Sherlock Holmes and the Missing Shakespeare Read Online Free Page A

a member of the Irish Peerage. Rather a delusional one, though. He is a descendant of Lord Fitzwilliam, one of the commanders of the army that was comprehensively thrashed by the O’Byrne clansmen at the battle of Glenmalure.”
    He glanced back and, undoubtedly, correctly read the puzzled expression on my face. In his pleasant voice, he launched into a verse of a song he must have picked up on one of his forays into the Irish expatriate community in London. Holmes had the uncanny ability to retain the lyrics and melody of any song he’d ever heard.
    “From Tach Saggart to Clonmore, there flows a stream of Saxon gore, and great is Rory Óg O’More at sending the loons to Hades. White is sick and Grey has fled, now for Black Fitzwilliam’s head, we’ll send it over dripping red to Liza and her ladies.”
    He looked round at me again and smiled. “That battle did not go well for the present Englishmen and collaborators. Yet in true form, honorable titles were issued to the deceased commanders and then passed on to their descendants. The Marquis of Tach Saggart took pride in where his ancestor earned the title and named his house after the place.”
    “It is a new house?” I asked, making a leap of logic.
    “Indeed, Watson. It was built ten years ago. The family was extremely impoverished and moved to the Ohio River Valley, as many of their countrymen solved their hunger and monetary problems by joining the Royal Navy or the armies on the Peninsula or in India. The current marquis is the second generation to have been born in the United States of America. That may explain his naivety about his heritage. The family procured some property there and got by. It was the current marquis, Gerald Fitzwilliam, who began working as a ranch hand in Texas after the war between the States and worked his way up the ranks. He became a foreman at a young age and his talent helped him secure a very favorable marriage. He made a small fortune from the cattle trade and invested most of that setting up further cattle ranches in Argentina. Subsequent investments also paid off and some ten years ago the marquis bought a house in Portobello, Dublin, took his place in the Irish Peerage and proceeded to build this house as well.”
    “A remarkable man then,” I stated, quite impressed.
    “Indeed, Watson, indeed.”
    “But why are we going to see the Marquis of Tach Saggart?”
    “Why Watson, we are not.”
    I blinked at that and must confess I was baffled by Holmes. This would not be the first, nor the last.
    “Then who are we calling on, Holmes?”
    “We are calling on Mr. John Miller of course.”

 
    Chapter Four:
    A Robbery
     
    When Holmes dropped the knocker on the oaken door of Clonmore House, it took several moments before anyone showed up to open it.
    I took my time observing the surroundings, as Holmes had shown me how to do many times. The pillars of the door frame were made of concrete painted white to resemble marble, the doorsteps were the same. I drew the conclusion the house had been built in a hurry and on a budget, though it certainly was not without significant value. The garden was well cared for and I noticed the grass had only recently been cut. I assumed Mr. John Miller had been hired as the new gardener by the Marquis and we were seeking permission to find him on the grounds.
    Yet, the moment the butler allowed us entrance into Clonmore House, Holmes demanded to see the master’s son, although my good friend did not wait for the butler to show us to his young master; instead, he brushed past the man and went straight up the stairs.
    The winding stairs that led us to the second floor of the impressive domicile were made from oak which seemed to have matured in the ten years since it had been installed. In alcoves along the steps were placed busts, which I took to be images of the ancestors of the family. On the third floor of the house lay a plush carpet and the walls were lined with portraits and paintings. They