search
revealed no signs of a planned departure. No clothes were missing,
Thomas said, except for those Lord Lisle had worn today. Questioned
more closely, however, the footman did produce two relevant pieces of
information. First, the boy had struck up an acquaintance with a
red-haired girl at the British Museum two weeks ago. Second,
Peregrine was in the habit of visiting the garden several times a
day.
Benedict destroyed several shrubs and a flower bed
before he discovered the loose bricks near the back garden gate.
Stuck to one was a broken piece of sealing wax and a fragment of
paper.
Benedict returned to the bedroom. His
gaze went to the window seat, which looked out into the garden. He
often found his nephew there, bent over a book. A few minutes later,
Benedict found the cache of letters, folded between the pages of
Belzoni's Narrative .
* * *
IT DID NOT take Lord Lisle long to leave Nat Diggerby in
a stunned heap by the side of the road. It was time enough for a
crowd to gather, though, which gave Olivia a chance to slip away
unnoticed.
The crowd aroused the curiosity of passersby, and
traffic slowed in consequence. The road on both sides of the tollgate
became jammed with vehicles, horses, and pedestrians. Among those
forced to wait was a young farmer driving a small wagon. Olivia
approached him. Tears filled her great blue eyes. From her trembling
lips fell a poignant tale about an ailing mother in Slough.
Moved, the farmer offered her a ride in his cart as far
as Brentford.
She climbed in.
Before the cart was through the tollgate, Lord Lisle
came running alongside. "You beastly girl!" he said. "I
won't let you do this."
"Oh, look, it is my poor brother," she told
the farmer. "He is mad with grief. I told him to stay in London.
He is sure to find work eventually. But he…"
She went on to tell a tragic tale of family woes. The
farmer swallowed it whole. He told Lord Lisle he was welcome to join
his sister if he chose.
Lord Lisle looked wildly about him. A couple of soldiers
had got hold of Nat Diggerby and were dragging him to the watch
house. .
Lord Lisle climbed into the cart.
BATHSHEBA LIT ANOTHER candle and read the letter again,
because the first time, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on
her.
After the second perusal, she was furious.
Olivia's scheme was all too familiar. It was the same
method her parents used to deal with their difficulties. They'd count
on a crackbrained scheme to solve all their problems at once, rather
than tackle them directly, one at a time. They'd chance their money
on a throw of the dice, rather than pay the rent with it.
She flung the letter down. "Only wait until I get
my hands on you, my girl."
But Bathsheba must find her first.
The letter did not reveal her destination. Olivia said
she was going to find Edmund DeLucey's legendary treasure, however,
and that was clue enough.
She would head for Throgmorton, the Earl of Mandeville's
country house, because that was where Jack had said the treasure was,
and why listen to boring Mama when Papa's stories were so much more
exciting and romantic?
The only question was how great a head start she had.
Not more than a few hours, Bathsheba guessed. Had Olivia missed
school, Bathsheba would have heard from Miss Smithson by now. With
any luck, one might catch up with the girl in a matter of hours
rather than days.
Still, to pursue her, Bathsheba needed money, which
meant she needed a pawnbroker. She was not sure where the nearest one
was. But Mrs. Briggs would know. Meanwhile, Bathsheba must find
something to pawn.
She began to tear the rooms apart. She emptied cupboards
and drawers, pulled bed linens from the mattresses. She flung
everything into a heap in the center of the room. She was wrapping up
her few pieces of cutlery when someone knocked on the door.
She rose, pushed her hair out of her face, and walked to
the door, praying the visitor was the watchman, the beadle, or a
constable, with Olivia in tow. She
revealed no signs of a planned departure. No clothes were missing,
Thomas said, except for those Lord Lisle had worn today. Questioned
more closely, however, the footman did produce two relevant pieces of
information. First, the boy had struck up an acquaintance with a
red-haired girl at the British Museum two weeks ago. Second,
Peregrine was in the habit of visiting the garden several times a
day.
Benedict destroyed several shrubs and a flower bed
before he discovered the loose bricks near the back garden gate.
Stuck to one was a broken piece of sealing wax and a fragment of
paper.
Benedict returned to the bedroom. His
gaze went to the window seat, which looked out into the garden. He
often found his nephew there, bent over a book. A few minutes later,
Benedict found the cache of letters, folded between the pages of
Belzoni's Narrative .
* * *
IT DID NOT take Lord Lisle long to leave Nat Diggerby in
a stunned heap by the side of the road. It was time enough for a
crowd to gather, though, which gave Olivia a chance to slip away
unnoticed.
The crowd aroused the curiosity of passersby, and
traffic slowed in consequence. The road on both sides of the tollgate
became jammed with vehicles, horses, and pedestrians. Among those
forced to wait was a young farmer driving a small wagon. Olivia
approached him. Tears filled her great blue eyes. From her trembling
lips fell a poignant tale about an ailing mother in Slough.
Moved, the farmer offered her a ride in his cart as far
as Brentford.
She climbed in.
Before the cart was through the tollgate, Lord Lisle
came running alongside. "You beastly girl!" he said. "I
won't let you do this."
"Oh, look, it is my poor brother," she told
the farmer. "He is mad with grief. I told him to stay in London.
He is sure to find work eventually. But he…"
She went on to tell a tragic tale of family woes. The
farmer swallowed it whole. He told Lord Lisle he was welcome to join
his sister if he chose.
Lord Lisle looked wildly about him. A couple of soldiers
had got hold of Nat Diggerby and were dragging him to the watch
house. .
Lord Lisle climbed into the cart.
BATHSHEBA LIT ANOTHER candle and read the letter again,
because the first time, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on
her.
After the second perusal, she was furious.
Olivia's scheme was all too familiar. It was the same
method her parents used to deal with their difficulties. They'd count
on a crackbrained scheme to solve all their problems at once, rather
than tackle them directly, one at a time. They'd chance their money
on a throw of the dice, rather than pay the rent with it.
She flung the letter down. "Only wait until I get
my hands on you, my girl."
But Bathsheba must find her first.
The letter did not reveal her destination. Olivia said
she was going to find Edmund DeLucey's legendary treasure, however,
and that was clue enough.
She would head for Throgmorton, the Earl of Mandeville's
country house, because that was where Jack had said the treasure was,
and why listen to boring Mama when Papa's stories were so much more
exciting and romantic?
The only question was how great a head start she had.
Not more than a few hours, Bathsheba guessed. Had Olivia missed
school, Bathsheba would have heard from Miss Smithson by now. With
any luck, one might catch up with the girl in a matter of hours
rather than days.
Still, to pursue her, Bathsheba needed money, which
meant she needed a pawnbroker. She was not sure where the nearest one
was. But Mrs. Briggs would know. Meanwhile, Bathsheba must find
something to pawn.
She began to tear the rooms apart. She emptied cupboards
and drawers, pulled bed linens from the mattresses. She flung
everything into a heap in the center of the room. She was wrapping up
her few pieces of cutlery when someone knocked on the door.
She rose, pushed her hair out of her face, and walked to
the door, praying the visitor was the watchman, the beadle, or a
constable, with Olivia in tow. She
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