handsomely for it,” she added enticingly.
A greedy smile lifted Cerboni’s lips. “I shall return to my shop and begin investigations this very morning, signorina.”
The jeweler soon left, and it was time for the others to depart for the palazzo. There was a moist leave-taking amongst the young ladies, who promised to meet again soon.
“I’ll see you later, Pronto,” Belami said. “What are you doing today?”
“Elvira’s going to paint the Rialto. A picture of it, I mean, not the bridge itself. I’ll bear her company.”
“Keep in touch. You know where to find me.”
Deirdre found Dick quiet as they proceeded along the Grand Canal to the Ginnasis’ place. The duchess, however, wasn’t about to let him off so easily.
“You must have felt a flaming jackass, Belami, trying to pull off one of your stunts and coming a cropper,” she said merrily. “You’ve met your match in young Elvira Sutton.”
“She knows her business,” he agreed.
“Aye, she is quite an expert, speaking of assays and Fraternity of Goldsmiths and I don’t know what all, like a professional gentleman.”
“And the Trial of the Pyx,” he mused. “Your average young lady don’t carry that bit of esoterica in her head, even if she’s attended a good seminary in Bath.”
“Bath? They are from Cornwall,” the duchess told him.
“Elvira was educated in a seminary at Bath, unlike Lucy.”
“It’s odd Meggie never mentioned it. Did she tell you that, Deirdre?”
“No,” Deirdre said, frowning, “though I suspected some such thing. She is better educated than Lucy.”
“And better educated than her mama,” the duchess added. “That goosecap had no notion that the Italian language was based on Latin. I mentioned to her that I would feel quite at home, having a sound education in Latin. ‘What good will that do, your grace?’ she asked me. ‘They speak Italian in Venice.’ I noticed young Elvira smiling behind her fist.”
Belami listened quietly, interested to see these chinks appearing in the Suttons’ background. He kept thinking of that missing counterfeit coin from his pocket. Pronto would have told Elvira that he always carried it as a good-luck omen. Had she stolen it while they talked by the window? He’d looked in the gondola, and would look again in his bedroom, but he was quite sure he wouldn’t find it.
Yet there was no reason for her to take it—the Suttons’ coins were legitimate, so any comparison would have been harmless. Why had Elvira wanted him to be there at all? Was it to authenticate not the pearl, but the coins? Was that it?
While the duchess and Deirdre were being installed in their rooms, Belami called for Réal.
“I have a job for you,” he said.
“This is most excellent news.” Réal smiled. “It is very ennuyante in this watery place.”
“You don’t care for the Grand Canal?” Belami asked.
“Pshh! You call this creek a grand canal? In Canada, there we have real waters. The Saint Laurent, wide as an ocean, and the mighty lakes. The job, melord?” he asked eagerly.
“Go to the Léon Bianco and keep an eye on the Suttons,” he said. “I’m particularly interested to see if any of the party speak to a certain gentleman,” he added, and described Captain Styger. “If Styger shows up, follow him.”
“You wish I enter also into the ladies’ chamber for the searching?” Réal suggested.
“An excellent notion, but don’t get caught.”
Réal looked at him as though he were an idiot. “I don’t get caught, me. What I am looking for? Which clues?”
“Letters, money—a large quantity of gold coins in particular or anything that suggests counterfeiting. Also names or addresses. Whatever strikes you as out of place in a ladies’ chamber. Take as long as you require. I shan’t need your coaching services on these wet Venetian roads.”
Réal left and Belami went in search of Deirdre. She was busy settling into her new home till lunch time, when the
A greedy smile lifted Cerboni’s lips. “I shall return to my shop and begin investigations this very morning, signorina.”
The jeweler soon left, and it was time for the others to depart for the palazzo. There was a moist leave-taking amongst the young ladies, who promised to meet again soon.
“I’ll see you later, Pronto,” Belami said. “What are you doing today?”
“Elvira’s going to paint the Rialto. A picture of it, I mean, not the bridge itself. I’ll bear her company.”
“Keep in touch. You know where to find me.”
Deirdre found Dick quiet as they proceeded along the Grand Canal to the Ginnasis’ place. The duchess, however, wasn’t about to let him off so easily.
“You must have felt a flaming jackass, Belami, trying to pull off one of your stunts and coming a cropper,” she said merrily. “You’ve met your match in young Elvira Sutton.”
“She knows her business,” he agreed.
“Aye, she is quite an expert, speaking of assays and Fraternity of Goldsmiths and I don’t know what all, like a professional gentleman.”
“And the Trial of the Pyx,” he mused. “Your average young lady don’t carry that bit of esoterica in her head, even if she’s attended a good seminary in Bath.”
“Bath? They are from Cornwall,” the duchess told him.
“Elvira was educated in a seminary at Bath, unlike Lucy.”
“It’s odd Meggie never mentioned it. Did she tell you that, Deirdre?”
“No,” Deirdre said, frowning, “though I suspected some such thing. She is better educated than Lucy.”
“And better educated than her mama,” the duchess added. “That goosecap had no notion that the Italian language was based on Latin. I mentioned to her that I would feel quite at home, having a sound education in Latin. ‘What good will that do, your grace?’ she asked me. ‘They speak Italian in Venice.’ I noticed young Elvira smiling behind her fist.”
Belami listened quietly, interested to see these chinks appearing in the Suttons’ background. He kept thinking of that missing counterfeit coin from his pocket. Pronto would have told Elvira that he always carried it as a good-luck omen. Had she stolen it while they talked by the window? He’d looked in the gondola, and would look again in his bedroom, but he was quite sure he wouldn’t find it.
Yet there was no reason for her to take it—the Suttons’ coins were legitimate, so any comparison would have been harmless. Why had Elvira wanted him to be there at all? Was it to authenticate not the pearl, but the coins? Was that it?
While the duchess and Deirdre were being installed in their rooms, Belami called for Réal.
“I have a job for you,” he said.
“This is most excellent news.” Réal smiled. “It is very ennuyante in this watery place.”
“You don’t care for the Grand Canal?” Belami asked.
“Pshh! You call this creek a grand canal? In Canada, there we have real waters. The Saint Laurent, wide as an ocean, and the mighty lakes. The job, melord?” he asked eagerly.
“Go to the Léon Bianco and keep an eye on the Suttons,” he said. “I’m particularly interested to see if any of the party speak to a certain gentleman,” he added, and described Captain Styger. “If Styger shows up, follow him.”
“You wish I enter also into the ladies’ chamber for the searching?” Réal suggested.
“An excellent notion, but don’t get caught.”
Réal looked at him as though he were an idiot. “I don’t get caught, me. What I am looking for? Which clues?”
“Letters, money—a large quantity of gold coins in particular or anything that suggests counterfeiting. Also names or addresses. Whatever strikes you as out of place in a ladies’ chamber. Take as long as you require. I shan’t need your coaching services on these wet Venetian roads.”
Réal left and Belami went in search of Deirdre. She was busy settling into her new home till lunch time, when the
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