I will start my story with an apology to my daily journal readers. Though this account of mine is quite different from medical discoveries, it might clear up many theories and conspiracies regarding the famous case of the English Duke, which has been branded false by some and incredulous by many. As my dear friend Vera says, it is the conspiracy which interests people, far more than the truth. Yet I hope that this story will finally give rest to any other versions of it.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eapRiNIQV
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It was the afternoon of the 10th of January, a cold and windy day, when I was fixing a patient of mine.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRx65vdbRak
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"It is cold then, which depresses you?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWvhfZaLjT
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" Ah, what can I say," my patient began," It is cold. But it is the knee too."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtIDzUo9Tg
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"Knee?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0vIr1vCSe
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" Yes. I have been travelling much. From here to there. You comprehend?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fGJDhxqoL
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I didn't. 475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbsTx5IUPB
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Before I spoke anything, my patient stood up, and for the first time, I was able to see his face that was hidden under his hat earlier.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr33vsqPhfo
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He had an egg shaped face, a glorious moustache and sparkling eyes. He reminded me of someone I had seen in the papers, but who, that I couldn't tell.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYWUHp5QxW
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"You see mon ami, it is your friend who gave me this knee."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoi0mHe8y7A
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I looked at him. Trying not to laugh at his ridiculous face, I asked, " My friend?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdU8UO8r0k
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"Oh yes. Vera."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKEsaxO20X
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"Oh."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEz1VlV9G5
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Vera. My closest friend. She had a very odd job in this world. But her life was thrilling. Running here and there, chasing after this person and that person - oh what a life.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHPE8SFuYC
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The man put his hand in his pocket and clasped his cane with the other. As he turned around, he handed me a letter and bowed, signalling the end of our time and went out of my clinic.
I sat on my chair and gazed out of the door the man had gone out through. There was utter confusion on my face. 475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7tpIJfAcf
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I unfolded the letter he had brought me. With sceptical eyes, I read:475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XaEzNi0Lf
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Dear Jim,475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwFZKdXhhK
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How are you? I am fine. Listen. Come and meet me on the 27th of this month. I have a very interesting thing for you to look forward to. It might knock you off the chair you are currently sitting in and also change your sceptical look to a look of awe.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYtpqUd7Ep
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Yours, Vera.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUPazyath9
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That was her. Vera Clay, a friend of mine. She was a detective. I had first met her when I had stumbled upon a murder case involving a relative of mine.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhLmpYWNJd
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I knew of her smart brain and so didn't care to think how she had accurately written in her letter that I would be sitting on my chair, with a sceptic look.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt56sRVU3fD
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The 27th arrived and I repaired myself to Vera's house in East London. It was a small flat, a rented one. I had lived in it with Vera for ten years before I had moved out to continue with my practice. The door was a little rusted and was unbolted.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiWPk4nKhS
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I walked inside.
The sight I saw did not surprise me.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0qGNIyTn1
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiawb45191W
Vera was leaning over her table, looking into her microscope, examining a sample.
I quietly walked over to her and placed my coat on the table beside her.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiic2haMT3c
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmp3cpZchFE
It was then that she took notice of me and, without looking up, greeted, " Hallo Jim."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPD4HRvswx
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I went straight to the point.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAuATJsrxW
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" Vera, you didn't write that letter, did you?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifdnrUpxWO
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She dived even deeper in her microscope and just replied impassively, "Hmm...what? Oh the letter. No i didn't. I just dictated it to young Dave living across the street. I fancy he might've added some of his own bits, considering i had just dictated him one line."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XnHli7wDp
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I laughed and sat on a chair.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7RcLgtnoF
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"Was it so obvious though?", Vera asked after a while.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjoo85cHRE
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I smiled and replied, " Of course. I've known you for ten years. I know your style."
None of us spoke for a few minutes after that. It was typical of her. She only spoke if the other person did. She was not the type to start a conversation.
The silence was unnerving me. She was so engaged in her scientific work that I thought she had forgotten that she had called me here.
Frustrated, I asked, anything to get her to talk, " How did you know that i would be "sitting on my chair with a sceptic look"?"
She replied in a bored voice, " It was so obvious. I have know you for ten years as you say so yourself. Even young Dave got it."
The silence continued.
She perched herself back and slammed her fist on the table. The action was enough to surprise me, but not much - I was used to it.
Vera yelled, " Awful! Amazingly, brilliantly, boringly awful!"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6EnQ23Sux
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I advanced to calm her, but stopped as I realised it wasn't necessary.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxrXb2GaTe9
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Instead, I asked," What's the experiment?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtSSfvcnkx
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She looked at me for the first time and replied, " Oh Jim. You're still here. I thought you were off. The experiment? Nothing. Just the old sheriff who commissioned me to match fingerprints for a robbery case."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04WYSQM4ul
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"And?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6AIEJa3GF
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" They turned out to be the fingerprints of the Sheriff himself."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEvjsbceTK
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"Isn't that good? You got your man."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoCi0zytM3
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"No. He can't have robbed."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXGNEiNkXo
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"Why?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNpHksTXEp
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She frowned and replied, Oh why can't you just think Jim? He can't have robbed. That's because identifying fingerprints is something which is fairly simple. Surely a man as intelligent as the Sherrif won't turn himself in. Also, he was wearing boots on the day of the robbery."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TTKg3ujwE
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I frowned and replied satirically," Well that makes perfect sense."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGeGGpoZRY
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"Doesn't it?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxWcSVwOOp
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I have to say, sarcasm is wasted on Vera. All she wants is talk of business. Nothing else.
So I asked, " Who was that man you sent the letter with?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxtSmLIJnd
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"Oh just an old friend of mine. He is a detective too. Might be the greatest detective of today's times."
" He looks rather ridiculous to me."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJXJ5bFba4
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"Few people take him seriously."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs926SLxoHL
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She went off into the kitchen, and I followed her.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4wv1iwVK2
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"Weren't you going to show me something interesting?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIA9Brm3mx
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She turned to me and smiled, excited.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8OL4aTwCm
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She said, " Glad you mentioned it."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWpSVC7MqJ
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"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sDtLx5GH0
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She frowned and said, " You didn't ask."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBshwTmkNM
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Call me imprudent if you like, I thought.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbRA6eAVTD
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"On my table in the hall, there's a package. Bring it."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7htnf34j0
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I did so. 475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hSnl29RhK
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I handed it over to her, expecting a reaction, but all I got was nothing. Her eyes were uninteresting and bored, as if it was obvious what she was going to say next. Knowing her, she wouldn't say it in such a case.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjm7CasC48
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Then I looked more closely at the package and notice a red tulip and gasped.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uMozn6xNN
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"Why, it's the....the....Royal Mark!"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvw8GmK7O37
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My voice shook as I fluttered like a fish out of water.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbzpLr9ogb
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Vera smiled.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMe7yqIQZH
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"It arrived today, and I have a feeling I know what's in it."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtJflWJ1u9
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At once, I opened the letter and found in my hand an inexplicable blank note, much to my amusement.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXxaEeSms3
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I laughed as I remarked," Well Vera. What do you make of this?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9uFiVYqKe
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I half - expected her to frown and not chuckle as she did.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxsKDt49aM
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" Blank note isn't it? How boring."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4jNpkruEo
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"What is it about?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYyCe6ykJ31
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"You shall know - now."
Right at that moment, a man appeared at the door.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLV4OyUtbWF
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"You knew he would come?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYZ5ojCTtt
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Vera looked away to her work and said," Indeed. I see that you didn't notice the walking stick our visitor has left in the corner of the room. Indeed, our man has come back."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJkCAlVdcI
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I went and opened the door.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSbCgwEsuy
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"Good morning sir," said the man, scratching his faint beard," You must be Vera Clay, the detective..."
I corrected my identity and assured him that he had indeed come to the right place.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx85d2oTfuS
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When he met Vera, his face shined with surprise. It was not unusual. People hardly believed that she was the detective and I was not, owing to the fact that she was a woman, a fact that I found mildly absurd.
Nevertheless, our man sat down.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZimD9yOyJ
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"Madamoiselle, I have come to you on strict orders from the Royal Family. My name is Sanders Roy. That's Colonel Roy to you two."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoR7Gjlla6M
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We nodded.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2xqqblX3l
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Vera said:475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzq8zjUuIhZ
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" I believe, Monsieur, that you came by here a bit earlier today, say, a little after seven in the morning?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdP4HLhLMdz
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The Colonel said, " Yes I did. I saw M. Shepperd coming here, so I assumed you had returned."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmuU74d52H
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" And is it safe to assume that you broke the plate over there?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEL0yRW8Pdb
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She pointed to a broken plate kept neatly on one of the chairs.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sjG7m1jPo
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Colonel nodded," My apologies."
Vera smirked and said, " Don't be sorry. As it is, I am going to take my money from you. I believe you still have your change of €2 from the coffee you just had in the coffee shop opposite this flat?"
Colonel gasped.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFa0qLpyOC
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"How did-"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxuL1qguEpl
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"You came here two hours ago and left your cane. I assumed it was purposely done so as to notify me of your visit. You belong to the Royal Family meaning you'd have a long way to go back. So I assumed that you were taking lodging nearby. Look at the time now. It's 9:30. Most people would pass their time drinking a beverage. So I thought you'd be having coffee at the shop opposite. You mentioned just now that you saw my friend Jim coming here, confirming my assumption that you were at a place nearby. The cost of the coffee is €5 and I thought that you wouldn't take much money out with you, to not attract much attention. The €2 was just a wild guess."
For a moment there was silence. I, who knew of Vera's methods gave no reaction but just looked at the Colonel. He was speechless. His mouth was open as he looked at Vera as if she were an alien.
He cleared his throat and destroyed the silence.
"Well", he said with dignity," let us go back to our purpose of the conversation. I, as you know, am from the Royal Family and I have brought with myself a letter from them - which you have already received."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuY0eVFN1f
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Vera nodded.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxiHI9sriV
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"On behalf of Duke George, I would like to invite you, Madamoiselle Vera Clay, to the Royal Ball. You may invite a companion to come with you, and I assume it's going to be M. Shepperd here."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2XDkh3gQd
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"Yes."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswkbf5tPQU
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"Well then, the Ball is on Thursday. Today is Tuesday. You have two days to prepare."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycUesdEfCE
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Colonel Rose stood up.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GUGPn2xyj
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"I must be off now."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTimYI3jxB
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He looked at Vera strangely again, eyeing me in the process too. Off he went.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSB5eTkspce
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Vera, being herself, went into the kitchen without saying a word to me. I followed.
"Vera," I beckoned,"you aren't seriously going to the Ball, are you?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBNrF57ZOx
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She frowned.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmf1lwvKQH
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"Why, John? Of course I am."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EPvO1imQf
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"You do understand that there are going to be real people there. People you are going to have to talk to."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LSBWUjJd0
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMOq3PLAH9
"Don't be silly, John. I do know how to talk."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡliG5XxNyCd
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1o1uwAFu8d
"No. No you don't ", I said simply.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5qluYHnlH
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"Well then, I'd just hover in the background."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRXmp5LlLU
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"Vera," I said," why do you want to go to this party? You don't usually go to such things. Why a sudden interest?"
Vera sighed. She pulled out a chair and ordered," Sit."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGODxEYKUVC
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75IRa2Ku67
I did.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2a4cU4IdFm
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She began, " John, do you know the Royal Family?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hMF4ckxH7
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I shrugged.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFR7HpblCH
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqTvlQReV2
"Well I have read about them in some magazines and journals."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCetXhvSdqx
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GTlMIe3dF
"That is not enough."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDMz4bKjzM
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYO3pE4FTXs
"Tell me then."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmq4thc2g9g
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsPZ439NZg
" John, the Royal Family is large. There's the Duke, the twin sons - Micheal and Roger, the mother, the Aunt, the Colonel, the governess, the hunter, the writer, etc. "475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvcAN7P0vQ
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlC6tnCluSn
"That's some diversity."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡon7NFuXEPD
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEeiW0IvYA
"And what happens when all such high - class diverse people are brought together under one estate?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHZ45MJSO5
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS47btCy079
"Let me guess, scandals, controversies?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG12L9eax9p
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"Exactly. But more so. A violent clash of egos. Fights. Rivalries in everything - sports, poetry, music, women - you name it. Especially between the twins."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9z5OWuF6D
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSohshyEI5
I smirked.475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XD070NOdN
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpImABw4JD
"But you aren't interested in that, are you?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZS05cmRYS
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLU1T5DDVfp
"Of course not. No. I am interested about one particular thing. Only one. Something which may change the Family forever."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQ8mb7qDMs
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbt88cObHDB
"And that thing is...?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvkvNvcSYH
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HuHqXvxtL
"John, do you know the patient who delivered to you my letter today?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdsMiag0AF
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTonUvdWog
"The egg faced, old man with that glorious moustache? I don't know him, but I fancy he's a hairdresser."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9tQc0yQO5
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgWJ8RAoKV
"He's a world famous Belgian detective. Earlier this morning, I answered a summons from him and he told me about this matter."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZV236OAr5
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXEVLNAMfq
"What?"475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5uGMpvajT
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4e5XeEtII
"The Royal Family is a plethora of secrets and controversies. According to the great detective, whom you just met in your clinic, one such secret is the planned murder of one member of the Royal Family."475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHfmw1MWvi
475Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDRPlx08Vj
