events take a nasty turn. Above all, Mr. Marcle, as you well know, he must be discreet.’ ”
    “Enough, Mr. St. Ives.” Charlotte picked up a small volume bound in red leather and slapped it smartly against the desktop to get his attention.
    Baxter glanced up from the letter. “I believe I meet most of your requirements, Miss Arkendale.”
    “I am certain that you do meet a few of them.” She favored him with a frosty smile. “Mr. Marcle would never have recommended you to me if that were not the case. Unfortunately, there is one very important qualification that you lack.”
    Baxter deliberately refolded the letter and slipped it back inside his coat. “Time is of the essence, according to Marcle.”
    “Quite correct.” An anxious expression came and went in her brilliant eyes. “I need someone to fill the post immediately.”
    “Then perhaps you should not be too choosy, Miss Arkendale.”
    She flushed. “But the thing is, Mr. St. Ives, I wish to employ a man who meets
all
of my requirements, not just some of them.”
    “I must insist that I do meet all of them, Miss Arkendale.” He paused. “Or very nearly all. I am intelligent, alert, and amazingly discreet. I confess that I have little interest in pistols. I find them to be generally inaccurate and unreliable.”
    “Ah-ha.” She brightened at that news. “There you are. Another requirement that you do not meet, sir.”
    “But I have some skill in chemistry.”
    “Chemistry?” She frowned. “What good will that do?”
    “One never knows, Miss Arkendale. Occasionally I find it quite useful.”
    “I see. Well, that is all very interesting, of course. Unfortunately, I have no need of a chemist.”
    “You insisted upon a man who would draw little attention. A staid, unremarkable man-of-affairs.”
    “Yes,