George handed it to him, and their father admired the finely etched crucifix. At perhaps sixteen inches in length, the ornate cross looked like it belonged on a family chapel wall.
“Here is another one!” George pulled a second gold cross from the straw. Adeline and her father both gasped this time. This one was a bit smaller but dotted with gemstones. Their father snatched it up and peered intently at the stones. “They are both so heavy. That means they must be worth a lot, yes?”
Adeline shrugged. She had no idea what the value of an ounce of gold was, but she recognized the historical value of the two crucifixes. They were clearly Byzantine. The style of the etched carvings was recognizable. She dug through the straw, sinking her arm up to the elbow. Her fingers combed through and hit something hard. She reached her other hand in and felt the edges of a wooden box.
“I’ve found something else.” She gripped the box and pulled. It was not heavy, and she stumbled back a bit once she had freed it from the packing straw.
“What’s that?” George asked.
“I don’t know. Let’s see.” Adeline set it on the desk. The box was decorated with a beautiful wood inlay pattern. A woodland scene, with two deer brushing noses, was the centerpiece. Adeline ran her fingertip across the smooth wood.
“Addy, what’s inside?” George’s impatient voice came from behind her.
She slid the latch and lifted the lid. Inside, on a velvet background, was a gleaming diadem fit for a queen. Adeline studied the crown. Like the crucifixes, the diadem was made of gold, but the gold was not polished or shiny. Instead, it was burnished almost matte, indicating its great age.
“Look at that!” George’s excited voice was too loud next to her ear. Her father came to peer over her other shoulder.
Although not large, like the crowns worn by English kings and queens, the diadem was an intricate mix of natural elements carved in gold. Golden olive leaves interspersed with delicate engraved flowers. The centers of the flowers were set with round garnet gemstones. A rope of gold formed the base of the diadem, and from it, the vines and flowers rose to a gentle point; a large polished red garnet was the centerpiece. “It’s beautiful,” Adeline murmured.
She turned to find her father and brother grinning at each other like children on Michaelmas. “Where did these items come from? They look like they belong in a museum.”
Both men’s grins faded. George grasped her hands. “I told you—from an expedition. An archeological dig. Can you tell how valuable they are?”
Adeline arched one eyebrow. These items were not dug up recently. All the objects were in pristine condition. Was he trying to fool her, or had he been duped by the parties with whom they had invested? She had plenty of questions but could feel her father glowering at her.
She turned to give him a small smile. “The diadem is from the Hellenistic period.” At their confused look, she amended, “Fourth to first centuryBCGreece. It is older than the crosses. See the difference in the patina of the gold? Based on the shape of the crosses—see where the ends spread out—they look like they are from the Byzantine era. I can look at my books and narrow down the time periods. But based on their age, I would say all these are priceless.”
The men shared a look over her head. Adeline looked back and forth between them.
“What do you plan to do with them?”
“Never you mind about that.” Her father patted her on the arm. “Run along and gather your books and bring them back in here. I want to see if the crockery is worth anything as well.”
Calling the delicate hand-painted vessels crockery was shameful, but Adeline kept the thought to herself. This was the most interesting thing to happen in ages. It felt good to be needed. She nodded and hurried to her library.
Chapter Three
Malcolm walked, flankedby his first lieutenant, Sebastian Trent, into Lord Holden’s ballroom. The two of them stopped at the balcony railing that overlooked the ballroom to take in the swirling mass of people dressed in colorful gowns and black evening clothes.
The first thing that Malcolm noticed was how the room sparkled. The ballroom glowed with hundreds of candles from crystal chandeliers that ran down its length. The candlelight reflected off jeweled necklaces, flashed over the surface of gold pocket watches, and twinkled in the bejeweled headpieces tucked into many a lady’s elaborate hairstyle.
Seb whistled low. “Now, this is a party.”
Malcolm nodded. “You ready to swim with the sharks?”
Seb ran a hand back to smooth his chestnut hair. “Hell yes. Since when were either of us afraid of sharks?”
Malcolm grinned. He scanned the crowd, looking for George Amberley. “I see Lord Danby over in the far corner. He is the one person I actually know. Let’s head that way.” He started down the marble stairs to the ballroom floor. He had sent a note to George Amberley to tell him he was back in town. George was one of the few friends from childhood that Malcolm had kept up with by exchanging letters over the years. George’s reply to his note earlier this week had been enthusiastic, and they had planned to find each other this evening.
As they weaved through the crowd, Malcolm noticed eyes turning their way. Perhaps it was Seb in his uniform. His friend cut quite the figure in his dress uniform. In contrast, Malcolm felt rather strange in his new civilian evening wear. Though he’d looked dapper in the mirror in the tailor shop, now he wished he was wearing his uniform as well. He resisted the urge to tug his jacket sleeves and adjust his cravat.You belong here as much as the other toffs. Admiral Daniels had urged him to start thinking of himself as the Marquess of Kingsbury, even if he had never had a chance to grow into the role.
They passed by a long refreshment table with tureens of what looked like lemonade. He and Seb exchanged a look of distaste. “Where is the wine?” Seb asked under his breath.
“Malcolm Iveson, you look just the same!” A voice came from Malcolm’s left.
He turned and found Lord Danby approaching them with a wide smile across his broad face. Malcolm returned the smile and shook George’s outstretched hand. “You don’t look at all the same. You finally grew, Georgie-boy.”
His friend laughed. “Yes, well, it had to happen eventually. It is great to see you, Commander Iveson, or I guess it is now Lord Kingsbury.”
