Aunt Sophie's Diamonds (7 page)

"What is there to stop me?"

"You can't go down there alone. I'll come here and get you. I'll have to make some excuse to Hil."

"He'll be asleep long before that, but I'll take Cousin Claudia with me."

"Don't be a sapskull, Loo!"

"No, she's all right, and she hates the diamonds herself. Besides, she needs some excitement, poor old thing. I feel sorry for her, with that horrid old mother."

"She don't see much of
her
from what I hear. Are you sure she's trustworthy?"

"Oh yes. We'll meet you at the graveyard at midnight then. How exciting it will be. I can hardly wait. What about shovels and things?"

"I'll take care of that."

"It isn't
stealing,
you know,” Luane said, in a questioning voice.

"Stealing from the dead—there's no harm in that. I suppose it's illegal, however."

"We must be careful not to get caught. Hush, someone's coming."

It was Sir Hillary and Fletcher, come to take Luane's case of paste jewels. “Would you like to see them?” Fletcher asked her.

Not two steps behind the gentlemen came Captain Tewksbury, to see what was going on.

"No, I see them every day,” Luane answered.

"That the reproductions you're talking about?” Jonathon asked. “I've never seen them out of the case. Like to have a look at them before they go."

Mr. Fletcher, rather curious himself, was willing to open the case and did so. “Try on your diamonds, Loo,” Gabriel said, with a secret smile at her.

She reached out and took them but didn't bother trying them on. Jonathan's hands reached out and lifted them from her fingers. “They're very real looking,” he said.

"The reproductions are works of art in themselves,” Mr. Fletcher pointed out. “In the rings, for example, the mountings are made of gold, and it is only the stones that are false. The reproductions altogether are worth a couple of hundred pounds. That's why the case is kept locked."

"The workmanship is very fine,” Jonathan said, handling the diamonds, then giving them back to Luane.

She flung them angrily on the lid of the glass display case. “Poo, who cares for a bunch of paste stones,” she declared.

"Not you apparently,” Hillary replied, picking up the necklace and replacing it in the velvet setting.

Jonathan looked at the glass case where she had thrown them, then looked again closely. He then reached once more into the case and lifted out the necklace. “Of course, the stones don't sparkle like the real thing,” he said, holding them up to the weak light filtering in through the window. There was a distraction at the door, for Mrs. Milmont entered at this point and demanded to know what everyone was doing. While she was being shown the reproductions, particularly the pearls, which she hinted she could put to very good use, Jonathon set the diamond necklace on to the lid of the display case, and carefully arranged it. Mrs. Milmont had then to compare the fake pearls to her real ones and even test both with her teeth.

"Yes, there is no mistaking the real thing,” she said, and handed the ersatz ones back to Mr. Fletcher.

He put all the reproductions back in their allotted places, locked the case, and gave it and the key to Hillary. “They are to be kept in trust by you for the present.” He gave him Luane's tiara, too.

"Shall we be getting back to Chanely?” Hillary said to Gabriel.

"Welcome to stay to dinner,” Jonathon offered mechanically.

"Until you have had time to restock your cupboards and hire a new cook, we must decline,” Hillary replied and went to take his leave of Miss Bliss and Claudia.

As soon as the gentlemen and Fletcher left, Luane approached Miss Milmont and requested her company for a walk about the garden. As it was cold and windy with no sign of the sun outdoors, Claudia went with some curiosity to get her pelisse. She could not believe a desire for fresh air formed any part of the reason for this walk. From the excited eyes and high color of her cousin, she thought an adventure was in the offing. The minute they were safely outside, she said,
"Do
tell me we are to dig up Aunt Sophie and take the diamonds! I have been hoping you didn't mean to exclude me from the adventure."

"Oh, cousin, how did you guess? I told Gabriel you were a right one. Will you come with us?"

"Oh, is Gabriel to come? I thought it would be more dangerous if we went alone at midnight, just the two of us."

"Yes, so it would, and I shouldn't have bothered asking him if I had been sure you would come. But one can never be sure with old people."

"Very true, there is no saying we won't take an attack of gout or an ague at just the crucial moment, but I shall wrap myself up well."

"Oh, cousin, you are not
that
old! I've been thinking about what we should wear, and I believe trousers will be more comfortable."

"Trousers, to be sure. An excellent notion, but I'm afraid I didn't bring any with me. Do you happen to have two pairs?"

"We will steal old livery. There are several suits in camphor in the cedar closet, all eaten with moths, but we shan't mind that."

"Certainly not, it will lend us an airy quality."

"We are to meet Gabriel at the graveyard at midnight. It is two miles; shall we ride or walk?"

"I have no mount, though I confess a two-mile hike in the pouring rain—it is best to plan for the worst, and the sky is very cloudy—is a little more excitement than I bargained for. Is there a farm animal I might ride?"

"There is Casper—the gig horse, but I've ridden him."

"He sounds just the thing. Will it be possible to get the horses out without being discovered?"

"We can always hit the groom on the head."

"Now why didn't I think of that?"

"I don't expect you have had many adventures, cousin, but I shall contrive all the details."

"I am very grateful you let me in on it. I'll do my bit with the shovel and—should we not take a crowbar to pry open the casket?"

"Will it be nailed shut?"

"It is the custom, I believe."

"How vexing. Gabriel said he would take care of the tools, but I bet he doesn't know we shall need a crowbar."

"Let us take one along, just to show him how wide awake we are."

"And if we can't find one, we'll take the axe."

Claudia recoiled slightly at the picture conjured up of them chopping through a wooden coffin, possibly right through to the contents thereof, but she didn't demur an iota.

"I
can get away quite easily,” Luane said, “but perhaps your mama will check your room at a late hour?"

"No, she won't."

"Good, I didn't really think so. Does she
like
you at all?"

The startled exclamation this question called forth was coughed away. “Yes, in her own way. She is not an effusive person."

"She was effusive about the jewelry. She means to get your emerald ring from you."

Claudia looked in wonder at this artless girl with the knowing mind of a woman, and not yet the guile to conceal it. “She shan't get it,” she said.

"I have been thinking of a famous stunt, cousin, only I daresay Hillary won't let us do it, he is such a prude."

"A prude! That is certainly not the word I would have used to describe him."

"He was only showing off yesterday and a little today. He is really very straight and stiff, and never lets me or Gab do anything at all. He acts satirical like that sometimes when he doesn't like people."

"I see,” Claudia answered, marveling anew at her companion's blunt speech.

"I don't mean
you.
It is Jonathon and your mama. He doesn't like them because of the way they neglected Sophie, then came pacing down the minute they heard she was dying."

"Yes, now where shall we meet, and at what hour?"

"I'll take the livery to your room after dinner. You get dressed and slip downstairs around eleven. Agreed?” She stuck out a little hand, like a man, and gave a violent shake to Claudia's hand.

"Agreed."

"I'm glad I decided to let you come."

"I'm very grateful,” Claudia said, hiding a smile at this condescension. “By the way, what was the stunt you mentioned?"

"I should love to give you the paste emerald ring, and let your mama take it back to London. She'd not likely ever know the difference, and then wouldn't be pestering you for the real one."

"You don't begin to know mama. The first thing she'd do would be to take it and have it evaluated."

"I suppose she would. Hillary said she was sharp as a tack.” On this flattering speech, the cousins returned to the house.

Two very different sorts of dinners were suffered through and enjoyed by the inhabitants of Swallowcourt and Chanely respectively. While Captain Tewksbury and Mrs. Milmont were settling in for a hand of piquet and Claudia and Luane were chatting quietly in a corner with Miss Bliss, Sir Hillary and Gabriel sat over a glass of ale, discussing the day's events and particularly the will. “Do you plan to marry Loo within the year?” Hillary asked.

"I always intended to marry her as soon as I was through college—well, and as soon as I have some means of supporting her of course."

"I'm sorry if it was my influence that caused you to put it off at Christmas. You both seemed so young."

"We neither of us wanted to when Sophie started her pushing. There's nothing like being told you must do something to make you sure you don't want to do it."

"There's no guarantee that your marriage to Luane is the event she refers to in the will. Unless you are determined to have her, I shouldn't do it on the expectation of inheriting. Not do it just for that, I mean."

"No, no. That has nothing to do with it. It would put us in easier circumstances, of course, but I can get a position of some sort. Lots of the fellows plan to do so. What do you think I should apply myself to, Uncle?"

"A seat in Parliament eventually, but you're a bit young for that yet. A few years as secretary to some member would be good experience. I'll speak to some friends. I can tide you over financially till you're in a better paying job."

"I can't take any more from you. Paying for my education..."

"At the moment you're my heir, cawker. A fine skint I'd look, with the pair of you begging on a street corner while I live the high life in my various mansions."

"It goes against the grain."

"It's bound to, but we weren't all born shod and hosed, Gab. Thank your stars you have some family. That's what families are for, you know."

"Some families. That Mrs. Milmont is a rum touch, ain't she, Uncle?"

"You're too kind in your choice of words."

They talked on in this manner till ten, with never a sarcastic or nasty remark leveled at Gabriel. Sir Hillary was fond of his charge, and in fact considered him as something very like a son. He had felt alone, though not lonely, in the world after his father's death ten years previously, till he had been saddled with Gabriel. He was always fond of Gab's mother, his cousin Anita, and though he wasn't the closest relative, he had taken the boy willingly. By insensible degrees he had regulated his life so that it revolved around his cousin. He made it a point to be home at Chanely when Gab was on holiday, and for his racier friends not to be. He took a more than avuncular interest in the boy, but was determined not to be so bound to him that he interfered unduly in his life. He and Loo were a good match—were as at home with each other as an old married couple despite their youth. Odd their relationship had developed along these lines rather than as brother and sister, but Gab was just enough older so that Loo had always adored him.

As the hands of the clock circled past ten, Hillary and his nephew both began stirring restively. Gabriel was waiting till his uncle mentioned retiring, failing which—and ten-thirty was pretty early for him to go to bed—he must start yawning himself. Hillary was wishing Gabriel would invite him along on the diamond hunt. He half hoped he wouldn't, too, for he supposed it behove him to put a damper on the scheme. He was ninety-nine per cent sure Gabriel meant to go and ninety-eight percent sure Loo would be with him, but hadn't even a suspicion that Claudia would be along. Added to this, he was about ninety per cent plus sure Jonathon would have a go at the grave-digging. Yes, it would be an interesting night, one way or the other.

Gabriel was not happy that Miss Milmont was to be of the party and risked sounding out his uncle on the girl. “How does Loo's cousin strike you—the Milmont girl?” he asked.

"As not quite a girl,” was the sardonic reply.

"What do you mean? Of course, she's a girl."

"Oh, she was once, no doubt of that. I didn't take her for a man in disguise."

"Well, do you think she's
old?"

"Older than seven,” he answered cryptically.

"She seemed quite young to me, but older than Loo, of course. I meant though, do you think she's trustworthy?"

"She hasn't had any opportunity to inveigle herself into the will. Never met Sophie till two minutes before she cocked up her toes and wasn't aware there were diamonds in the case, or so she told me. I am inclined to believe her."

"I didn't mean that exactly,” but what he did want to say proved difficult to put into words. “Do you think she would do Loo a mischief if she could?"

"I don't see how she could, unless she is attempting to set up a flirtation with yourself and alienate your affections."

"She certainly isn't doing that! I don't think she's much interested in men, do you?"

"No, she'll turn into a fine maiden aunt in another decade. Be just the one to lend a hand with your houseful of brats. You want to be nice to her."

Gabriel smiled at his playful rejoinder and then began yawning, stretching, and exhibiting all the gestures associated with the onset of sleepiness.

"If you're turning in already, I'll go to my study and go over some accounts,” Hil said. This would give Gabriel privacy to sneak out of the house, suitably attired in some old dark clothing, and also be an excellent vantage point from which to watch his ascent to Swallowcourt, as the study windows looked in that direction. Not knowing Loo had found a different escort in Claudia, he assumed Gab would go to get her. He became impatient when half an hour had passed and still no dark figure was seen going up the bill.