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“It’s really a pity I don’t speak Chinese,” he murmured

She gave him a look—either of impatience or irritation; he wasn’t sure which—then continued with, “I am also convinced that this ot this far would be forced to expend quite a lot of energy, and quite possibly expense as well to obtain a translation Surely she wouldn’t force soh the trouble twice”

Gareth looked down at the unfa on his lower lip as he pondered this

“Don’t you agree?” Hyacinth pressed

He looked up, shrugging “Well, you would”

Her mouth fell open “What do youon his words “Very well, I would But I think we can both agree that, for better or for worse, I am a bit more diabolical than a typical female Or male, for that matter,” she muttered

Gareth sht to be made more nervous by the phrase, “for better or for worse”

“Do you think your grandmother would be as devious as, er…”—she cleared her throat—“I?” Hyacinth seemed to lose a little steam toward the end of the question, and Gareth suddenly saw in her eyes that she was not as collected as she wished for him to believe

“I don’t know,” he said quite honestly “She passed ahen I was rather young My recollections and perceptions are those of a seven-year-old boy”

“Well,” she said, tapping her fingers against the desk in a revealingly nervous gesture “We can certainly begin our search for a speaker of Slovene” She rolled her eyes as she added, somewhat dryly, “There must be one somewhere in London”

“One would think,” heher on He shouldn’t do it; he should be far wiser by now, but there was so about Hyacinth when she was determined

And as usual, she did not disappoint “In the meantime,” she stated, her voice marvelously matter-of-fact, “I believe we should return to Clair House”

“And search it from top to bottom?” he asked, so politely that it had to be clear that he thought she was mad

“Of course not,” she said with a scowl

He almost smiled That was much more like her