CHAPTER
36
Stoker and I took our leave of Cherboys shortly after breakfast. I thought it best to depart before we drove any more of Tiberius’ staff away in fright, and Stoker was eager to get his Megalosaurus back to London.
“Will you come with us?” I urged Tiberius. “The Secretis shortly to open at the Adelphi. Perhaps you would care to be there for opening night?”
“Tempting, but no,” he said. “I think I might do a bit more ‘lording’ here. I mean to apply myself to my obligations for once and take a personal interest. Pity me, pet. I may have to learn aboutdrains,” he said, pulling a face.
“A little honest work will do you good,” I told him. “Well, if you will not come, perhaps I can persuade Elspeth to visit. I promised to take her along to the Hippolyta Club to listen to a lecture or two.”
“She might be in a fair way ofgivinga lecture,” he said, nodding to where the lady herself was flying up the drive, skirts belling like sails in the wind. Her skin was browner, the freckles standing out on her cheekbones, and her hair was gilded by the sun. Gone were the pernickety lace collars and instead she wore a stout striped pinafore overa loose skirt and trousers similar to my own design—a pair of Timothy’s cut down, I imagined. She held a bone aloft and cried out in triumph as she reached us.
“I found it!” she exclaimed, holding it out for us to see. “This is the first sign of a new Megalosaurus. And one quite unlike any ever discovered before.”
“You have been digging!” Stoker said happily. He is never more delighted than when another natural scientist shares their finds. Joy shone from her face.
“I have indeed. When Veronica described the bone her skirts were caught on, I knew it must be from a Megalosaurus and I was right.” She brandished the bone in front of Tiberius. “It is still there. Or rather,theyare still there. The one I discovered twenty years ago was a juvenile compared to this. This is perhaps a parent or elder sibling. It is the find of the century,” she crowed.
“Are you certain?” I enquired, peering closely at the bone. To my untrained eye, it looked insignificant, much too small to bear the weight of such august expectations.
But Elspeth replied with a fluent lecture on the finer points of the specimen, going on at length about the thing in such minute detail that I was left in no doubt about its consequence. She looked like a bride, radiant and confident in her conquest.
“Of course, it will take a good deal of time to dig it out—Timothy will have to see to the jam making,” she added, her eyes glinting in satisfaction. I was not entirely convinced Timothy would resent the jam making, and there was every possibility he would prove more talented at it than his begrudging sister.
An anxious frown touched her brow. “That is if I still have permission to dig? That bit of cliff does belong to Cherboys.”
“The fossil is entirely yours,” Tiberius assured her.
She turned glowing eyes to Stoker and to me. “I told him of mysuspicions and his lordship gave me permission to dig. And men to help excavate.Andhe has had the cliff shored up to make it as safe as possible.”
“If you require introductions to the appropriate societies, you have only to ask,” Stoker told her kindly.
She fairly danced as she gave him her thanks and then dashed away, back to her fossil. “So much left to dig!”
Stoker looked at his brother. “Well done,” he said quietly.
Tiberius waved a hand. “It has come to my attention that there are one or two things I might have managed a little better,” he said.
“You mean I was right to tell you not to meddle by holding this house party,” Stoker put in.
Tiberius smoothed his cuffs. “I was entirely correct to do so. Beatrice wanted me dead, and I have no doubt she would have accomplished it had I not forced her hand by inviting everyone here. But I am grateful for your assistance. And to show my appreciation, I brought you a present back from Bavaria.”
He signaled to Collins, who came forward with a small crate. Even before the thing was opened, I knew what horrors lurked within.
“A wolpertinger!” Stoker exclaimed. Between that and the Megalosaurus, he should be busy indeed.
Julien appeared then to say farewell. “Are you not returning with us?” I asked in considerable disappointment. Sometimes Julien’s pastries were the only means of coaxing a good mood out of Stoker when he had overworked himself, and I will admit to a certain fondness for hispets de nonnesmyself, although why anyone should choose such a ludicrous name for such a delectable pastry eluded me. Nuns’ farts indeed!
“No, I remain here for a few more days, until his lordship and I have settled the details.”
“Details?” I looked to Tiberius while Stoker amused himself by plucking shreds of excelsior from his new wolpertinger.
“Julien and I are going to be men of business together,” Tiberiussaid, smiling at Julien. “We are opening a restaurant, a very exclusive establishment catering to extremely discriminating tastes.”
“We shall call it d’Orlande’s,” Julien said.
“We bloody well shall not,” Tiberius countered.
