melodramatic, and led the way back towards the stairs.
Chaloner was silent, wrestling withthe uncomfortable notion that he might have to become much more familiar with the strongroom when the Earl was in residence.
His duties did include safeguarding his employer’s property, after all.
Once Oliver had finished showing off the vault, Chaloner hunted Pratt down in the Lawyers’ Library. This room was already
finished, with shelves and panelling in place, and a functional hearth. Pratt was using it as an office from which to work
on the rest of the house. It was cold, though, and Oliver immediately set about lighting a fire.
‘What time did you finish work last night?’ asked Chaloner, wondering whether it was possible to glean clues about the thieves
by identifying what time they struck.
It was Oliver who replied. ‘Early. Mr Pratt had been called away, but shortly afterwards a question arose about the cornices,
which meant we had to stop work to await his decision. Rather than keep the men hanging around idle, I sent them home at three
o’clock.’
‘I left at noon,’ said Pratt, adding smugly, ‘Christopher Wren wanted to show me his designs for a new St Paul’s, you see.
He values my opinion.’
‘What did you think?’ asked Chaloner curiously. He had seen Wren’s plans, and had been appalled: the architect intended to
tear down the iconic gothic building and replace it with a baroque monstrosity of domes and ugly pediments.
‘That without me, he will make some terrible mistakes,’ replied Pratt haughtily. ‘No one has my skill with Palladian porticos.’
Chaloner found the prospect of a cathedral with Palladian porticos vaguely sacrilegious and considered telling Pratt so, but
he knew he should not waste time ona debate when he had so much to do. Reluctantly, for he would have liked to denounce Wren’s flashy notions, he turned the
discussion back to the thefts. ‘So the supplies could have been stolen yesterday afternoon?’
‘It is possible,’ acknowledged Oliver. ‘All we can say for certain is that they were there when we left. Personally, I do
not believe
common
thieves are responsible. Clarendon has enemies at Court, and I think some of them are doing the pilfering. To annoy us and
inconvenience him.’
Chaloner was about to ask if he had any specific suspects, recalling that Hannah believed much the same thing, when Vere shuffled
in to announce that the labourers were ready to begin work. The sullen woodmonger regarded Chaloner with disdain.
‘You did not last long as nightwatchman,’ he said. ‘I see real soldiers are doing it now.’
‘Chaloner is still investigating, though,’ said Oliver, endearingly loyal. ‘The Earl just wants him free to do more questioning
than watching. He will catch these villains, never fear.’
‘I hope so,’ growled Vere. ‘Because at the moment he suspects my lads of helping the thieves. But he is wrong, and when he
has the real culprits in custody, he will owe us an apology.’
‘We shall work on the Room of Audience today,’ announced Pratt, uninterested in what his staff thought about Chaloner’s suspicions.
‘So I shall need all the cherry-wood panels, and as much plaster as you can mix.’
Oliver left to supervise the operation, and Vere followed him out only after shooting Chaloner a gloweringly resentful glare.
When they had gone, Pratt closed the door.
‘I suppose you are here about the threat against my life,’he said. ‘The Earl told me about it yesterday, but there is no need for alarm. It means I have reached an apogee.’
Chaloner regarded him uncertainly. ‘I do not understand.’
‘I mean that ignorant fools often take exception to my buildings, because they do not possess the intelligence to appreciate
how exquisite they are. You are probably one of them, which is why you think Clarendon House is too grand. But threats against
me are a
good
thing. They tell me that I have
Chaloner was silent, wrestling withthe uncomfortable notion that he might have to become much more familiar with the strongroom when the Earl was in residence.
His duties did include safeguarding his employer’s property, after all.
Once Oliver had finished showing off the vault, Chaloner hunted Pratt down in the Lawyers’ Library. This room was already
finished, with shelves and panelling in place, and a functional hearth. Pratt was using it as an office from which to work
on the rest of the house. It was cold, though, and Oliver immediately set about lighting a fire.
‘What time did you finish work last night?’ asked Chaloner, wondering whether it was possible to glean clues about the thieves
by identifying what time they struck.
It was Oliver who replied. ‘Early. Mr Pratt had been called away, but shortly afterwards a question arose about the cornices,
which meant we had to stop work to await his decision. Rather than keep the men hanging around idle, I sent them home at three
o’clock.’
‘I left at noon,’ said Pratt, adding smugly, ‘Christopher Wren wanted to show me his designs for a new St Paul’s, you see.
He values my opinion.’
‘What did you think?’ asked Chaloner curiously. He had seen Wren’s plans, and had been appalled: the architect intended to
tear down the iconic gothic building and replace it with a baroque monstrosity of domes and ugly pediments.
‘That without me, he will make some terrible mistakes,’ replied Pratt haughtily. ‘No one has my skill with Palladian porticos.’
Chaloner found the prospect of a cathedral with Palladian porticos vaguely sacrilegious and considered telling Pratt so, but
he knew he should not waste time ona debate when he had so much to do. Reluctantly, for he would have liked to denounce Wren’s flashy notions, he turned the
discussion back to the thefts. ‘So the supplies could have been stolen yesterday afternoon?’
‘It is possible,’ acknowledged Oliver. ‘All we can say for certain is that they were there when we left. Personally, I do
not believe
common
thieves are responsible. Clarendon has enemies at Court, and I think some of them are doing the pilfering. To annoy us and
inconvenience him.’
Chaloner was about to ask if he had any specific suspects, recalling that Hannah believed much the same thing, when Vere shuffled
in to announce that the labourers were ready to begin work. The sullen woodmonger regarded Chaloner with disdain.
‘You did not last long as nightwatchman,’ he said. ‘I see real soldiers are doing it now.’
‘Chaloner is still investigating, though,’ said Oliver, endearingly loyal. ‘The Earl just wants him free to do more questioning
than watching. He will catch these villains, never fear.’
‘I hope so,’ growled Vere. ‘Because at the moment he suspects my lads of helping the thieves. But he is wrong, and when he
has the real culprits in custody, he will owe us an apology.’
‘We shall work on the Room of Audience today,’ announced Pratt, uninterested in what his staff thought about Chaloner’s suspicions.
‘So I shall need all the cherry-wood panels, and as much plaster as you can mix.’
Oliver left to supervise the operation, and Vere followed him out only after shooting Chaloner a gloweringly resentful glare.
When they had gone, Pratt closed the door.
‘I suppose you are here about the threat against my life,’he said. ‘The Earl told me about it yesterday, but there is no need for alarm. It means I have reached an apogee.’
Chaloner regarded him uncertainly. ‘I do not understand.’
‘I mean that ignorant fools often take exception to my buildings, because they do not possess the intelligence to appreciate
how exquisite they are. You are probably one of them, which is why you think Clarendon House is too grand. But threats against
me are a
good
thing. They tell me that I have
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