Katrina looked over at Sarah’s mother. ‘Would you care to join us?’
Why did she have to be so polite?
Thank goodness her mother shook her head with a gracious smile. ‘No, thank you. I still have things that need attending here and I’m sure the two of you would like some time to visit together without me. I was young once.’
Sarah jumped from her chair. ‘It shouldn’t take me long to change.’
For the first time she gave no thought to footwear as she changed into her white muslin walking dress, which seemed to perplex Amelia, her maid. By the time she re-entered the drawing room fifteen minutes later, adjusting the falling collar of her green sarsenet pelisse, she wasn’t certain which dress she was wearing let alone what she had on her feet. She only knew that she was one step closer to finding the diamond. She could feel it. Nothing would stop her now.
* * *
While pulling out the bracelet from the pocket of his coat, Hart surveyed the Chinese Bridge at the end of the tree-lined pathway in front of him that crossed the canal in St James’s Park. There were pairs of very tall lanterns on either side of the approach and four blue-topped pavilions on either corner of the elevated expanse. The only thing that was missing was the seven-storey Chinese pagoda that had once stood on its centre, but which had burned years before during a fireworks display.
There was no mistaking the bridge painted on the bracelet was the one he was looking at now. He just needed to determine what relevance it had to the location of the Sancy diamond. He had strategically timed his visit to the pedestrian bridge so fewer people would be about. As he suspected, the milkmaids were now settled on the other side of the park near Birdcage Walk, close to the Horse Guards. The women were smart, knowing the men would often wander across the street to flirt with them and enjoy a cup of fresh milk straight from the cows. This left very little activity on his side of the canal. The small children and their nannies were far off to his left through the trees. The sounds of their laughter and playful shouts carried faintly on the pleasant breeze.
Hart suspected Guillot would not have designed this bracelet without giving specific clues to the diamond’s whereabouts. If the thief was intelligent enough to use the bracelet, he would be intelligent enough to use it to its fullest. Hart closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The faint scent of nearby roses and that earthy smell that filled the air before it rained surrounded him. He opened his eyes and stared at the image in his hand for a count of ten. Then he closed them once more. This time when he opened them, he looked at the yellow bridge, taking note of any differences he saw. The pagoda was missing, which was to be expected, and a man was leaning over the balustrade, staring down at the water.
Pink! There was no pink!
In the painting there was a cluster of pink flowers to the left side of the bridge. There had never been flowers planted near the bridge as far as he could recall. That was the additional clue he was looking for.
Strolling across the bridge, he came to stop a foot away from the man who was impeding Hart’s progress in his search. He tipped his hat in greeting. ‘It’s a lovely spot, is it not? I would often come here with my fiancée.’
The man shifted his eyes uncomfortably and nodded. He was younger than Hart had first believed, probably just out of Oxford or Cambridge.
Hart moved closer. ‘She was beautiful,’ Hart began, ‘hair the colour of sunlight and skin as fine as porcelain. And she had a penchant for fine gowns. She must have had fifty in her wardrobe the day I lost her. She died, you see. Right here on this bridge where you are standing. She jumped. It was tragic.’ He gave a slight sniffle.
The man edged away a bit.
Hart moved closer. ‘Do you have a wife?’
The man shook his head. His dark eyes widened as Hart moved until he was mere inches from him.
‘I don’t have a wife either.’ He sniffled again. ‘I would have had one, but...’
The man muttered his apologies and hurried from the bridge, leaving Hart blissfully alone.
He wasn’t sure where the idea for the story had come from. The words were flowing from his lips before he had formulated what he would say to get rid of the man. A woman’s face flashed in his mind. One he hadn’t thought about in ages. One he wished he could forget entirely. But Caroline would always haunt him. She had never been on this bridge, and while they hadn’t been engaged, he had been about to ask her. He had often wondered if they had been engaged, would she have met the same fate?
He hoisted himself up on the top of the stone balustrade and nimbly vaulted off the bridge onto the bank, near the water where the clump of pink flowers should be.
He studied the side of the bridge, combing over it block by block. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he was certain he would know it when he saw it. The bridge rose from the ground to more than double his height at its centre. Row by row he scanned the blocks and found nothing unusual. He pressed against each block that he could reach. Nothing happened. At the water’s edge he stared into the murky depth and combed a lock of hair out of his eyes.
As he turned back around, his attention settled on the area under the bridge. A pathway stretched along the bank, running underneath the bridge. The shadowed underpass was out of the general sight of people strolling leisurely through the park, making it an ideal place to spend time hiding a clue. The pink flowers had been placed on this side of the bridge near the water for a reason. The clue was under the bridge.
By the time he made his way under the bridge, his boots were speckled with mud from the spongy grass. Within minutes of scanning the damp earth beneath his boots and the blocks that made up the bridge, he spotted something unusual.
One of the blocks had a carving on it. It was the rough pattern of a Greek key design—the same Greek key design that was on Lady Everill’s bracelet.
He took out the knife he kept in his boot and used it to pry the stone block out from where it sat in the foundation of the bridge. It came out more easily than it should have. It was too dark to see inside the hole it left, so he stuck his hand in and felt around.
At the far back corner, his fingers felt something. He removed a folded pale linen square that was tied with a thin black ribbon, but it was too flat to be the diamond itself. He untied the small knot and unfolded the linen in his palm to discover a small iron key. Now he had the key to the diamond. The final clue must tell him where the diamond was hidden.
Hart shoved the key and linen square inside his coat pocket. It was time to head to White’s to celebrate with some good brandy and cards. If cracking the other clue would be this easy, Prinny would have the diamond in no time at all.
It appeared he had found the key just in time. By the look of the clouds, a storm was approaching. Just as he stepped onto the pathway that led out of the park, the distinct sound of female voices could be heard ahead of him in the distance. He tugged the brim of his hat down, but jerked it up when he recognised Miss Forrester’s voice.
* * *
The leaves rustled above them as Sarah and Katrina entered St James’s Park. ‘Thank you again for having your driver take us past St George’s and St James’s on the way here, Katrina. It was much faster than if I’d had to walk to the churches.’
Katrina smiled brightly. ‘It’s my pleasure to help in any way I can. Now that you know the next clue may be in St James’s Church, you have one less thing to concern yourself with.’
‘Are you certain this is the bridge?’
‘I’ve already told you twice. This is the park Eleanor said had meaning to Lady Everill. Eleanor said the lady spoke of it numerous times since she was given the bracelet. Apparently the bridge looks somewhat different but this is it. There was a celebration in this park a few years ago and that night Lord Everill declared for the first time that he was rather fond of his wife.’
Sa
rah stopped. ‘At their age, surely he would have told her something like that sooner?’
‘We are speaking of Lord and Lady Everill.’
They shared a conspiratorial smile. Clouds began to roll in, obscuring the sun, and there was the scent of rain in the air.
As a particularly sharp gust of wind hit, Katrina held the back of her bonnet. ‘I don’t suppose you would care to turn back to the carriage and come another day when it does not appear as if we are racing against a storm?’
She must be mad.
‘I didn’t think so,’ Katrina continued, threading her arm through Sarah’s and pulling her along. ‘Let’s hurry.’
They stopped abruptly at the sight of Hartwick coming down the path towards them. Was Sarah destined to be cursed with the Earl’s presence for the remainder of her time in London? In the past year since she had become acquainted with him, she had barely encountered him; now that she was looking for the diamond, he seemed to be everywhere.
‘Good day, ladies,’ he called out with a friendly smile, raising his gold-tipped walking stick. ‘This is a pleasant surprise.’
It might have been for him, but Sarah would rather have ruined another pair of slippers. He was going to delay her search. She tugged up the edge of her green kid gloves. ‘I wasn’t aware you frequented this park... Unless you are here to see the dairymaids.’
‘They do say a cup of fresh milk is good for the constitution.’
‘So that’s why you’re here?’
‘For milk?’ He visibly shuddered and Sarah couldn’t help but notice the curve of his broad shoulders, shown to their advantage in his well-cut black coat. ‘Never touch the stuff. I’m heading back from Westminster.’
Katrina tipped her head to the side. ‘But Julian complains you never attend to your Parliamentary duties.’
He gave a careless wave of his hand. ‘I hadn’t planned on attending. I was looking for someone.’
Both women nodded. However, Sarah could tell he had come from somewhere else... Probably from the shrubbery with one of the milkmaids, if the state of his boots was any indication.
‘And what brings you ladies into the park today?’ He looked up at the sky and adjusted the brim of his hat. ‘It appears a storm is on the way. Not really ideal weather for a stroll.’
‘We have come to see the pelicans,’ Katrina replied, smiling over at Sarah. ‘It would be a pity to turn back now without seeing them.’
Pelicans? What pelicans?
‘I see. I would hate to deprive you of that.’ He tipped his hat. ‘I will not keep you. Enjoy the wildlife.’
As he walked away, Sarah felt the oddest sense of disappointment. There was no quick quip. There was no teasing manner. In fact, he barely looked at her. It annoyed her when he was provoking. Why would her spirits be dampened at this lack of interest?
Her brow wrinkled as she turned to Katrina as they continued on towards the bridge. ‘Pelicans?’
‘Oh, yes, Eleanor said there are pelicans in this park. I’d love to get a glimpse of one.’
Sarah took one last glance at Hartwick as he turned off the pathway and out of sight. The wind was picking up and the sky was turning a greenish grey. Anyone else who had been in the park appeared to have headed home already. Big fat raindrops began to fall. They should head back...but then the yellow bridge came into view ahead of them. She couldn’t turn back now.
It was the bridge on the bracelet. There was no mistaking it, except it was missing the giant Chinese pagoda. The rain was coming down harder and, as much as she wanted to search for the clue now, they would only get soaked.
She grabbed Katrina’s hand and they ran towards the water, seeking shelter under the archway of the bridge. They laughed at how sad they looked in their droopy bonnets. Sarah took hers off and shook out the raindrops from the straw. The green satin ribbon was a soggy mess. It might not recover. She looked down for the first time to examine her footwear. Her green silk walking boots were ruined with mud. She let out a sigh. Another lovely pair of footwear destroyed.
The rain was coming down in sheets now, creating natural curtains over the entrances on either side. They were alone and the pouring rain muffled their conversation.
‘The Dowager was right. There’s no doubt this is the bridge,’ Sarah said with a smile.
‘Do you have any idea what we should be looking for?’
Recalling the image painted on porcelain, Sarah shook her head. If it took all day she would scour the bridge for anything that looked out of place. She walked towards the entrance of the underpass and stretched her back, needing some movement to help her think. The blurry landscape through the curtain of rain was not giving her an answer. Turning around, her eyes landed on the firmly packed footprints of one person with large feet—clearly a man—scattered near the foundation of the bridge. From the sharp definition around each print, it was apparent he had been there recently.
The wall of yellow stone blocks rose up above them to a substantial height before it arched back down over the water. She raised the hem of her pelisse and walked in the footprints that were larger than her own. They stopped a third of the way into the underpass where they scattered a bit. Why would anyone go under the bridge where the ground was soft and damp? Why would he stop and spend extra time here?
The blocks of the bridge in that area were fairly smooth and uniform in size and appearance until she came to one that wasn’t sitting evenly with the others. She peered closer at it—and almost dropped her reticule. She found it! This was what the bracelet had been pointing her to.
‘Katrina, come quick! Look!’
Her friend’s eyes widened at the Greek key design carved into the stone that Sarah pointed to. ‘It looks just like the design on the bracelet.’
‘This has to be what we are looking for.’ She reached into her reticule and pulled out a silver letter opener.
‘When have you taken to carrying one of those?’
‘Since I thought I might be required to dig for the clue.’
She used it to jimmy the block out a bit. It was only four inches thick and behind it was a dark hollowed-out area.
‘Can you see anything?’
Sarah hesitated before stepping closer. What if there were spiders in there? She held her breath as she reached inside to feel around.
There was nothing there.
‘No! No! No!’ Whatever clue this bridge held, it wasn’t there now. ‘It’s gone. Whatever was hidden here is gone.’
‘How is that possible? Who would know to look here?’
Sarah was nauseous and getting light-headed. Someone else was looking for the diamond and they had known about this clue. She tried to compose herself, but images of her loving family stopped her. Panic was setting in. ‘I need to get to the church,’ she blurted out.
‘When?’
‘Now! The clue isn’t here, Katrina. That means someone else is looking for the diamond and probably knows about the bracelet. I need to reach that steeple before they do!’
‘Sarah, take a deep breath. How do you propose to search the church now, at this hour? People will be about. Certainly the vicar.’
Her head was beginning to ache and, as much as she didn’t want to admit it, she knew Katrina was right. The only way she would have a chance at getting into the steeple was in the middle of the night—dressed like a man.
‘I will go tonight. I’ll pretend to feel ill and stay home while my parents go to the theatre.’
‘I cannot take you there tonight. I wish I could, but Julian and I have accepted invitations for this evening. If I tell him I can’t go, he will want to know why and—’
Sarah held up her hand. ‘You do not have to accompany me this time. It’s not far from home. I can go on my own.’ She would much prefer to go with her friend, but she had no
choice. If she waited, the other clue was sure to be gone. Knowing the man who took this clue might already have the next was making Sarah’s stomach turn. She understood Katrina needed to put her family first, however she couldn’t help but miss the days when her friend was there for her whenever she needed her.
There was a long pause before Katrina let out a deep breath. ‘I do not like the idea of you venturing out alone at night. You know how dangerous that could be.’
‘I will be dressed as a man. It will not appear odd to see a gentleman walking alone at night along Piccadilly.’
‘Suppose you are set upon by thieves.’
‘I will be in Mayfair. All will be well. You’ll see.’ She only prayed that whoever else was looking for the diamond hadn’t already searched St James’s Church.
Chapter Seven
Hart was all too familiar with how hard it was to tear himself away from a card table when he was on a winning streak. Vingt-et-un had proved to be his game tonight as he sat in White’s, drinking brandy and collecting his winnings. It was tempting to stay, but he had a debt to settle. There was a diamond waiting for him in St James’s Church and it would be best if he just fetched it now. The other players at his table did not hide their relief as he excused himself and made his way to the door, accepting congratulations for a well-played night along the way.
Knowing the gate to the church on Piccadilly would be locked at this hour, he took the short stroll down Jermyn Street to try the back door of the building. The stores along the fashionable shopping street had long closed up for the night and the only people he passed along the way were two young bucks making their way to the end of the street where the gentlemen’s clubs were located.
Upon reaching the back door, he looked both ways before trying the handle. The door was locked. He took out the key from his pocket and tried inserting it into the lock. It wouldn’t fit. There was a chance the lock had been changed since the key was hidden away, or perhaps this key fit another entrance to the church.
To his left, high above a brick wall, was the church’s graveyard. One by one he carefully climbed the steps in the darkness and walked past the rows of thin slate gravestones until he came upon the double doors he was looking for. The arched fanlight above them revealed a dark interior. Surprisingly, this side-entrance door was unlocked.
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