A Rational Proposal (Furze House Irregulars Book 1)(12)
“That is easily done. There are small galleries everywhere with interesting works displayed. Indeed, Somerset House will provide you with easily a month of study taken by itself. Do you wish for just the programme to be set out, or is it your intention to actually visit the exhibits?”
“She wishes to visit them, naturally,” answered Julia, gliding towards them and taking Lilith’s other arm. “You and I shall go with her to witness Charles’s proof.” Her gaze rested briefly on the cluster of red coats by the piano, where the Heywards’ governess was preparing to strike up a waltz. “It will be a beautifully unexceptional way to spend several afternoons. I daresay the novelty of it will easily attract us an escort, should we wish for one.”
Verity and Lilith exchanged glances. “Julia dearest,” said Verity, “I have the strongest suspicion that mine is not the only ulterior motive here. Are you going to enlighten me?”
Julia sent her a provocative look. “Now where would be the amusement in that?”
CHAPTER FIVE
Charles Congreve, that evening, was present at a very select dinner given by Benedict Fitzgilbert. So select, in fact, that they waited on themselves from the array of dishes on the table.
“No Rothwell tonight, Fitz?” asked Nicholas Dacre, lazily filling his glass before passing the bottle on.
“He is not in town until next week,” answered their host. “Caroline has horses running at Newmarket.”
Nick’s face darkened. “Which is where I should be if I hadn’t had to dance attendance on my grandfather.”
“My condolences. How is he?”
“Likely to live for the next twenty years despite what he and his doctors predict. I swear the old man plans these deathbed scenes for just when it is most inconvenient to his warring descendants. I might get off to Newmarket early tomorrow if only to get the family poison out of my system. I’ll still get some racing, even if it is too late for the certainty I had for today.”
“Your tips are always certainties,” said Charles. “You should wager on Caroline’s horses instead. I was at dinner with them a few days ago in Newmarket. Solange is apparently in foal and Caro claims Rufus is running better than ever on the strength of it. Alex, by the way, asked me to pass on that he is now established in the reform movement and anti-slavery camp in the House and is doing his best to press for changes.”
Dacre’s eyes widened. “That must have been an interesting dinner. No one suspected you and Rothwell to be more than casual acquaintances?”
“My dear Nick, the ladies present were all close friends. We could have referred to the Pool out loud and they would not have remarked it. They were talking so hard about Verity Bowman’s inheritance and how taking Furze House for her and her mother would provide incontrovertible proof of her spending the next six months in a rational manner due to the necessity of turning it into a habitable residence, that it was impossible to introduce another topic of conversation at all. In the course of a single dinner, they had gutted the place, knocked three or four rooms together, furnished and decorated it, modernised the kitchen, let out the back premises to make the place pay and planned their first party.”
His companions roared with laughter. “It sounds ideal,” said Dacre. “Why do you not let Miss Bowman have her head? Is the house bad? Where is it?”
“Towards the heath on the Suffolk side. The house is far too large, but it is sound,” said Charles shortly. “Which is more than I can say for Verity. If I did as you suggested, she would be gulled on all sides by tradesmen and have spent up her legacy - the size of which neither she nor I yet know - by Christmas. Probably on some good cause totally unrelated to the house.”
“Surely she cannot be that hen-witted.”
Charles looked at him with a bitter expression. “She is not in the least hen-witted. She merely views the world from a different perspective. For example, I’ll take long odds you never had to break your sister and her madcap friend back into school because they had decided you needed your spirits lifting before your viva and had not troubled themselves to get permission for an exeat.”
“No,” said Nicholas, a little stunned. “No, I can’t say I did.”
“Precisely. To return to what we were talking about, Fitz, I have an offer from Adam Prettyman. He is at our service if we are ever - as he put it - in need of a gentleman as big as a bear with a gift for mimicry and a hard-won knowledge of rough fighting. As you know, I had dealings with Adam during that shocking business with the Earl of Harwood over the summer. I have got to know him pretty well since then and have thought for some time he would be a useful addition to the Pool.”
Fitzgilbert nodded. “Noted. And as his attorney you have an unexceptional reason for meeting him. I believe a cautious yes is in order. You’ll let him know? Good. To business, gentlemen. I have had a communication from Sir Nathaniel Conant. The man found in the Thames last week has been identified as one of Nash’s builders. Nash reported to Sir Nathaniel a little while ago as having received threats that if he didn’t pay a certain sum of money, building work on his New Street would be disrupted. It isn’t the first warning of this sort he has been in receipt of. Our shadow-man appears to be expanding his areas of interest. Thoughts?”
Charles put Verity firmly to the back of his mind and concentrated instead on the far easier problem of how to unmask an unknown extortionist who had all of London to hide in.