carriage will hold the captain and the three ladies, and you can go mounted."
This plan pleased everyone except Jonathon but, as the King's highway was free to all citizens, he could not well prevent Gabriel from going along.
"Why don't you come, Uncle?” Gab asked.
"I have some business in the village."
"Aren't we going to the village?” Claudia asked.
"No, we are going to Maldon,” Loo told her. “Sir Hillary is going to Billericay—it is only two miles away, and is just a little place. Maldon is bigger."
The gentlemen left, and the ladies went to prepare themselves for the trip.
Luane was happy to be having an outing with Gabriel, Mrs. Milmont in alt to be going to dinner at Chanely, and Claudia very excited indeed to be doing anything festive. Marcia came into her daughter's room, demanding to know whether Claudia had gloves to protect her emerald, and to ask whether she ought to wear the pearls—much too dressy, of course—or risk leaving them behind.
"Wear them under your gown, mama."
"Why, so I shall, an excellent idea. Yes, and I have had another excellent idea, too, my dear, and tell me what you think of it. You recall Mr. Blandings, that nice gentleman we met at Bath two years ago?"
"The big man with dark hair? I remember him."
"I daresay you didn't know, for I haven't mentioned it to you, but the fact of the matter is, he has become very particular in his attentions to me over the past two years. Yes, indeed, he has several times hinted he wants to marry me, only he is not quite ... not to say he isn't a gentleman, for he certainly is, and loaded with money too."
"Why don't you have him?” Claudia asked.
"The fact of the matter is, he got his money in trade—owned an ironmongery, but in Somerset, so far away no one need know. But marrying him was not the idea I had in mind, though I might very well ... What I meant was, I shall ask him here."
"Here?” Claudia asked, stunned at the ineligibility of the scheme. “What on earth for?"
"To steal the diamonds for us. What could be better? He will know precisely how to open up the steel chest. It will be like opening a hat box for him, for he is so clever, especially with metal. Someone will take them before the year is up. You may depend on that. Already young Gabriel has been after them, and the captain would have, too, if he hadn't been busy trying to steal the tiara. That was very bad of him, was it not? And hardly worth his while, I should have thought. But if they are to be stolen by just anyone, we might as well have them as not. They were given to Sophie by her great aunt, Lady Mary Withers, and she was my great aunt too, and it seems to me if anyone is to get them, it ought to be me."
"If Mr. Blandings is so rich, mama, you shan't need them, and really Luane had nothing."
"Pooh, she has the tiara, hasn't she? It is extremely valuable, very likely, and besides, the necklace will be yours eventually, so I should think you would be willing to help us."
"Help you!"
"Help Jerry—Mr. Blandings and myself, to steal it."
"Oh, mama, I could not!"
"What a gapeseed you are. I should have known more than to expect you to lend yourself to anything the slightest bit irregular, with the way your grandma Milmont has raised you, like a blasted saint, but at least you must be quiet about my plan."
"How do you plan to account for asking him here?"
"I have it all thought out. He lives in Essex, you see, that is just what is so convenient about it. He's bought a country seat near Colchester and is setting himself up as a country gentleman, though he hardly ever goes there. And if he should be driving from London to Marcyhurst—that is what he's called his place, after me of course, Marcia ... Well, as I was saying, if he should be passing by, what more natural than that he should stop off to say ‘how do you do’ to me? Then we have only to arrange a little invitation, and I'll say I'm lending you my carriage to return to Devon, so he will have to
This plan pleased everyone except Jonathon but, as the King's highway was free to all citizens, he could not well prevent Gabriel from going along.
"Why don't you come, Uncle?” Gab asked.
"I have some business in the village."
"Aren't we going to the village?” Claudia asked.
"No, we are going to Maldon,” Loo told her. “Sir Hillary is going to Billericay—it is only two miles away, and is just a little place. Maldon is bigger."
The gentlemen left, and the ladies went to prepare themselves for the trip.
Luane was happy to be having an outing with Gabriel, Mrs. Milmont in alt to be going to dinner at Chanely, and Claudia very excited indeed to be doing anything festive. Marcia came into her daughter's room, demanding to know whether Claudia had gloves to protect her emerald, and to ask whether she ought to wear the pearls—much too dressy, of course—or risk leaving them behind.
"Wear them under your gown, mama."
"Why, so I shall, an excellent idea. Yes, and I have had another excellent idea, too, my dear, and tell me what you think of it. You recall Mr. Blandings, that nice gentleman we met at Bath two years ago?"
"The big man with dark hair? I remember him."
"I daresay you didn't know, for I haven't mentioned it to you, but the fact of the matter is, he has become very particular in his attentions to me over the past two years. Yes, indeed, he has several times hinted he wants to marry me, only he is not quite ... not to say he isn't a gentleman, for he certainly is, and loaded with money too."
"Why don't you have him?” Claudia asked.
"The fact of the matter is, he got his money in trade—owned an ironmongery, but in Somerset, so far away no one need know. But marrying him was not the idea I had in mind, though I might very well ... What I meant was, I shall ask him here."
"Here?” Claudia asked, stunned at the ineligibility of the scheme. “What on earth for?"
"To steal the diamonds for us. What could be better? He will know precisely how to open up the steel chest. It will be like opening a hat box for him, for he is so clever, especially with metal. Someone will take them before the year is up. You may depend on that. Already young Gabriel has been after them, and the captain would have, too, if he hadn't been busy trying to steal the tiara. That was very bad of him, was it not? And hardly worth his while, I should have thought. But if they are to be stolen by just anyone, we might as well have them as not. They were given to Sophie by her great aunt, Lady Mary Withers, and she was my great aunt too, and it seems to me if anyone is to get them, it ought to be me."
"If Mr. Blandings is so rich, mama, you shan't need them, and really Luane had nothing."
"Pooh, she has the tiara, hasn't she? It is extremely valuable, very likely, and besides, the necklace will be yours eventually, so I should think you would be willing to help us."
"Help you!"
"Help Jerry—Mr. Blandings and myself, to steal it."
"Oh, mama, I could not!"
"What a gapeseed you are. I should have known more than to expect you to lend yourself to anything the slightest bit irregular, with the way your grandma Milmont has raised you, like a blasted saint, but at least you must be quiet about my plan."
"How do you plan to account for asking him here?"
"I have it all thought out. He lives in Essex, you see, that is just what is so convenient about it. He's bought a country seat near Colchester and is setting himself up as a country gentleman, though he hardly ever goes there. And if he should be driving from London to Marcyhurst—that is what he's called his place, after me of course, Marcia ... Well, as I was saying, if he should be passing by, what more natural than that he should stop off to say ‘how do you do’ to me? Then we have only to arrange a little invitation, and I'll say I'm lending you my carriage to return to Devon, so he will have to
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