14
‘You want to do… what?’ said Milady, some twenty-four hours later.
‘Pop back into Farringale, ascertain the true cause of its infestation and consequent demise, mend it, divest it of its juiciest books by way of our well-earned reward, and be home in time for tea,’ I said smoothly.
‘Is the tea strictly vital to the mission?’
‘When have I ever been willing to miss tea?’
I chose to interpret Milady’s subsequent silence as either amusement or a hearty endorsement of the plan, and waited.
‘Ves,’ she said at last. ‘This is ambitious, even for you.’
‘What if I told you it was Jay’s plan?’
‘Hey,’ Jay objected. ‘My plan was to go into Farringale on a research and exploration mission. Scientific. Information gathering. That kind of thing.’
‘Right, sorry,’ I murmured. ‘I might have got a
