The Devil Rides Out Read Free Page A

be any good. Even forgot till six o’clock that I had these people coming.’
    â€˜How fortunate for you, Simon, that your larder is so well stocked.’ The Duke could not resist the gentle dig as his glance fell on a long buffet spread with a collation which would have rivalled the cold table in any great hotel.
    â€˜I ‘phoned Ferraro,’ parried Simon glibly. ‘The Berkeley never lets me down. Would have asked you to drop in, but… er, with this meeting on I felt you’d be bored.’
    â€˜Bored! Not a bit, but we are keeping you from your other guests.’ With an airy gesture De Richleau waved his hand in the direction of the inner room.
    â€˜Sure,’ agreed Rex heartily, as he laid a large hand on Simon’s arm and gently propelled him towards the salon. ‘Don’t you worry about us, we’ll just take a glass of wine off you and fade away.’ His eyes were fixed again on the pale oval face of the girl.
    Simon’s glance flickered swiftly towards the Duke who ignored, with a guileless smile, his obvious reluctance for them to meet his other friends, and noted with amusement that he avoided any proper introduction.
    â€˜Er–er–two very old friends of mine,’ he said, with his little nervous cough as he interchanged a swift look with a fleshy, moon-faced man whom De Richleau knew to be Mocata.
    â€˜Well, well, how nice,’ the bald man lisped with unsmiling eyes. ‘It is a pleasure always to welcome any friends of Simon’s.’
    De Richleau gave him a frigid bow and thought of reminding him coldly that Simon’s welcome was sufficient in his own house, but for the moment it was policy to hide his antagonism so he replied politely that Mocata was most kind, then, with the ease which characterised all his movements, he turned his attention to an elderly lady who was seated near by.
    She was a woman of advanced age but fine presence, richly dressed and almost weighed down with heavy jewellery. Between her fingers she held the stub of a fat cigar at which she was puffing vigorously.
    â€˜Madame.’ The Duke drew a case containing the long Hoyos from his pocket and bent towards her. ‘Your cigar is almost finished, permit me to offer you one of mine.’
    She regarded him for a moment with her bright eyes, then stretched out a fat, beringed hand. ‘Sank you, Monsieur, I see you are a connoisseur.’ With her beaked, parrot nose she sniffed at the cigar appreciatively. ‘But I ‘ave not seen you at our other meetings, what ees your name?’
    â€˜De Richleau, Madame, and yours?’
    â€˜De Richleau! a maestro indeed.’ She nodded heavily. ‘Je suis Madame D’Urfé, you will ‘ave heard of me.’
    â€˜But certainly.’ The Duke bowed again. ‘Do you think we shall have a good meeting tonight?’
    â€˜If the sky clears we should learn much,’ answered the old lady cryptically.
    â€˜Ho! Ho!’ thought the Duke. ‘We are about to make use of Simon’s observatory it seems. Good, let us learn more.’ But before he could pump the elderly Frenchwoman further, Simon deftly interrupted the conversation and drew him away.
    â€˜So you have taken up the study of the stars, my friend,’ remarked the Duke as his host led him to the buffet.
    â€˜Oh, er, yes. Find astronomy very interesting, you know. Have some caviare?’ Simon’s eyes flickered anxiously towards Rex, who was deep in conversation with the girl.
    As he admired her burnished hair and slumbrous eyes, for a moment the Duke was reminded of a Boticelli painting. She had, he thought, that angel look, the golden virgin to the outward eye whose veins were filled with unlit fire. A rare cinquecento type who should have lived in the Italy of the Borgias. Then he turned again to Simon. ‘It was because of the observatory then that you acquired this house, I suppose?’
    â€˜Yes. You