by Joan Smith
“Too generous,” Elizabeth said, taking a seat. “She would have been thrilled with one or two. Not that it isn’t for an excellent cause, of course. How is Tommy? I thought he would come with you.”
He noticed that Tommy was still at the top of her mind. Should he tell her about Miss Cousens? No, let Tommy do his own dirty work. “We thought it better for him to remain out of sight until this business is settled,” he said.
“I daresay you’re right. He must have been disappointed not to come with you. What is he doing with himself?”
“He was speaking to my valet when I left. It seems he requires boots, and hopes mine might suit him.”
“I didn’t intend to put you to so much bother and expense when I asked for your help yesterday. Well, I have spoken to Sara. I gave her the necklace and impressed upon her that she must do her part.”
“Do you think she can do it?”
“I had to remind her of the alternative,” she said. “Buckner offered for her last night. She was in alt, of course. She won’t do anything to risk losing him. I think we can depend on her.”
“So she nabbed him, did she? Good for her. What a lot of trouble you undertake for your friends.”
“Sara is hardly a friend. More of an acquaintance.”
“I was thinking of Tommy, actually. He is a very good friend.”
“Oh yes,” she said, with no particular enthusiasm.
“The other item to discuss is how we return the necklace to Lady Belmont in a manner that exonerates Tommy.”
“And Sara,” she added. “Since it was lost at Galveston’s, it obviously must be recovered there.”
“You mentioned there was a thorough search the night it was taken.”
“Yes, that is the problem, of course.”
“Could we not sneak it into Lady Belmont’s carriage?”
“She noticed they were missing before she left. I know just where she was sitting all evening at the party — on a settee. The settee was searched, and the carpet beneath it, the cushions removed and so on. We can’t ‘find’ it there. The only time she moved from the sofa was to examine the potted plants Mrs. Galveston used to dress up her salon.
“I saw Lady Belmont examining some tree and saying it must have some mites or something eating it, for the leaves were drying out and curling on the edges. She is a great one for finding fault with everything. Mrs. Galveston said it probably just needed water, and Lady Belmont, the old snoop, actually got up and went to see it. She bent over and felt the soil and said it was moist enough. It ought to be taken out back and sprayed with something or other — soap or soda I think she said, to kill the mites.”
“So the plan is to plant the necklace in the pot and accidentally ‘find’ it?” he said doubtfully. “That requires a visit to Mrs. Galveston and an extremely intrusive examination of her horticultural specimens.”
“Yes, but it is not as encroaching or as ill-bred as you make it sound. Auntie mentioned at the time that she uses a nicotine decoction on all her plants, and it seemed to be a universal pest killer. Since Auntie decocts it herself by soaking Doctor Tom’s pipe tobacco in water it cannot be purchased. She offered to give Mrs. Galveston some, which we shall deliver and apply for her. And after we get the necklace back tonight, we shall take it over to her house tomorrow and find the rubies under the tree.”
“Do you think it will fadge?” he asked uncertainly.
“I doubt Mrs. Galveston will put a rub in our way for Lady Belmont has been hinting Mrs. Galveston ought really to repay her at least part for the necklace, which everyone knows perfectly well is insured. So Mrs. Galveston won’t ask any questions, even if she suspects something, though I don’t see why she should.”
“There is no reason she should suspect me,” Nicholas said. “I wasn’t even at the party.”
“You? You don’t have to go, Nicholas. Auntie and I shall do it.”
“Lady Gertrude should certainly come with us,” he said, glancing at the dame, who was listening with great interest. “She is the gardener after all.”
Elizabeth looked a question at him. “You don’t have to come, Nicholas. You have done more than enough, and we really do appreciate it.”
He adopted an expression of reproof. “Surely you weren’t planning to deprive me of the exciting climax, after all you’ve put me through?”
“Of course not, if you want to come.”
“I insist on it. Tommy is my cousin. I want to see Lady Belmont’s face when we return the rubies to her too.”
“I wager she won’t even apologize for all the bother she’s caused,” Lady Gertrude sniffed.
“Not a chance of it,” Elizabeth agreed. “To be fair, it was really Sara who caused all the bother. And now that you mention it, I don’t recall her apologizing either, though she did thank me. In any case, I thought it would be best for Mrs. Galveston to return the necklace, just to remove us from any unnecessary involvement, you know. In case she gets thinking about our being in Sara’s room, and so on, I mean. I’m not sure she believed our story.”
“She would prefer to believe you were looking for a private spot to misbehave,” Lady Gertrude said. “Those prudes have the liveliest imaginations when it comes to that sort of thing. Eros will have his way, if only in the mind.”
“Well if the details are settled, shall we go out for a drive?” Nicholas said. “It’s a fine day.”
“I would like that,” Elizabeth agreed. “We’ll stop at your house for tea, so Tommy can join us. Just for the tea, I mean, not the drive. He will be sorry to be missing all the excitement.”
“He won’t be missing it all,” he pointed out rather sharply. “He’ll be on the corner of Grosvenor and Duke Street tonight to get the rubies from Hanson.”
A soft smile lifted her lips. “Yes, he’ll enjoy that,” she said, but the smile had little to do with pleasing Tommy. Nick’s sharp tone sounded remarkably like jealousy.
It seemed clear to Nick that she was in love with Tommy, and he wondered if he should tell her about Miss Cousens. To test her feelings he said, “You won’t have to marry him now.”
“Yes, you mentioned that earlier. That’s good,” she said, and sounded perfectly satisfied. He studied her, wondering if he’d misunderstood her interest in Tommy. “It would be horrid to get married because one felt one had to,” she had said, which didn’t help much.
“How is your arm?” he asked, to change the subject. “I ought to have asked you sooner.”
“Just a little sore.”
“Then get your bonnet and let us go for that drive.”
Lady Gertrude sat on a moment, thinking. It was quite clear to her that Nicholas was interested in her niece. There was no fear this time that she would make a single move to attach him. Too proud to bend an inch, after her first embarrassment. If he wanted her, he would have to come out and say so.
Elizabeth didn’t mention stopping at Nick’s house to see Tommy again, but Nick stopped anyway. He was curious to see them together. Surely Tommy would tell her about Miss Cousens now. How would she react? He’d find some excuse to leave them alone together for a while to give Tommy an opportunity to tell her in private.
Chapter Fifteen
Tommy, having helped himself to not only Nick’s second best pair of boots but a clean shirt and jacket as well, lacked only a proper haircut to look like the master of the house in Lord Carbury’s elegant salon, where he sat perusing the journal, with a glass of wine at his elbow.
“Well now,” Elizabeth said, smiling her approval, “if you had only bothered to arise when a lady entered the room, we would have taken you for a proper gentleman, Tommy.”
“Mistaken, surely, thought I almost feel like one, living here in the lap of luxury. You certainly do yourself proud, Nick.” He arose, made a deep bow and escorted her to a sofa, then sat down beside her. “Nick’s valet even gave me a shave. How did the meeting with Sara go?”
She related the details of that meeting and their plan for
visiting Mrs. Galveston. Nick took the opportunity to leave them alone while he went to arrange the tea. To give Tommy more time to tell Lizzie about Laura as he had suggested, he discussed some other quite routine household matters with the butler as well. When he returned their conversation did not sound as though Tommy had taken advantage of his absence.
“I remember Lady Belmont kneeling down and digging her fingers into that plant,” Tommy was saying. “I was afraid she wouldn’t make it back up and was watching to see if she tumbled over, but someone gave her a hand. She still had the rubies on after that. I remember looking across the room at them when she was back on the sofa, and thinking how gaudy they were, and wondering if they were real, and what they must be worth.”
“I know she still wore them then, Tommy, but we must just hope she doesn’t remember,” Elizabeth said. “I can’t think of any other place we can pretend she lost them. She went right back to the sofa and didn’t leave it until she called for her carriage.”
“I shouldn’t think she’ll remember. She was too busy stuffing her face. What an appetite the lady has. If she remembers, you’ll just have to convince her she’s mistaken,” he said. “Between you and Lady Gertrude, you could convince Hanna More to paint her face.”
“If only we could convince you to make it up with your Uncle Alfred. He feels that if you had a position — something useful to do — you’d have less time to fall into mischief.”
“As a matter of fact, I have something in mind,” he said. Nicholas waited, thinking he would mention Miss Cousens.
“Dealing cards at some gambling hell is not what your uncle has in mind,” she said.
“Nor me either, I promise you. No money in that. You have to own the place yourself, and that takes capital.”
“And a very rudimentary conscience,” Nicholas said repressively.
“That settles it then,” Tommy said. “We all know I have no conscience.”
The arrival of the tea tray interrupted the conversation. Nick noticed with what an air of easy familiarity Elizabeth added the sugar and milk to Tommy’s. How close they were. She handed Nick his cup and left him to flavour it himself. They continued discussing the case over tea.
Nick gave Tommy several chances to tell Lizzie about Miss Cousens. He asked him what he’d do when he was proven innocent, but Tommy just said in his usual joking manner, “I’ll have a party, open a bottle of your best champagne and celebrate. You are invited. You too, Lizzie.”
“Big of you to include me,” she snipped, but in a playful manner.
Nicholas gave up. “We’re going for a drive now, Tommy. I’ll meet you back here for dinner.”
“I’d offer to play postboy for you, but I wouldn’t want to get our handsome jacket dusty. I’ll keep myself busy. I’ve promised to teach Jenkins a few card tricks, to repay him for helping me to your boots and shirt and so on.”
“Isn’t it Nick you should be repaying?” Elizabeth asked.
“Oh I never repay Nick. I must owe him a monkey by now, but he’s such a gentleman he never duns me. He knows it would be a waste of breath. Not like you and Lady Gertrude.”
“Yes indeed, I can’t count how many times you have entertained us, and so lavishly.” She turned to Nick and added, “He’s incorrigible. You may kiss that jacket goodbye.”
“I have,” Nick said. “I see he has already spilt tea on it.”
“Only a drop,” Tommy said, brushing at it. “Lizzie will know how to get it out. She’s better than a valet that way.”
They left and enjoyed their drive in Hyde Park, where they arrived at the barrier just in time to meet all the ton who were also out to enjoy the fine spring day. It was an opportunity for the gentlemen to show off their handsome carriages and teams, and the ladies to show off their beaux and bonnets. When they alit to take a stroll, heads turned to see Lord Carbury out with Miss Warwick. Was that romance on again? It certainly looked like it. And he had accompanied her to Lady Belmont’s ball the night before as well.
Nick noticed that Elizabeth was not lacking in admirers, and she similarly saw that her being with Nick did not deter the debs from flirting with him.
As they drove home he said, “What time shall I call for you this evening?”
“Not later than one o’clock. We want to be there early. I shall be home all evening, so you and Tommy come any time. We can play cards or just talk.”
“I can’t afford to play cards with your aunt,” he said rather curtly, though it was her mention of Tommy rather than Lady Gertrude’s winning way with a deck of cards that caused it.
“We need not play cards. Just come whenever it’s convenient, but not later than one o’clock.”
Nicholas was becoming annoyed with his house guest. It wasn’t Tommy’s making free of his wardrobe and servants that bothered him, but his not telling Elizabeth about Miss Cousens. As they sat over port after dinner, he said, “Why have you not told Lizzie about Miss Cousens, Tommy? You should not be leading her on to expect an offer.”
Tommy set his glass down so hard it rattled. He stared at Nick as if he’d just grown a second head and exclaimed, “An offer? What sort of offer? You can’t mean an offer of marriage.”
“I would hardly mean the other sort of offer. She is a lady after all.”
“Good God, Nick, she’d laugh in my face if I did any such thing. It’s not like that between us. More like brother and sister. Sometimes it almost feels more like mother and son.”
“Are you sure she feels like that?” Tommy’s reaction left no doubt that it was the way Tommy felt.
“Of course I am. Well for one thing she’s older than I am.”
“I believe you are both two and twenty.”
“She’s only a month older in age,” he said, and frowned at the way that had come out. “I mean she’s — you know. She’s serious and understanding and good and all those things a fellow admires but don’t love the way a man loves a woman.”
As little scenes from the past flitted through Nick’s mind, he realized there was never much element of romance between the pair. It was always Elizabeth worrying about Tommy, taking care of him — seeing he had food, doing everything but wiping his nose. More mother than sister, in fact, and certainly not like a lover. “Then why don’t you tell her about Miss Cousens?” he asked. “She wouldn’t mind that her papa’s in trade.”
“Mind? Ho, she’d love it! An entree into a whole new class of people to dun for money. No, what I’m afraid of is that she’ll try to help my romance along. Much as I love Liz, you must admit she has a way of taking over. She’ll be asking the Cousens to dinner and introducing Laura — Miss Cousens, to the right people — all that sort of thing, and in a pushy way. You must admit she’s pushy.
“Well, look how she’s pushed you into helping me. Laura is shy. She’s not ready for all that social round. She’d hate it. Then there’s Lady Gertrude — I don’t want her hitting up old Cousens for blunt until after I’m married. I want Laura and me to take our time, find our own friends. I know I have to grow up, but — Oh lord I’m making a botch of this, but you know what I mean, Nick.”
“I suppose I do,” Nick admitted. It certainly sounded like Lizzie and Lady Gertrude.
“I hope I haven’t given you the notion I don’t love Lizzie, and appreciate all she’s done for me. She’s the best friend I ever had. She’d give me her last sou if I needed it. Well, just to show you, she even hinted once that if worse came to worst, she’d marry me.”
Nick sat up with a jolt. “She actually said that?”
“Just joshing, of course, though I believe if worse came to worst she’d do it. Lady Gertrude suggested they adopt me. The other suggestion was that they’d spirit me out of the country. They suggested India, but I preferred America.”
Nick was convinced that Tommy had no interest in marrying Elizabeth, but was Tommy failing to see what he preferred not to see? He wasn’t the most sensitive fellow. Nicholas was not entirely convinced what her feelings we
re for Tommy. If she was heartbroken when she learned of Miss Cousens, he would be there to comfort her.
He turned his thoughts to the night’s business. “Do you have a pistol?” he asked.
“Not on me. Can you lend me one?”
Nick, who had come to realize that Tommy was not the sort to be prepared for anything, got him a pistol and spent an uncomfortable interval preventing him from taking a few practise shots in his salon. When Tommy glanced at the clock and said he thought he’d just have a little liedown, Nicholas was relieved to be rid of him.
Chapter Sixteen
Reading proved impossible. At twelve o’clock, Nicholas decided they might as well spend the time with Elizabeth. She was probably nervous and tense as well and would appreciate the company. He sent the butler up to call Tommy. To his astonishment, the butler said Mr. Gower had gone out half an hour ago.
“No, no. He went to his room to rest. It is time to rouse him up.”
“He didn’t go abovestairs, milord. As soon as he left the salon, he went out.”
“Went out where?” Nicholas asked, stunned. “Where did he say he was going?”
“He didn’t say, milord.”
“Just for a stroll about, then, to ease his nerves. He will be back by now.”
“He was not walking, milord.”
Curiosity was fast rising to a dreadful sense of foreboding. Tommy had lost his nerve — or worse, had some wretched scheme afoot. “Did he send for my carriage?”
“No, sir. He whistled for a hansom.”
“Did he say when he would be back?”
“He didn’t say, milord. Is — is there something amiss?”
There was so much amiss Nicholas was literally speechless. Where the deuce could he have gone? He knew the importance of this meeting with Hanson. He knew that if they didn’t recover the rubies he would be held to blame for stealing them. It must have something to do with the rubies. But why keep it a secret, unless he was up to something wrong, probably illegal? Was he going to try his lone hand at getting the necklace from Hanson? But he knew that he, Nicholas, would be there at the agreed hour. Sara, then. He meant to give some excuse to get the necklace from her before she went to meet Hanson.