Alice also nodded. “I, too, wish to thank you both. You have certainly shown yourself worthy of my trust, Mr. Holmes. And you have saved my life. If it were not for you…” Her smile was bittersweet.
“I am happy to have been able to remove the threat hanging over you.”
Her smile dwindled. “That is the problem, Mr. Holmes. That is why we have come to see you. The threat is not truly gone.”
Holmes gave her a puzzled look. “Your husband will not trouble you again. I think I can promise you that. I have little doubt that he will be convicted and…” He did not say “hanged” aloud, but the word still hovered unspoken in the air.
“It is not my husband that worries me.”
“What, then?” I asked.
Holmes raised his hand again. “The Moonstone.”
She nodded. “Exactly.”
“I gave you the combination. Is the diamond still in the safe, or have you put it in a bank vault?”
Her eyes shifted to Cowen, and he reached into his jacket pocket and removed what had become a familiar sight: a square case of black velvet. Holmes gave his head a quick shake. “I suggest you take it to the bank immediately and leave it there.”
“We had another course of action in mind. First of all, however, let me bring you up to date on certain matters.” He turned briefly toward Alice. “Alice has had her solicitor initiate divorce proceedings against Charles Bromley. As you may know, in England a divorce can be difficult to obtain, but in this case…” His mouth curved upward briefly, even as he stroked at his beard. “Attempted murder is certainly sufficient grounds. Also…”
He hesitated, lowering his eyes, then raising them again. “I have spoken with Alice and revealed to her something of my true feelings. She has given me hope that after things are more settled and sufficient time has elapsed—a year or two, perhaps—I might pursue a more permanent union with her.” Alice gave him a smile that was far more revealing than Cowen’s elevated language. “At this point, I remain both her doctor and a trusted friend, but in the future if things should work out as I wish, I shall want to relinquish the former role. I do not approve of doctors trying to care for those persons dearest to them. Who knows?” He rolled his eyes briefly upward. “I might even be willing to entrust her to a woman doctor.”
I shook my head, smiling. “Amazing!”
“But just now, the Moonstone still casts a dark shadow over our lives—especially over hers. I do not exactly believe in the supernatural, but an object can still be cursed.” He turned to Alice. “Tell them.”
“The Moonstone has blighted my life, Mr. Holmes. It killed my mother and my father. It destroyed my husband. And it almost killed me. Can you see the truth of what I say?”
Holmes’s gray eyes stared at her, even as he touched his chin with his fingertips. “Yes, I can. Your mother was of a sensitive nature like yourself. The Moonstone drove her to her death. It also fueled your father’s anger and mania. And your husband…”
Her expression was grave. “I cannot really blame myself, but if I had not been wearing the Moonstone on that first night so long ago… He was smitten by the diamond—captured—the instant he saw it. Oh, perhaps he once had some little love for me, at the beginning.” Her smiled was pained. “I hope so.” Holmes and I exchanged a look, and I knew we were both recalling Bromley saying that he had never loved Alice. “All the same, the diamond was what really attracted him, and his fascination finally destroyed him. He wanted to kill me so he could possess it absolutely. I understand now… Whenever I wore it, when he stared at me and smiled, it was never for me—it was always for the Moonstone.”
“Perhaps…” I began, but my voice faltered.
“It does not greatly pain me, Dr. Vernier. Not any longer. I think a part of me always knew that he did not really love me. And because of that, I, in turn, could never truly love him. He was always elusive, hollow, with something missing at the core of him. So you see, the Moonstone has brought nothing but death and pain into my life. Perhaps someday I may have children.” A slight flush appeared on her cheek. “I hope so! And if I do, could I leave them such a monstrous inheritance of death!” She shook her head savagely. “Impossible.”
“What do you want me to do?” Holmes asked.
Cowen replied. “We want you to take the Moonstone to Mr. Tyabji and have him return it to India. We have had another fake diamond made. It will go into a bank vault. Alice will never again wear that fake or even speak of the Moonstone. Her sister and her friends can assume the jewel is safely locked away forever. Someday—I hope in the far distant future—when it is passed on to her child or to her nephew, someone will probably discover that it is a fake, but by then it should not matter.”
Alice raised one hand in supplication. “You do understand, Mr. Holmes? You must.”
“I do. I am of the same mind as Dr. Cowen. I do not believe in the supernatural, but I believe in accursed objects, and surely near the top of a list of the ill-fated and jinxed, would be the Moonstone. After all you have endured, madam, you would be a fool to keep it near you for a moment longer. Its return to its original owners will probably be the first noble event in its long and bloody history.”
Alice smiled even as her eyes filled with tears. “Oh thank you, Mr. Holmes—thank you!”
Cowen was staring at me. “Do you understand, Henry?”
I nodded. “Yes, I do.”
Cowen stood up, walked over to Holmes and handed him the velvet case. “I leave this, then, in your care, Mr. Holmes.”
Holmes slipped the case into his inside jacket pocket. “Very well. I shall take it to my bank for safekeeping and speak soon with Mr. Tyabji. Might I also include Mr. Murthwaite in the conversation?”
Alice nodded. “Oh yes, Jack can absolutely be trusted.”
“Murthwaite is returning to India soon. He and Tyabji can take the Moonstone with them to Gujarat. I shall suggest they employ some trustworthy men to accompany them as guards. So long as no one knows what they are actually carrying, they should be safe enough.” He laughed softly. “So many ships pass through the Suez Canal, but the one carrying the most valuable cargo of all will be traveling incognito, so to speak.”
“I must get back to my practice,” Cowen said. “Thank you again for everything.”
Holmes, Alice and I stood up. Alice walked toward Holmes, a radiant smile on her face, her skin aglow. I had never seen her so happy. I think she might have actually kissed him on the cheek, but her big hat with the plumes was in the way. Her pale-blue eyes regarded him, and then her slender hand reached out to squeeze his forearm tightly. He started ever so slightly, then stared back, his smile faintly wary.
“Thank you, Mr. Holmes. Now I am free, totally free, for the first time in my life. The Moonstone is gone, truly gone, along with the curse that has plagued my family for nearly a century. I owe it—and my life—to you.” She opened her small handbag and withdrew a folded check. “This is for you.”
Holmes glanced at it, and his eyes widened. “Very generous, madam.”
“It is nothing. I wish I were really wealthy so I could give you what you truly deserve.” She turned, and I caught her hand in my own and pressed it tightly. Again, I was struck by how slender and fragile it seemed compared to Michelle’s. “I am happy for you,” I said. “I am certain your life will be better now.”
“I hope so. It will never be easy—I was not made for an easy life. The doctor and I have talked, and I shall try to gradually reduce the laudanum. Someday I hope to be free of it, as well. But for now I am content just to have the diamond gone. That is enough. By the way, thank your wife for her visit last week. She was most kind. Tell her I am well enough for a long walk in the park.”
“So I shall.”
After a few parting words, they left us. I glanced at Holmes. “I think this may all work out in the end. Cowen has his rough edges, but he is a decent man, a compassionate one, even. He clearly loves her, he has known her for many years, and he will tre
at her well.”
Holmes shrugged. “Perhaps. Again, you know more about matters of the heart than I do.”
I shook my head. “I knew absolutely nothing of Bromley in the end.”
“That was different. Villains are my specialty, and Dr. Cowen is clearly not a villain. Nor does he have the wandering eye and the perverse inclinations of his predecessor. I do wish them well. In the meantime, would you like to accompany me for a stroll on this fine morning? We shall go wherever our legs will take us—but first they will take us in the most direct route to the bank, so this…” he patted his hand at his jacket near his heart, “…may be safely stowed in the vault. I shall not rest easy until then.”
I felt a slight shiver. “I’ll gladly come along, and I must admit, I shall be happy to see it locked up.”
He smiled at me, his gray eyes suddenly serious. “So will I, Henry. So will I.” He hesitated, then reached inside his jacket. “Let us, however, have one last look.” He opened the case and withdrew the diamond, holding it between thumb and forefinger. “Curious. You and I are largely immune to its charms. Oh, we find it beautiful enough, but neither of us would kill for it.”
“Certainly not.”
His fingers slowly turned the stone, letting light play over it, flashing off the facets. By morning it did have a yellow hue, rather than the blue we had seen at night. “To think it was once a crystalline lump buried in the earth. Some artisan of great skill labored with a chisel and hammer to carve it into this splendid object. And then its long tale of woe and grief began. The curse lies not within the stone, but within the hearts of men. Something in this beautiful thing brings out the worst, a frenzy of desire accompanied by a blood lust. Out of beauty and light comes darkness and brutality.” He shook his head. “It may soon be set in Chandra’s forehead, but of one thing we can be certain—it will not rest there forever. Someone will steal it again someday, and the whole cycle of bloodshed and retribution will begin again.”
I found that I had been unconsciously holding my breath, and I drew in some air. “Put it away. We have seen enough.”
He stared at me, his clear gray eyes and aquiline nose so prominent in that thin, pale face. His lips drew back. “You don’t think I should take it and have a fake made? Then I might keep it for myself.” I gave him a horrified look, and he laughed softly. “A joke, Henry, only a joke.” He placed the jewel back in the case, snapped shut the lid, and thrust it into his pocket. “Unlike Mr. Bromley, I can see that Mrs. Bromley is the true treasure, one which he foolishly cast aside.”
I gave a relieved sigh. “Yes. After all, the Moonstone cannot warm your bed at night.”
“No, indeed.” We went to the door. Holmes took his top hat and stick, hesitated only an instant, then raised his stick, brandishing it in the air as he proclaimed, “Once more unto the bank, dear friends!”
I gave him a strange look, and he laughed in earnest. “Forgive me, Henry—and forgive me, Shakespeare. The diamond seems to have a curious effect on me. I assure you I shall be quite recovered once it has been left in the vault.”
* * *
On a fine Saturday afternoon in October, Michelle sat in the big purple velvet chair stroking our cat Victoria and sipping her coffee. Victoria was a large mass of long black fur with white whiskers and a white splotch at her throat and on her forehead. Michelle’s white fingers stood out against the black fur, and I reflected, not for the first time, that her robust and sturdy hands and feet were quite beautiful. One would not think they could be the objects of amorous thoughts, but I truly loved and desired every inch of her. Her hands were so graceful, so expressive, even when doing simple things like holding a cup and stroking a cat.
She had seen some patients that morning, but she was finished by noon. Exchanging a conspiratorial look, we had given Harriet the afternoon off, which would allow us, provided we closed the windows first, to fall upon each other and express our passions as loudly as we pleased. I had prepared ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch, and afterwards we had gone to our sitting room to drink our coffee. In relief, she had let down her long red hair, shaking it about, and pulled off her “wretched boots,” as she called them, and her stockings.
She looked up from the cat at me. “A penny for your thoughts.”
“I was savoring the sight of you. And looking forward to the afternoon.”
She smiled. “I am also looking forward to the afternoon.”
“However, I have a chore I had best get over and done with. I have something for you. A present.”
“But it’s not my birthday. Why a present?”
“Surely a devoted husband doesn’t have to have a reason to give his wife a present.”
“I suppose not. What is it?”
“You will see soon enough.” I went into our bedroom and returned with a small package wrapped in brown paper. “It should have ribbons and bows and white paper, but I was never much good at wrapping.”
Still smiling, she set down her cup and extended her hand. “Now you have me all excited! I can’t wait to see what it is.”
I hesitated. “I should perhaps warn you… You need not keep it… if it seems too extravagant…”
“No more of this coyness, Henry! Give it to me.” She lifted Victoria with both hands and set her resolutely on the floor, causing a wailful meow. Her hands eagerly slipped off the string and opened up the package. When she saw the large purple velvet case, her forehead creased, her smile fading. “Henry…” Her eyes were faintly puzzled.
“Go ahead. Have a look.”
She opened the case, and the white of her eyes showed briefly about the round blue irises. “My God,” she murmured. “What have you done?”
“Well, take it out.”
She set the case on her lap and raised the necklace by its silver chain. The large blue sapphire at the bottom was surrounded by tiny false diamonds, and above it were four smaller sapphires. The big one was slightly darker, a beautiful deep blue which picked up the color of her eyes.
“Do you like it?” I asked.
Her eyes were fixed on the jewels. “Oh yes, I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.” A smile flickered over her lips, then grew wistful as she stared at me. “But I’m not sure…” She shook her head. “It must have cost a great deal.”
I drew in my breath. “Yes.”
She bit her lower lip. “Exactly how much?”
“A hundred pounds—which was a bargain.”
She groaned. “Oh, I cannot keep such a thing! Wherever did you get the money? Surely—surely you did not borrow it! Oh, Henry, tell me you did not borrow money to buy me jewelry.”
“I did not borrow money to buy you jewelry.” My tone was somewhat aggrieved.
“How then?”
“Sherlock gave me a hundred and fifty pounds a few weeks ago.”
“Whatever for?”
“Adam Selton paid him three hundred pounds for his assistance in the case of the White Worm. Sherlock said I deserved half for my helping Adam, for my removing the obstacle to Adam’s marriage.”
She smiled. “That does make a certain sense. You were the one Adam finally trusted enough to reveal his secret.” Her expression grew grave again. “Oh, Henry, I just don’t know. It is so extravagant.”
“Would you like to try it on?”
“That might shake what little resolve I have.”
I stared at her. “It was to show you how much I love you.”
She set down the jewel and case, stood up, curled her hand around the back of my neck and shook her head. “You don’t need jewels for that—you show me all the time—especially when…” She turned her head to kiss me.
When we had finished at last, I raised her hands and kissed her knuckles. “I knew you might be reluctant to keep it, but I’m afraid I cannot return it to the shop. Still, if you absolutely do not want it, I’m sure we could find a buyer. I might even be able to get back more than I paid.”
“Why can’t you return it?”
&
nbsp; “I got it almost on a whim. It was from Harter’s shop. Remember Harter, the jeweler who was murdered? He showed me that necklace when Holmes and I visited him. The shop had been shut up for a long time, but I happened by, and they were having a liquidation sale of all his goods. Normally I am not much of a bargainer, but I stuck to my guns. It was actually rather amusing once I had determined a strategy. The salesman told me he wanted three hundred pounds, which I knew was ridiculous. I offered him one hundred and was absolutely unyielding. Three times I left the store. Once he ran down the block and begged me to return. He told me he would accept my offer, then started to quibble once we were back inside. I started for the door again, and he gave up at last, weary of the game.”
She laughed. “How brave of you!”
“So you see, there is no harm in trying it on.”
“Will your feelings be hurt if I do not keep it?”
I shrugged. “I shall manage.”
Again her forehead creased. “Oh, I just don’t know. I… I wouldn’t want to wear it in society—that I absolutely could not bear. I loathe women who parade about in their jewelry, flaunting it to the world. Often, too… It is not charitable to say so, but there often seems to be an inverse ratio between true beauty and the value of the jewelry.”
I laughed. “I have noticed that. But the rule does not hold in your case.”
“Oh, Henry.” She touched my cheek with her fingertips. “You are so very sweet.”
“Actually… It would be safer if you did not wear it in society. I am uneasy about keeping such a necklace in our house, but if no one even knows we have it… I’m sure we could find a good hiding place.”
“Why keep it, then?”
I stared at her. “You could wear it for me alone. In the bedroom.”
Her cheek slowly flushed. “And little else, I suspect.”
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