by Amanda Quick
“How unfortunate that you are left with no client,” Joan said with a good deal of sympathy. “I understand that Mr. Hudson has postponed payment indefinitely due to a lack of funds, and Mr. Nightingale, of course, has canceled his arrangement with you.”
Lavinia looked up from her musings. “Oh, I have every hope of salvaging at least one of our clients. Mrs. Rushton, to be precise.”
Emeline frowned. “But she will pay you only if you return the relic and arrange a profitable sale.”
“I hope to take care of that little outstanding matter first thing in the morning,” Lavinia said.
They all looked at her.
Vale’s eyes glittered in the firelight. “Are you telling us that you know where Celeste Hudson hid the bracelet?”
“Yes,” Lavinia said. “As it happens, I was on my way to collect it this afternoon when Pelling got in my way.”
Thirty-one
DR. DARFIELD LOOKED UP FROM A JOURNAL OF accounts when Lavinia and Tobias were ushered into his office. He was not wearing his exotic blue robes, Lavinia noticed. Instead, he was attired in a manner more appropriate to a successful man of business: fashionably pleated trousers, a well-cut coat, and an intricately knotted cravat.
He studied his visitors for a long moment and then he closed the leather-bound volume and rose slowly to his feet. He gestured toward two chairs.
“You have come for the bracelet, I assume,” he said to Lavinia.
“Yes.” She sat down and arranged her skirts. “This is my partner, Mr. March. He has been involved in this affair from the start.”
She was not surprised when Tobias ignored the offer of a chair. He moved to his favorite location in any room that contained a person whom he did not know or trust. He stood with his back to the window, watching Darfield.
Darfield nodded, his expression somber, quietly resigned. “I have been expecting you since I heard about Pelling’s death.”
He crossed the room to a bookcase, removed several volumes from the middle shelf, and opened a small safe set into the paneled wall. He removed an object wrapped in black velvet and went back to his desk.
Without a word, he untied the cord that bound the small pouch and spread the folds flat on the desk. A large, intricately worked gold bracelet of curious design gleamed softly against the black velvet. A strange blue cameo was set into the center of the band.
Lavinia got to her feet and went to the desk, impelled by the sheer wonder of such an ancient object. The pierced work had been done with exquisite artistry. The repeating pattern of entwined snakes was so finely detailed that the bracelet appeared to have been fashioned of gold lace rather than cut and shaped from metal.
She picked it up carefully. It had looked so delicate and airy sitting on the velvet that she was somewhat surprised by the substantial weight of it in her hand. The gold was warm against her palm.
The cameo of Medusa was masterfully carved in the stone’s alternating shades of blue. The tiny snakes writhed in the Gorgon’s hair, her eyes stared with chilling intensity. The small, distinctive wand beneath the severed throat was precisely rendered. There was a sense of menacing power about the miniature sculpture that made her aware of icy fingers on her spine.
“Celeste arranged to encounter Mrs. Rushton while she was out shopping one afternoon.” Lavinia did not raise her eyes from the bracelet. “She put her into a mesmeric trance.”
“Mrs. Rushton is quite susceptible to mesmerism,” Darfield said. “An excellent client.”
“While she held Mrs. Rushton in the trance, Celeste instructed her to make an appointment with you for therapeutic treatments. She also ordered her to take the bracelet from Banks’s safe and bring it to you.”
“Which is precisely what Mrs. Rushton did.” Darfield watched Lavinia handle the bracelet. “Afterward she recalled nothing about the incident, of course. Celeste was actually quite skilled at mesmerism, although she was careful to conceal the full extent of her abilities from Hudson. She trusted no man. She always said that a woman did well to keep as many secrets as possible. She did not want Hudson to worry that she might be a threat to his business.”
Tobias folded his arms. “I presume you taught her the art of mesmerism?”
“Yes. I studied with a practitioner who took instruction from Dr. Mesmer himself.”
Tobias cocked a brow. “Why did Celeste join with Hudson? Why not work with you?”
Darfield sat down on the edge of his desk. He was quiet for a moment, obviously sorting through his thoughts.
“Celeste was born on the wrong side of the blanket, the illegitimate daughter of a shop girl and the wastrel son of a member of the country gentry,” he said eventually. “Her father never acknowledged her. He was already married to a neighbor’s daughter, whose family’s land adjoined his. Unfortunately, he had no aptitude for farming. He managed to drive himself into bankruptcy.”
Lavinia closed her fingers very gently around the bracelet. “Celeste fought her way up in the world, didn’t she?”
“Yes. Her sole ambition was to acquire sufficient money to allow her to bury her past and take up a position in Society. To that end, she used any man she thought capable of assisting her toward her goal.”
“Last year she met Hudson in Bath,” Tobias said.
Darfield glanced at him and then looked away. “Celeste was a very clever woman. She formed a connection with Hudson after she grew suspicious of certain jewelry thefts that had occurred among some of his wealthier clients. Her own training in mesmerism and some careful observation allowed her to conclude that he was likely the thief.”
“Oh, I really don’t think that Howard had anything to do—”
“Bloody hell,” Tobias interrupted forcefully. “She seduced Hudson because she wanted him to teach her to become an accomplished jewel thief.”
Darfield smiled wryly. “She also wanted access to his wealthy clients. As I said, she was a decent mesmerist, but she lacked the social connections required to attract a truly exclusive clientele.” He moved a hand, palm up. “I could not offer her access to clients in wealthy circles. My own business is flourishing nicely, but I do not cater to the High Flyers. The right references make all the difference, you see.”
Tobias caught Lavinia’s eye. “So I’ve been told.”
“Even if I had been able to offer a more refined list of clients, I would not have been inclined to become a thief. I never had Celeste’s raw nerve, you see. Stealing valuable jewelry is an excellent way to wind up on the gallows, in my opinion.”
“It is certainly a risky profession,” Tobias agreed.
“One day Pelling walked into Hudson’s office and offered him a commission to steal the Blue Medusa.” Darfield paused. “I expect that you know the rest.”
“Pelling was mistaken in believing that Dr. Hudson was a professional thief,” Lavinia said quickly. “But Howard was researching mesmerism, and he no doubt became obsessed with the notion of obtaining the Medusa for his experiments. He turned down Pelling’s offer, but he decided to try to acquire the stone himself. Celeste, however, was ready to move on and needed a financial stake. She decided to take things into her own hands and made her own bargain with Pelling.”
Darfield inclined his head. “That was Celeste. Always willing to take a gamble.” He paused. “Do you know, in the beginning, when I first learned that she had been murdered, I was certain that it was Hudson who had killed her. I was hatching my own notions of revenge, imagining various ways to kill Hudson without getting caught, when you two undertook your investigation. My first inclination was to try to frighten you off.”
“You sent the coachman with the note to scare Anthony and Emeline,” Lavinia said.
“Yes. But that same day you came to my rooms pretending to seek a treatment. I pretended not to know who you were. I decided to see what came of your inquiries.”
“Thank heavens you did decide to wait,” Lavinia said fervently. “You might have murdered the wrong man and risk
ed the noose for nothing.”
“You and Mr. March saved me that fate and exacted justice for Celeste.” Darfield met her eyes. “For that I will always be in your debt. If there is ever anything I can do to repay you, Mrs. Lake, I hope you will come to me. I can offer free therapeutic treatments—”
“No, no, that is quite all right, sir,” she said hastily. “The return of the Medusa is sufficient compensation, I assure you.”
She was uncomfortably aware of another unpleasant trickle of cold energy along her spine. Imagination, she thought. Or maybe my nerves. She reminded herself that she had been under something of a strain lately.
Nevertheless, she quickly put the bracelet back down on the velvet. To her enormous relief, the uneasy sensation vanished.
“There is one thing I do not comprehend,” she said, rewrapping the relic.
“What is that?” he asked.
“You said yourself that Celeste did not trust men. Yet she obviously entrusted this bracelet to you for safekeeping.” She picked up the velvet pouch. “What made you different in her eyes from other men?”
“Oh, yes, I forgot that part, didn’t I?” Darfield’s smile was sad, almost wistful. “You will recall that I mentioned that her father was married to the daughter of a neighbor landholder. The pair had a son, who was obliged to go into trade for financial reasons.”
“I understand now,” Lavinia said gently. “She was your sister.”
Thirty-two
TOBIAS STRODE INTO LAVINIA’S STUDY THREE days later, looking exceedingly pleased. “The bargain has been struck and we have been paid our fee.”
Lavinia put down her pen. “Bargain?”
“Mrs. Rushton arranged to sell the Blue Medusa to an anonymous collector through the auspices of Mr. Nightingale.”
“She certainly did not delay that business long, did she? Banks expired only yesterday.”
“Mrs. Rushton is a businesswoman.” He settled into one of the chairs in front of the fire and smiled. “In any event, she received her money this morning, and she was so delighted with the transaction that she paid us immediately.”
“That is excellent news. I had no notion the sale would take place so quickly.” She chuckled. “I think I can wager a guess as to the identity of the anonymous collector.”
“Go ahead, try your hand at it.”
“Lord Vale bought it, I assume.”
He smiled. “You assume wrong. Joan Dove is the name of the mysterious collector.”
Lavinia stared at him, astonished. “I was aware that she inherited her husband’s collection, but I did not know that she herself had a personal interest in antiquities.”
“I suspect it is a rather new hobby,” Tobias said dryly.
She recalled the blue gown Joan had chosen to wear the night of her ball. And the mystery of her connection to the Blue Chamber.
“Joan is rather fond of blue,” she said very carefully. “You don’t suppose she wants to use the Medusa as some sort of personal emblem or seal, do you?”
“I prefer not to speculate on the notion of a possible new master of a criminal organization or on her choice of an appropriate seal.”
“Does Lord Vale know that he is not going to obtain the bracelet?”
“I think it is safe to assume that Vale knows precisely what happened to the Medusa.”
The door opened before Lavinia could ask any more questions. Mrs. Chilton appeared. She wore a disapproving expression.
“Dr. Hudson to see you, Mrs. Lake.”
“Bloody hell,” Tobias muttered. “Tell him Mrs. Lake is not receiving callers, Mrs. Chilton.”
Lavinia frowned at him. “Really, sir, I will thank you not to give the instructions around here.”
Howard walked into the study at that moment, his attention focused entirely on Lavinia. If he noticed Tobias rising slowly from the chair, he did not give any indication.
Lavinia jumped up quickly, grateful for the interruption. “Good afternoon, Howard. I collect that you are quite recovered from your ordeal?”
“Thanks to you, my dear Lavinia.” He crossed the room to kiss both her hands.
“And thanks to Mr. March as well,” she reminded him quickly.
She tried to retrieve her hands. Howard did not seem to notice the small effort. He clung to her fingers.
“Yes, of course,” Howard said. He flicked a glance in Tobias’s direction and then gave him his shoulder in a well-executed direct cut. “I have come to say good-bye for a while, my dear.”
She tugged a little on her captive hands, aware that Howard’s eyes had taken on a fathomless quality. He did not release her. She had a small moment of social panic, aware now that the only way to get free would be an ignominious struggle. She kept smiling, hoping that Tobias did not notice what was happening. The last thing she wanted was a quarrel between these two men here in her study.
“You are leaving Town?” she asked very brightly.
“Yes.” Howard looked deep into her eyes. “I need time to recover from the loss of my dear Celeste. Time to come to terms with the extent of her betrayal. The knowledge that she was a professional thief is absolutely staggering. Indeed, I am undone by the news. It is best that I go off to the country to rusticate for a time.”
“I agree, Hudson.” Tobias crossed the room and gripped Howard’s shoulder in a man-to-man fashion. “Leaving Town is an excellent notion. Give the gossip a chance to fade, eh?”
He squeezed Howard’s shoulder in what appeared to be a friendly gesture. But Lavinia saw the flash of pain and astonishment in Howard’s eyes. He released her hands abruptly. The interesting, bottom-of-the-sea quality disappeared immediately from his gaze.
“Indeed,” Howard said through gritted teeth. The sonorous ring was gone from his voice. He gave Tobias a withering look. “Although my dear Celeste was the jewel thief, I fear that there are some unfortunate rumors circulating to the effect that I was involved in her schemes.”
“Yes, I know. I heard some of those rumors myself, just this morning in my club.” Tobias released his victim. “No one can prove anything, of course.”
“Of course they cannot prove anything,” Howard said heatedly. “Because there is nothing to be proven. I was entirely unaware of Celeste’s criminal activities.”
“Nevertheless,” Tobias continued, “rumors of your proclivities in that direction will be damned hard to squelch, I’m afraid. Hard to attract an exclusive clientele while that sort of gossip is swirling through Society.”
His smile did not look at all sympathetic, Lavinia thought. There was, in point of fact, a distinctly wolfish quality to it. She turned quickly back to Howard.
“Where will you go?” she asked gently.
“I haven’t decided yet. Someplace where I can continue my researches and experiments.”
“I wish you the best of luck with your investigations into mesmerism,” she said.
“Thank you.” He went to the door, paused, turned, and gave her a long, lingering look. “But never fear, my dear, we shall meet again. We are, after all, old friends, are we not? I have always felt that there was a connection between us. It is a link that cannot be broken by the whims of fortune or”—he glanced coldly at Tobias—“the opinions of other people who may come and go in our lives.”
Tobias looked as if he was thinking very seriously about wrapping his hands around Howard’s throat. Lavinia moved swiftly to get between the two men.
“Good-bye, Howard.” She did not offer him her hand. “I wish you well.”
“Farewell for now, my dear.”
He smiled at her one last time and went out the door.
There was a short silence in the wake of his departure. Neither Lavinia nor Tobias spoke as Mrs. Chilton ushered Howard out the front door.
When he was gone from the house, Lavinia looked at Tobias.
“Those rumors concerning Howard that you mentioned were circulating in the clubs,” she said without inflection. “The ones implying that he mig
ht have used his skills as a mesmerist to steal valuables from his clients.”
Tobias gave her a look of polite inquiry. “What of them?”
“You wouldn’t happen to know who started them, would you?”
He contrived to appear hurt by the thinly veiled accusation. “My sweet, are you accusing me of indulging in the lowest sort of gossip and innuendo?”
“Yes, that is precisely what I am accusing you of doing.” She fixed him with a steely glare. “Well, sir? Did you deliberately impugn Howard’s character to such an extent that he is obliged to leave Town?”
“I am crushed by your poor opinion of me.” He came forward, closed his hands around her shoulders, and kissed her brow lightly. “I assure you that I never engage in false gossip and innuendo.”
“But if you thought the gossip and innuendo were not false—”
“Then I would not be engaging in gossip and innuendo.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I would be dealing in the truth.”
“Tobias, I want to know who started those rumors in the clubs.”
“I thought I had made it quite clear, my sweet, I am not the sort of man who indulges in unfounded scandal broth.”
She wanted to question him further, but he chose that moment to kiss her.
One of these days, she thought, her mouth softening under his, she really would have to make it clear to him that he could not expect to win every argument with this approach.
JOAN STOOD IN FRONT OF THE TALL LIBRARY window and held the ancient bracelet to the light. Her new antiquity was quite extraordinary, she thought. The pattern that had been pierced into the gold was astonishing in its detail. Medusa’s staring eyes were so brilliantly worked in the multilayered blue gem that one could almost believe that they had the power to turn men to stone.
The butler appeared in the doorway. “Lord Vale has arrived, madam.”