Amanda Quick - With This Ring

by With This Ring (lit)

  "I see."

  "Unfortunately, you chose to fall for the eccentric attractions of the Mad Monk instead. Did it ever occur to you that he was only using you to get the Rings?"

  Sibson bounced and sputtered. "Where are the Rings? Make him give us the Rings, Saltmarsh."

  "In good time." The young man eyed Leo thoughtfully. "First, take off your greatcoat, Monkcrest. You look quite dashing in it, but it would be just like you to have stuck a pistol in one of those large pockets."

  "As you wish." Leo shrugged out of the heavy coat. He set it down on a nearby display case.

  "I must also ask that you remove your cloak as well, Mrs. Poole." He raised his eyes when she took off the garment. "Trousers. How very intriguing. And oddly appealing on a lady."

  Beatrice did not like the look in his eyes. Without a word she put the cloak aside. The tiny pistol inside one pocket made a soft, distinct clunk against the wooden case.

  "Check the pockets, Sibson."

  "Yes, of course. The Rings may be in one of them." Sibson set down his lantern, seized Leo's coat, and clawed at the pockets.

  "Bloody hell. There is nothing in here but a pistol." "Take the pistol out and put it well beyond Monkcrest's reach." Saltmarsh employed the tone one used with a not very bright child. "And then check Mrs. Poole's cloak pockets."

  Leo watched Sibson retrieve the pistol from the pocket of his greatcoat. "How long have you been in partnership with Saltmarsh, Sibson?"

  "He came to me when the rumors first began to circulate." Sibson clutched Leo's gun in both hands. "I had heard the same talk, of course. For a while it was all that the serious collectors discussed. But no one knew where to look. Saltmarsh and I agreed to work together to locate the Rings and the statue."

  "You traced the Rings to Ashwater's shop," Leo said. "He always did have the most excellent connections," Sibson complained. "Ashwater's family had money years ago. He took the Grand Tour when he was a young man. That's how he acquired his sources. Not fair. Not fair in the least."

  "Unfortunately, by the time we got to him, Ashwater had already sold the Rings and wisely left Town." Saltmarsh came to a halt at the bottom of the stairs. "It took weeks to determine that Lord Glassonby had purchased the damned relics."

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  Beatrice could barely contain her fury. "You murdered Uncle Reggie for the Rings."

  "Your uncle died of a slight miscalculation," Saltmarsh said negligently.

  "A miscalculation?" Beatrice could not believe her ears. She was so angry, her hands shook.

  "Wasn't supposed to die." Sibson's whiskers twitched in outrage. "It was a disaster for us. A disaster."

  "How dare you speak of murder as if it were an inconvenience and a miscalculation," Beatrice whispered.

  Leo cast her a warning glance. "Beatrice."

  She ignored him. "Dr. Cox was in on this from the start, I assume?"

  "Cox was, indeed, a member of our little group," Saltmarsh admitted. "Once I explained the possibilities, he was as eager to get his hands on the secret of the Forbidden Rings as the rest of us."

  "He was useful because of his extensive knowledge of herbs and because Glassonby went to him for the elixir," Sibson said. "Cox was in the perfect position to give Glassonby the potion."

  "Which one of you murdered Cox?" Leo asked coolly"He did." Sibson shot Saltmarsh a nervous look. "I told him it was a stupid thing to do. Too many deaths in this thing already. Another one was bound to draw attention. Especially yours, Monkcrest. Didn't want you blundering any deeper into it."

  Saltmarsh's mouth tightened. "I was forced to get rid of Cox because he became greedy."

  "Greedy? That is an outrageous accusation, coming from you," Beatrice snapped.

  "Saltmarsh said that Cox had lost faith in our plans." Sibson's ferrety eyes darted back to Graham. "He said Cox feared that we would never find the Rings and that he wanted to gain something from the venture, so he attempted to blackmail us."

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  "Is that what Saltmarsh said?" Icy amusement curved Leo's mouth. "I doubt that it happened quite that way, Sibson."

  "What do you mean?" Sibson demanded.

  1 think Saltmarsh simply concluded that he no longer needed Cox after he used him to try to poison Clarinda." "Clarinda?" Sibson looked bewildered. "The little harlot

  across the street? What's she got to do with this?"

  "She was spying on us." Saltmarsh frowned in annoyance. "I realized that after you told me that you had seen Monkcrest give her some money. Didn't it strike you as odd that she was suddenly able to afford a tavern?"

  "What about Cox?" Sibson demanded.

  Leo shrugged. "Saltmarsh decided he didn't need him anymore, so he got rid of him. Why split the treasure three ways?"

  Sibson's eyes seemed to start out of his head. Still clutching Leo's pistol, he swung around to face Saltmarsh. "Is that what happened? Did you kill Cox because you did not want to share the treasure with him?"

  "What does it matter?" Saltmarsh asked. "He is gone. You and I will split the treasure two ways."

  "Surely you do not believe that he intends to share whatever he finds inside the statue with you, Sibson," Leo said very softly. "Why should he do that?"

  "Be quiet, Monkcrest." Saltmarsh raised the pistol an inch higher and pointed it at Beatrice. "Or I shall hav6 to kill the lovely Mrs. Poole.'

  "That would be stupid," Leo said. "She is the only one who knows where the Rings are."

  Beatrice managed to conceal her surprise at that startling announcement. It took her only a second to comprehend that Leo was attempting to protect her by making her appear to be indispensable. The ruse would not work for long, she thought.

  "Where are they?" Sibson was almost hopping up and

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  down now. He looked at Graham. "Make her tell us where theRings are."

  "All in good time."

  "You don't want him to rush, Sibson,' Leo said. "After all, the sooner he gets his hands on the Rings, the sooner he will kill you."

  "I'm warning you, Monkcrest." Saltmarsh cocked the pistol.

  Beatrice realized that Leo was deliberately fanning the embers of distrust between Sibson and Saltmarsh. She looked at Saltmarsh. "It is quite obvious that you intend to murder us all before this is over, Mr. Sibson included."

  Sibson gave another violent start. "Here now. What do you mean, obvious?"

  "I told you, he wants the treasure for himself," Leo said. "You cannot mean to kill me, Saltmarsh." The pistol trembled in Sibson's hand. "See here, we had an agreement."

  "Put the pistol down." Saltmarsh appeared to have become aware of the threat from Sibson's unstable nerves. "Of course we're partners. We will share the treasure between us, as agreed."

  "Cox was also one of your partners," Leo reminded Sibson softly.

  "You said he tried to blackmail us, Saltmarsh." Sibson's whiskers vibrated. "Was that the truth?"

  "Yes. Now put the bloody gun down," Saltmarsh snarled.

  "If you set that pistol aside, be prepared to die," Leo murmured.

  "Damn you, Monkcrest, I have had enough of your interference. " Saltmarsh swung the pistol back toward Leo. "If Mrs. Poole is the one who knows where the Rings are, then I have no more use for you."

  Beatrice saw Saltmarsh's finger tighten on the trigger. She realized Leo was preparing to hurl himself to the side. She feared that he would never make it. Desperate for a

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  diversion, she did something that she never permitted her heroines to do. She screamed.

  "Noooo.' Her feminine shriek of fright and rage reverberated in the room. It echoed against the stone walls. It seemed to Beatrice that it actually picked up energy from the eerie atmosphere that permeated the chamber. Saltmarsh flinched. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Leo wince.

  The effect on the already-jittery Sibson was electrifying. His mouth opened and closed. He jerked once, twice. His hands tigh
tened convulsively around Leo's pistol. It roared.

  The ball crashed into a nearby cabinet, shattbring the glass panes.

  Saltmarsh's face contorted with fury. "You bloody, stupid, useless little man." He turned toward Sibson and fired. Sibson's scream took up where Beatrice's left off. It did

  not last long. He clutched at his chest, where blood spouted in a ghastly red plume. He crumpled toward the cold stones, an expression of horrified disbelief on his face.

  Leo launched himself at Saltmarsh before Sibson struck the floor. Beatrice saw Saltmarsh toss the empty pistol aside and reach for the one in his trousers. He was off-balance and clearly rattled by the realization that the situation had escalated beyond his control. He managed to free the second pistol, but he could not get it cocked in time.

  Leo smashed into him. The momentum carried both of them to the floor.

  Beatrice heard the sickening sound of fists thudding against flesh. Hoarse grunts and dull, heavy blows echoed into the chamber.

  The men rolled wildly across the stone floor, crashing into cabinets and fetching up against table legs. It was impossible to tell which onewas winning the vicious fight.

  Beatrice cast about desperately for some object to use against Saltmarsh. Her gaze fell on a heavy vase decorated

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  with a funeral motif. She dashed to the cabinet in which it stood, seized the vessel in both hands, and whirled around.

  Before she could sort out the combatants, she heard a dreadful thud. For a timeless instant, both men lay utterly still on the floor.

  "L e o. "

  He raised his head to look at her. She shivered when she saw the icy flames of violence that burned in his eyes.

  "Are you all right?" she whispered.

  "Yes.' He lurched free of Saltmarsh and levered himself up off the floor. He stood looking down at his opponent. Beatrice glanced at Graham. He lay on his stomach,

  motionless. His face was turned away from her. Blood matted his golden hair. The edges of his torn shirt drifted across his back, mute testimony to the violence.

  "After the last blow, he fell backward. I think he struck his head against that cabinet." Leo leaned down and touched Saltmarsh's throat. "He is dead."

  "They were all involved in Uncle Reggie's murder," Beatrice whispered. "All three of them."

  "So it would seem. But there is still something about this affair that does not feel right."

  "The Rings are still missing, if that is what you mean." "I was not referring to the Rings."

  A low groan from Sibson interrupted him. "Leo, Mr. Sibson is still alive."

  Beatrice hurried to the fallen man. "He is not fully conscious." She knelt beside Sibson and went to work to fashion a bandage out of his shirt. "The bleeding is not too bad."

  Leo looked back at Graham's prone body as if seeking answers from the dead. He sucked in his breath. "Hell's teeth."

  "What is it?"

  "Look at his back." Leo crouched beside the dead man. Beatrice shuddered, but she made herself look at the

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  skin that was visible through the torn linen shirt. She saw a long welt etched into the flesh just above his hip. "I don't understand."

  Leo jerked a larger piece of the ripped garment aside to expose another welt. "I believe that we are looking at the results of a rather vigorous application of the rod."

  For a second, Beatrice was at a loss. And then it all came together. "Dear God. The House of the Rod."

  "Come." Leo rose quickly and stepped across Graham's body. "We must get out of here immediately."

  "What about Mr. Sibson? We cannot leave him here." Leo eyed the unconscious man. "He is small Idnd light. Do you think you can manage his feet while Itake his shoulders? We may be able to get him up the stairs."

  "Yes." Beatrice leaned down to grasp Sibson's thin ankles. "He is a nasty little man, but he does not appear to have been directly involved with the murders."

  "Too nervous for that sort of thing." Leo bent down to get a grip on Sibson's narrow shoulders.

  A dark shadow moved at the top of the stone staircase. "Good evening." Madame Virtue, elegant in a black gown, a matching black pelisse, and a rakish black-veiled hat, descended the steps with a pistol in her hand. "I trust that you two have tidied up most of the loose ends for me. Now we can proceed to the business at hand."

  Oapler 20

  'Tis a bold scheme constructed in the shadows

  and carried out in darkness....

  FRom CHAPTER TwENTY oF The Ruin BY MRs. AmmA YORK

  eo watched Madame Virtue come to a halt at the foot of the steps. The pistol in her hand was rock steady. "You were behind it from the start," he said.

  "Of course." Madame Virtue raised her veil with a black-gloved hand. She kept the pistol trained on him, but her attention was clearly focused on Beatrice. "In the course of my career I have learned many useful secrets from my clients, but the affair of the Forbidden Rings was by far the most intriguing."

  "Who told you about the Rings?" Beatrice asked. "'Your uncle first mentioned the rumors that were circulating one evening after he had indulged in a bit too much claret." Madame Virtue shrugged. "It is odd how frequently

  my clients wish to brag about their business affairs. It is as if they seek to impress me."

  "What did Uncle Reggie tell you?"

  Madame Virtue raised one shoulder in a graceful shrug. "He believed he knew where to find the Rings. And he also thought that he knew the whereabouts of the alchemist's statue."

  "He had traced it to Trull's Museum."

  "Yes." Madame Virtue glanced at the figure of Aphrodite. "He learned that it was in a shipment of artifacts that survived a fire in the home of a man named Morgan Judd. Judd himself died in the blaze. Several items from his collection were purchased by Trull. But Glassonby said that Trull did not know the significance of the statue."

  Leo glanced at the figure. "Assuming that is the right Aphrodite, it has no value at all without the Rings. And they seem to have disappeared."

  "Indeed." Madame Virtue flicked an impatient glance af him. "After Glassonby told me his tale, I had Mr. Saltmarsh, another one of my clients, an extremely devoted one as it happens, make some discreet inquiries."

  "Saltmarsh went to Sibson to verify the rumors and Glassonby's story," Leo said.

  "Yes. But the fool was always one step behind Glassonby. Glassonby got to the Rings before we did."

  "So you brought in Dr. Cox and his poisons," Beatrice said.

  Madame Virtue smiled. "Indeed."

  Leo leaned back against the cabinet on which he had earlier placed the lantern. He planted his hands on either side of his thighs. "Neither Sibson nor Cox knew that you were the one in charge of the scheme, did they?"

  "Of course not. As far as they were concerned, they took their orders from Saltmarsh. Cox and Sibson were both fools. Neither of them would have believed that a mere

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  woman, a brothel keeper at that, could find a great treasure that had eluded generations of collectors."

  "What went wrong the night Glassonby died?" Leo asked.

  "In the course of our regular appointment, he confided that he had that very day concluded a bargain to purchase the Rings. He said it had cost him virtually his entire fortune but that he now possessed them. He also said that he intended to make an offer to Trull to purchase the Aphrodite."

  Beatrice's mouth thinned with rage. "You assumed that since you knew the whereabouts of the statue, the only thing you required from Uncle Reggie was the location of the Rings."

  "I added some powder that Cox had prepared to your uncle's usual dose of the elixir. But he drank too much of it too soon. It was too strong for his heart. It was supposed to put him into a trance long enough for me to question him. But he collapsed just as I began to ask him about the Rings."

  "He died before he could tell you where they were," Leo said softly.

&
nbsp; Madame Virtue looked at him, eyes slitted with disgust. "He just kept shouting something about being ruined. The drug obviously affected his mind before it stopped his heart. He died with the word ruin on his lips. It was very vexing." Leo saw Beatrice stiffen, but she said nothing.

  "At least you knew where the Aphrodite was," he said. "You got rid of Trull and acquired the entire museum in order to get your hands on it."

  Beatrice frowned. "You are the new owner of Trull's Museum?"

  "It makes a change from brothel keeping," Madame Virtue said. "Graham made the arrangement for Trull's accident." Madame Virtue glanced regretfully at Saltmarsh's body. "Graham was so very useful. I also sent him to search Glassonby's town house. He found his lordship's personal

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  journal, but it told us nothing that we did not already know. I was extremely frustrated, as I'm sure you can imagine."

  "The only thing left to do was to have Saltmarsh keep watch on Mrs. Poole, Glassonby's nearest relative in Town, in case the Rings turned up in her possession," Leo said.

  "She was my only hope," Madame Virtue admitted. "The rumors of the Rings had completely dried up on the antiquities scene. All of the serious collectors had concluded that the whole thing had been a hoax."

  "In the process of keeping an eye on her, Saltmarsh stumbled onto the information that Mrs. Poole was the famous authoress Mrs. York," Leo said.

  "Indeed." "And when I brought Monkcrest into the affair," Beatrice added quietly, "you realized that I had begun to search for the Rings myself."

  "It was a stroke of genius to seek out Monkcrest's assistance." Madame Virtue gave her an approving smile. "It was also extremely risky. After all, there was only one reason the Mad Monk would get involved in such a search. He obviously wanted to obtain the Rings and the statue for himself."

  "Why the attempt to kidnap me early on?' Leo asked. "Cox arranged that on his own. The stupid fool was the most unpredictable one of the three. He believed you had valuable information. He thought he could drug you and persuade you to talk. I was furious when I learned what had happened."