Winthrop Trilogy Box Set

by Burnett, May

  “But for that they would need a permanent staff, to clean and cook and feed the animals. If they came and went from Berlin, the hotel was more convenient, cheaper, and safer in some respects,” Veronique argued.

  “It was lucky the valet did not awake in time to reach for his pistol,” Barnaby observed.

  “Yes, indeed; he was an amateur spy.” Louis sounded highly disapproving. “The very least he should have done was to fix something noisy to the door. That would have given him a fighting chance.”

  “Do you have a pen and paper?” Barnaby asked. “I need to write down the sums before adding them up.”

  Milla rose and quickly returned with a few sheets of expensive letter paper and her travel writing set. “There you are.”

  “This is interesting,” Veronique announced. “A written confession by an Eduard Dorrhof, that he smothered his mother-in-law, so that his wife would inherit sooner. Dated six weeks ago. I don’t remember meeting this man, not that I would care to.”

  Milla wrinkled her nose. “He must have left before our arrival. I suppose they extracted the secret during the Mental Water Treatment, and then got him to sign a confession in a second session.”

  “If that is their standard practice, they may have gathered the material to blackmail many people,” Louis said. “Which could be quite useful for some up-and-coming, unscrupulous government. Why waste gold on bribery, if you can control people through their guilty secrets?”

  “Most rich people are not so influential that this would have any political impact,” Veronique objected.

  “That may explain why they were not too interested in me.” Milla grinned. “I merely have money, no influence. I still wonder why they targeted Frau Rainer specifically. Her husband is taking the treatment tomorrow – or rather, by now it is this afternoon. Nothing would dissuade her.”

  “You warned her,” Barnaby said, “that is all you could do.”

  For a while, silence reigned, broken by the shuffling of paper and the regular clinking of gold coins. As he tallied gulden, putting aside a few more exotic denominations, Barnaby wondered what they would do with this windfall. To whom did it belong? Possession was said to be nine points of the law, but he had no need of this coin, would prefer not to enrich himself by such questionable means. How would Milla feel about the matter? After growing up so poor, she would likely take a more pragmatic approach.

  “Ah!” Veronique exclaimed. “The scoundrels!”

  “What did you find?” Milla looked up from her own sheaf.

  “Here is the promissory note signed by Frau von Meybrinck. But next to it is a bill of sale for her estate, signed by her and dated six months ago, to a Gottfried von Tafelkreutz.”

  “So none of the current buyers would ever have obtained title to her estate?” Milla did not sound surprised. “In a way it would have served them – us – right for trying to take advantage of an aged widow. For how much is the bill of sale?”

  “Forty thousand Gulden.”

  “That would be a more reasonable price, but of course they never intended to give the owner even a fraction. I am very glad you found those papers.”

  “You’ll be even more so when you see what I just discovered,” Louis said drily. “A confession that your marriage was invalid, that you wilfully destroyed your husband’s testament that would have disinherited you, and – separately – a promissory note for thirty thousand gulden to Major Kepler. All unsigned as yet.”

  “What!” Barnaby exclaimed in horror. “I am most terribly sorry, Milla. They learned all that from me.”

  “No harm done,” she assured him, but she took the papers in question, and reduced them to tiny pieces with energetic tearing. “You redeemed that by finding this lot of papers. At last, the breakthrough we were hoping for!”

  “Is it true, about the will?” Veronique asked Milla. “You know I would not judge you.”

  “Yes, and I had help. Barnaby and his brother agreed with the decision to destroy it. I feel no regrets on that head.”

  “And neither should you,” Barnaby supported her. “It had to be suppressed, for perfectly good reasons.”

  “No need to justify anything to us,” Louis said wryly, “my own guilty secrets could fill books.” At the chilling reminder, Barnaby focused on his coins again. The last bag was larger and less compact. He found a bracelet, ring, brooch and earrings, all set with large sapphires and small diamonds.

  “A splendid set,” Veronique said appreciatively as he put them side by side on the tablecloth. “I wonder if there was a necklace as well? I suppose if you blackmail ladies, some will find it easier to give jewels rather than money.”

  “If I show the bracelet to one of my local acquaintances, ten to one they will know who it belongs to,” Milla said. “We can restore it to the owner.”

  “The blue would go well with your eyes,” Barnaby said. “But I’ll buy you other sapphires. You have no need of stolen gems.”

  Milla’s lips curved into a rueful smile. “A kind thought, Barnaby, but I am not keen on jewels. My brother Edward sold the ones I was supposed to have from my mother, the only jewels that ever meant anything to me. Frankly, I don’t understand why so many women covet glittery rocks.”

  “They symbolize the value their men put on them,” Veronique said.

  “Well, my value is far above the most precious stones, and does not depend on any man’s gifts.”

  Barnaby grinned at her. “I quite agree. I suppose you’d rather I gave you a sailing boat than a necklace?”

  “Oh, infinitely. But don’t think you have to give me expensive presents of any kind. I am rich, and can afford whatever I want.”

  “You are very lucky to be able to say so,” Veronique said, a trifle wistfully. “Though without that vow I took, perhaps I’d be rich again, too, by now.”

  “What vow was that?” Barnaby asked.

  “When Louis was missing, after that cursed Russian campaign, I made a bargain with the Almighty – if he restored my husband to my arms, I would not engage in any swindles or thefts for the rest of my life, and live a life of honest labour.”

  “It worked, as my survival was something of a miracle,” Louis said. “Luckily my wife’s oath did not cover my own activities, or we would not be sifting through all this loot now.” He explained about the message they had left to discomfit the Prussian officer. “Even so, as soon as Tafelkreutz awakes, or Kepler misses him and checks his room, they will be wild to recover their papers and money. They probably will not guess immediately that we have them, but we must take precautions.”

  “Let them come,” Barnaby said. He wanted nothing more than a chance to knock down the perfidious major, and the mesmerist as well.

  “We’ll need to sleep sometime,” Milla reminded him. “And I don’t want to convert these rented rooms into a battleground.”

  Veronique looked up from the papers she had been scanning. “There are some bearer bonds here that should be added to your ledger.” She handed Barnaby a wad of documents. His eyes widened when he saw the sums involved.

  With renewed energy, all four settled down to their labour once again.

  Chapter 32

  As they sipped tea and coffee at breakfast and discussed their finds, Milla had to suppress a yawn. She was used to late hours, but she had not retired at all the past night. The issue of who was to sleep in what bed, now that Barnaby was a free agent again, had not come up. But from the way his eyes devoured her across the table, he could hardly wait to act on her bold invitation. And she, well, she was not inclined to wait very long either.

  “I must write to my family, tell them about our engagement,” Barnaby said. “They won’t be surprised. It was obvious to them that I was in love with you, and I did not deny it. The only question was whether I would be accepted.”

  “They will surely have taken that for granted,” Veronique said. “Families tend to be very partial.”

  Barnaby’s eyes crinkled. “With Milla, nothing can
be taken for granted. My father should be pleased at the news. He has been pressing Theo and me to marry these past two years, ever since Jeremy tied the knot. Wants as many Winthrop grandchildren as possible. One would imagine that Jeremy’s match, and my nephew Michael’s birth would have satisfied him; but no, that only inspired an ever greater desire for numerous descendants.”

  Milla was not particularly interested in her future father-in-law’s desires. “I feel that anything over five is too many – three is a good number to aim for.”

  Veronique winced. Drat, she had been tactless …

  Barnaby smiled at her. “I agree. If our children are anything like you, even the first one will be a challenge.” Not very flattering, but the tone of his voice robbed it of any sting. Besides, there was an element of truth to it; Milla’s parents, none too young at the time, had been quite unable to curb her.

  “Once we marry, I shall no longer require a companion,” Milla said. “With what you found last night, Louis, you and Veronique could fund your plans to emigrate.”

  “That is your intention?” Barnaby asked Louis with interest. “Where exactly?”

  “Likely near Charleston, where some of our friends have already found refuge.” Louis fixed Milla with his dark brown eyes. “We did not discuss what to do with our loot. It is not honestly come by … but it would come in very useful, I admit.”

  “Well, I do not want any part of it,” Barnaby said firmly. “Those items that can be returned to their former owners certainly should be.”

  “I agree,” Milla said. “But the bearer bonds and the gold seem ideally suited to finance a new existence overseas. Consider it a second miracle after your belated return from Russia.”

  “Are you sure, Milla?” Veronique asked. At Milla’s nod, Veronique jumped up and impulsively hugged her. “Thank you! You cannot know how much this means to me.”

  “Grand merci, from me as well.” Louis kissed her on both cheeks. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Barnaby was smiling. Good. He finally trusted her.

  Veronique sat back down, and sighed happily. “It has not been easy, to have lost the house in Nantes, all the heirlooms of our two families. Now we can establish new ones.”

  Milla did not fail to notice that heirlooms implied children. She hoped that Veronique and Louis would finally be able to have a normal family life, openly, not always on the run from his enemies. Perhaps she could do something about that as well …

  “I, for one, think it a capital notion if you two leave for the Americas,” Barnaby said. “My father will have an apoplexy if he ever learns of this association. He knew that Milla’s companion was Colonel Rallien’s widow, but he would not be happy at his daughter-in-law’s friendship with a notorious French spy.”

  Milla raised a brow. If Barnaby thought she cared in the slightest what Lord Branscombe thought of her friendships, he was mistaking the matter. But perhaps he was merely hoping to spare his parent unnecessary worry.

  Marie appeared from the kitchens with a fresh pot of tea, and plopped down on her seat. “So what happens now?” She looked far fresher than the others, after their long night. But then she also had missed all the excitement.

  “We must secure what we found, against retaliation, and attempts at recovery,” Louis said, and Veronique nodded emphatically.

  “We should restore these papers to Frau von Meybrinck, right away,” Milla said, “and watch her destroy them. I can go visit her today.”

  “I shall escort you,” Barnaby announced. “I am tired of hiding and could do with fresh air, in daylight for a change.”

  “There will be talk,” Marie warned. “People will wonder where you are staying, Sir. If you admit you are living in our household, they will ask when the wedding is going to take place.”

  “Only the most rude and tactless,” Veronique said. “But the others will think it too. What would you reply if anyone does ask, Milla?”

  The answer came easily. “The sooner the better. I don’t want a big wedding.”

  Barnaby’s face broke into a happy smile. “Do you mean it, darling? You would consent to wed me straight away? No tedious months of wedding preparations and settlement negotiations?”

  Milla nodded in confirmation. Since Milla had little family, and was not close to her only surviving brother, any big wedding would only include masses of near-strangers. It had been Abigail and Jeremy’s wedding, with those several dozen patronizing relations and Lord Branscombe’s hidebound political cronies, that had convinced her she would hate living in their circles, and conforming to their values and expectations. Besides, it was not as though she needed to impress anyone with her consequence. “Is it legal for English Protestants to marry here?”

  “There may be an Anglican pastor in Munich,” Louis said, “and I believe any Protestant wedding would be considered binding.”

  “About settlements,” Milla said, bracing herself for Barnaby’s reaction, “there is little to negotiate. I have disposed of two thirds of my fortune in such a way that it is out of anybody else’s reach, by putting it into a foundation for my sole benefit. The trustee is a bank in Frankfort.”

  Barnaby smiled, completely unfazed. “How very like you. I knew you would not easily be separated from your fortune, sweetheart. A good thing that I have a large one of my own.”

  Milla relaxed. “Good. This way, we shall never need to quarrel or argue about money.”

  “Mind,” Barnaby told her, “your banker in London was worried about you transferring so much of your fortune abroad. He hinted as much to Jeremy.”

  “He did? How dared he! What business was it of Jeremy’s?”

  “None whatsoever,” Barnaby agreed. “You’d better find another London bank.”

  “I certainly will.”

  ***

  They set out in an open barouche with two bay horses, a little after eleven, after resting for a while. Milla faced forward, Professor Matthiess at her right side, while Barnaby had his back to the horses on the opposite seat. He had a folder with the precious documents in his possession.

  They were admitted by Frau von Meybrinck’s major-domo, whose lugubrious mien brightened when they announced they brought good news. Within minutes, they found their hostess in a cheerful morning room, reading from a prayer book.

  Milla introduced the Professor, and Barnaby as her fiancé, for the first time.

  “Your betrothed? I had no idea… Congratulations!” the old lady said. “Can it be true, that you have good news? I have been praying to Saint Jude for a solution to my troubles. If you bring one, it would be like an answer from Heaven.”

  “I am not sure how much Heaven has to do with it,” Milla said. “Professor Matthiess is a specialist in magnetism, as he calls it, and has been able to help another of Rabenstein’s victims to recall what he had been ordered to forget.” No need to mention that she was speaking of Barnaby, standing right there. “He can help you remember as well, we hope, how your signature was fraudulently obtained.”

  “Yes, of course I would like to remember… though to prove fraud will be difficult, I fear.”

  The procedure only took a few minutes, and was as successful as the previous time.

  “Why, the scoundrels!” Frau von Meybrinck exclaimed when the whole evening had passed before her eyes. “They never gave me any money… only made me sign the note. But what was that second document I signed?”

  “A bill of sale for your estate,” Barnaby explained. He opened the folder he had been holding, and handed the contents to Frau von Meybrinck. “Last night we raided the rooms of Major Kepler’s supposed valet, who had these papers in his possession.”

  “I hoped for this outcome,” Milla said, “but did not want to raise any false hopes.”

  Frau von Meybrinck ran her eyes down the bill of sale. “This is… this is outrageous.” Her voice shook. “They made me sign that I had sold my house for forty thousand gulden, and never gave me a single one of them? Kepler could have had me evicted at
any time, and I had no idea! Who is this fellow Tafelkreutz?”

  “The real name of Kepler’s Prussian valet,” Milla explained. “Why don’t you destroy the documents now? You will feel better once this danger is past.”

  All four of them watched the papers burn to ashes in the grate. Frau von Meybrinck’s expression changed from anxious to gleeful as she ground the ashes to dust with the heavy poker, holding on the cane with her other hand.

  “This reminds me of a similar occasion in London,” Barnaby said to Milla in a low voice.

  The old lady replaced the poker. “I cannot thank you enough. Only one thing worries me – what if they try again, force me to sign new documents? Is that possible?”

  “It may be,” Professor Matthiess admitted. “I suggest you undertake a journey, after announcing you are not selling the estate after all.”

  “We are working hard on having the criminals arrested,” Milla said, “but it may take a few more days. I second the suggestion that you travel, or at the very least, give strict orders not to admit anyone but known friends and relatives until we have dealt with these crooks.”

  “Yes,” the old lady said. “It is close to lunchtime; will you stay to eat with me? And then I have a present for you, Lady Fenton, to express my gratitude for the invaluable service you have done me.”

  As they were finishing dessert, Milla said to their hostess, “Kepler and Tafelkreutz had a sapphire set in their possession, which we suspect they also gained by foul means.” She described the pieces they had found. “As a local resident, do you have any idea who might be the rightful owner?”

  “Sapphires and diamonds? Komtesse Kornau has a pretty set, a legacy from her late mother. I’ve seen her wear it on at least a dozen occasions.”

  “Then I’ll ask her directly if these are hers. Since we have several other calls ahead, we should be thinking of departure. Thank you for a delicious meal, Ma’am.”

  “Don’t forget your present,” Frau von Meybrinck reminded her. She gestured to her servants and rose, leaning on her silver-tipped cane. The Professor offered his arm, which she accepted with thanks.