“A good man,” Lord Diamond said. “I am speaking of the father, mind you, but it goes for the son as well. Pettigrain has doubled his family fortune since claiming the title. And his son, if rumors are true, will double it again.”
“I wouldn’t know about that, Father.” Then Brilliance again addressed the solicitor. “Lord Redley and I have been keeping company for weeks.”
“I fail to see the relevance,” he said.
Brilliance considered and then nodded. “I suppose there is none at all, except I would not have been at the concert if not for him.”
Then she managed to close her mouth and stop talking until the lawyer asked her another question. But she couldn’t help sneaking a glance at Vincent, who looked somber. He sat up a little straighter when he noticed her looking his way.
However, when the meeting was over, he merely thanked her and her father for coming and climbed into his carriage.
“I have been deposed,” she told her sister Radiance. “It was exciting to have the solicitor listening to me carefully and taking down my true and lawful statement. Only think how my own words may help Lord Hewitt regain his music.”
They were walking along the path beside the three dinosaur islands at the new location of the Crystal Palace, whichhad recently reopened with an Egyptian exhibit. Both sisters preferred the original structure at Hyde Park to the enlarged one on Penge Peak next to Sydenham Hill.
Regardless, it was a good outing nonetheless with the innovative glass and steel building being the perfect place to promenade on a rainy afternoon.
“I hope Lord Hewitt was dutifully appreciative,” her redheaded sister said. They had taken advantage of a break in the rain showers to tour the massive exterior exhibit featuring extinct animals, designed and sculpted by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins. Ray was intimately familiar with it as the scientist directing Mr. Hawkins was Sir Richard Owen, a dear friend of her husband.
Edward Lockwood, who suited Ray perfectly in Brilliance’s estimation, had invited her to join them weeks earlier to see the Crystal Palace being rebuilt and to watch the dinosaurs being painted in place.
“Can you believe these beasts once roamed all over?” Brilliance asked, changing the subject.
Vincenthadbeen grateful, but it wasn’t as though he had been overly effusive about it. After all, she’d caused the mess in the first place. And even if he had wanted to take her aside and declare his undying gratitude, he couldn’t. Her father had kept a watchful eye on the two of them.
Besides, there had been that embarrassing moment when she had explained to all three men how she’d folded up the pages and lifted her skirts to deposit them in her pocket. She didn’t want her father thinking too much about his youngest daughter’s actions.
“I cannot imagine how these animals were raised. How could there be a stable big enough to hold them?”
Radiance halted and turned to her. “Bri, dear, there weren’t any people at the time of the dinosaurs. They never lived onearth at the same time as us, so we never had to put them in a pen or a stable.”
Brilliance looked past her sister at the large creatures. “I am sure you are correct, because you are smart and know so much, but if no one has ever seen them, then how do we know what they looked like?”
Ray tucked Brilliance’s arm under hers. “I shall tell you about fossils if you tell me how you ended up alone in a room in Lord Hewitt’s country manor.”
Brilliance stumbled. She didn’t want to discuss that. Her sister was far too clever. “Do you know there is a cheese namedBrie?”
“I do,” Ray said. “So, am I correct in thinking you fancy Lord Hewitt?”
Brilliance had not succeeded in distracting her even for a second.
“Brie is soft and creamy and divinely delicious.”
Ray laughed. “Is that how you tell your sister to mind her own business?”
Brilliance sighed. “I admire Lord Hewitt greatly. Quite naturally, we had a falling out when I took his music and had it printed.”
“Naturally,” her sister agreed. “But that one incident, especially since you meant no harm, could not possibly stop true love. At least, it should not, in my opinion.”
“True love?” Brilliance mused. “Honestly, Ray, my heart had firmly decided upon Vincent Hewitt. And I thought he felt the same. However, he set me aside rather easily and so swiftly my head was spinning. I didn’t have time to convince him I didn’t intend any harm. Moreover, he has not given me any indication since meeting again in London that he wishes to take up where we left off.”
She looked at the dinosaur statues. “I suppose he puts me in the same category as his best friend who stole his music and has built a career of fame and fortune on Lord Hewitt’s work.”
“But it’snotthe same at all. You didn’t try to benefit from his music. You were only trying to help him.” Ray sighed. “What does Father think?”
“He seemed impressed by him. He invited Lord Hewitt to dinner, not in person, but in writing after we discussed it privately on the way home.”
“Did he?” Ray nodded. “Why, that is a good sign.”
