‘Another keepsake,’ George said. ‘Crushed it in his hands, poor old Ricky – couldn’t bear the recollections it conjured up – flung it away!’
‘Oh, fiddle!’ said Louisa, exasperated. ‘Well, Porson, what is it now?’
The butler, who had come back into the room, said primly: ‘The Honourable Cedric Brandon, my lady, to see Sir Richard. I thought perhaps your ladyship would wish to receive him.’
‘I don’t suppose he can throw the least light on this mystery, but you may as well show him in,’ said Louisa. ‘Depend upon it,’ she added to her husband, when Porson had withdrawn himself again, ‘he will have come to learn why Richard did not keep his engagement with Saar this morning. I am sure I do not know what I am to say to him!’
‘If you ask me, Cedric won’t blame Richard,’ said George. ‘They tell me he was talking pretty freely at White’s yesterday. Foxed, of course. How you and your mother can want Ricky to marry into that family is what beats me!’
‘We have known the Brandons all our lives,’ Louisa said defensively. ‘I don’t pretend that –’ She broke off, as the Honourable Cedric walked into the room, and stepped forward, with her hand held out. ‘How do you do, Cedric? I am afraid Richard is not at home. We – think he must have been called away suddenly on urgent affairs.’
‘Taken my advice, has he?’ said Cedric, saluting her hand with careless grace. ‘“You run, Ricky! Don’t do it!” that’s what I told him. Told him I’d sponge on him for the rest of his days, if he was fool enough to let himself be caught.’
‘I wonder that you should talk in that vulgar way!’ said Louisa. ‘Of course he has notrun! I dare say he will be back any moment now. It was excessively remiss of him not to have sent a note round to inform Lord Saar that he could not wait on him this morning, as he had engaged himself to do, but –’
‘You’ve got that wrong,’ interrupted Cedric. ‘No engagement at all. Melissa told him to call on m’father; he didn’t say he would. Wormed it out of Melissa myself an hour ago. Lord, you never saw anyone in such a rage! What’s all this?’ His roving eye had alighted on the relics laid out upon the table. ‘A lock of hair, by Jove! Devilish pretty hair too!’
‘Found in the library this morning,’ said George portentously, ignoring his wife’s warning frown.
‘Here? Ricky?’ demanded Cedric. ‘You’re bamming me!’
‘No, it is perfectly true. We cannot understand it.’
Cedric’s eyes danced. ‘By all that’s famous! Who’d havethought it, though? Well, that settles our affairs! Devilish inconvenient, but damme, I’m glad he’s bolted! Always liked Ricky – never wanted to see him bound for perdition with the rest of us! But we’re done-up now, and no mistake! The diamonds have gone.’
‘What?’ Louisa cried. ‘Cedric, not the Brandon necklace?’
‘That’s it. Last sheet-anchor thrown out to the windward – gone like that!’ He snapped his fingers in the air, and laughed. ‘I came to tell Ricky I’d accept his offer to buy me a pair of colours, and be off to the Wars.’
‘But how? Where?’ gasped Louisa.
‘Stolen. My mother took it to Bath with her. Never would stir without the thing, more’s the pity!Iwonder m’father didn’t sell it years ago. Only thing he didn’t sell, except Saar Court, and that’ll have to go next. My mother wouldn’t hear of parting with the diamonds.’
‘But Cedric, how stolen? Who took it?’
‘Highwaymen. My mother sent off a courier post-haste to m’father. Chaise stopped somewhere near Bath – two fellows with masks and horse-pistols – Sophia screeching like a hen – my mother swooning – outriders taken by surprise – one of ’em winged. And off went the necklace. Which is what I can’t for the life of me understand.’
‘How terrible! Your poor Mama! I am so sorry! It is an appalling loss!’
‘Yes, but how the devil did they find the thing?’ said Cedric. ‘That’s what I want to know.’
‘But surely if they took Lady Saar’s jewel-case –’
‘The necklace wasn’t in it. I’ll lay my last shilling on that. My mother had a hiding-place for it – devilish cunning notion – always put it there when she travelled. Secret pocket behind one of the squabs.’
‘Good Gad, do you mean to say someone divulged the hiding-place to the rascals?’ said George.
‘Looks mighty like it, don’t it?’
‘Who knew of it? If you can discover the traitor, you may yet get the necklace back. Are you sure of all your servants?’
‘I’m sure none of them – Lord, I don’t know!’ Cedric said, rather hastily. ‘My mother wants the Bow Street Runners set on to it, but m’father don’t think it’s the least use. And now here’s Ricky bolted, on top of everything! The old man will go off in an apoplexy!’
‘Really, Cedric, you must not talk so of your Papa!’ Louisa expostulated. ‘And we don’t know that Richard has – hasbolted! Indeed, I am sure it’s no such thing!’
‘He’ll be a fool if he hasn’t,’ said Cedric. ‘What do you think, George?’
‘I don’t know,’ George answered. ‘It is very perplexing. I own, when I first heard of his disappearance – for you must know that he did not sleep in his bed last night, and whenIsaw him he was foxed – I felt the gravest alarm. But –’
