That Infamous Pearl (21 page)

"Now you may do
as you choose," he said. "You may keep the rubies anywhere you wish."

Rowena swallowed. "Thank
you, Alaric. I did not mean to upset you."

Alaric stared down at
her for a moment. "You did not upset me, Rowena. Your request was
perfectly normal. And now I believe you should get some sleep."

With one swift
movement he picked her up again and walked across the large room, carrying her
lightly through the door into her own chamber. Within moments she was ensconced
in the large bed, the covers pulled up firmly under her chin.

"Aren't you
going to sleep with me?" she asked in a sudden panic when she saw Alaric
was still standing next to the bed.

"I have a very
early appointment. Jameson will wake me long before you are ready to rise. I
think it would be best if I slept in my own room tonight."

Rowena felt her heart
sinking. She did not want Alaric to leave her alone, especially since he still
seemed to be upset about her request for the combination to the safe. "I
don't mind being woken up. I like having you here with me."

"Thank you, but
I think it will be best for us both if I sleep alone tonight," said Alaric
firmly. His eyes rested for a moment on Rowena's face as though he was
attempting to gauge her reactions. "Good night, Rowena. I will take the
rubies to the safe now, but you may fetch them whenever you choose."

He leaned over and
touched his lips gently to her forehead. Then he was gone, stopping only to
pick up the rubies from her dressing table. The door closed behind himself with
a decisive click. Rowena felt like crying as she gazed down at the crumpled
piece of paper she still clutched in her hand. She did not know why, but she
felt as though something very important had changed in the last few minutes. She
hoped fervently that she was wrong.

Rowena awoke late the
next morning, for sleep had not come to her until the dawn was almost breaking.
She felt tired and uncomfortable, and longed to simply roll over and go back to
sleep. But Lawson had brought her a cup of chocolate and seemed determined that
she should arise, and then she remembered with a crashing sense of dismay that
she needed to get into the safe this afternoon. Malcolm expected to meet her
tomorrow. She plucked nervously at the counterpane and watched Lawson bustle
about the room, preparing her toilette.

"Lawson, has his
lordship gone out?"

"He left early
this morning, my lady."

Rowena tried to
appear unconcerned. "Do you know when he will return?"

Lawson shook her
head. "I think he intended to be gone quite some time, my lady. I'm sure
he will be back for dinner."

"He means to be
gone all day?"

"I believe so,
my lady."

Rowena couldn't ask
any more questions without seeming to be unduly curious. Perhaps she could
obtain more information from Ferguson. She pushed the covers away from her and
got out of bed.

"Don't you wish
for your chocolate, my lady?" asked Lawson.

Rowena waved her
hands nervously. "No, I should get dressed. I have a great deal to do
today."

But when Rowena
emerged from her bedroom, dressed in a pretty green muslin dress, its bodice
panniers embroidered with flowers, matched by a charming row of floral eyelet
broderie at the hem, her hair loosely coiffed, she stood irresolutely in the
doorway, looking anxiously up and down the hall. Perhaps she should go
immediately to the safe now. After all, Lawson had said Alaric was not in the
house. But what if he had returned? What if he had forgotten something or
Lawson had misunderstood his intentions? He would surely look for his wife, and
if she were found going through his safe...Rowena gave a little shudder. It was
best to talk to Ferguson first.

But Rowena found the
butler to be of little more help than Lawson. He bowed politely at Rowena's
casual questions as he served her breakfast and ventured the opinion that his
lordship would be gone the entire day. He did not know where he had gone and
could not guess when he might return. Did her ladyship wish to go riding this
morning?

"What? No, no I
will stay in, Ferguson." Rowena gazed down at her toast, discouraged. It
certainly seemed as though the field was wide open for her to explore the
contents of Alaric's safe, but she still felt as though her stomach was full of
butterflies. The picture of Alaric catching her in the act filled her mind to
the exclusion of almost any other thoughts.

"A missive for
you, my lady. It was just delivered."

Rowena looked up
absently as Ferguson extended a silver salver towards her on which rested a
folded piece of paper, neatly folded and addressed to the Countess of
Brayleigh. There was no indication of whom it came from, and Rowena sat
fingering it idly for a few moments, her thoughts still on the problem of the
safe. Then she looked at the note closely. Perhaps it was from Malcolm, she
thought with surge of relief. Perhaps in the daylight he too had thought better
of their rash plan. She tore the envelope open with eager fingers and spread
the sheet of paper out in front of her, trying to decipher her brother's
scrawl.

"
My dear
sister,"
the letter began,

"
I cannot
tell you what joy I felt to see you again after our long separation. The belief
you expressed in my innocence reassured me that blood is indeed thicker than
water. I know that we shall not again be separated as we have in the past.
My
heart has ached at the knowledge that I could not be present when you needed
me, as at the time of your recent forced marriage to my greatest enemy.

Rowena wrinkled her
nose slightly at Malcolm's florid style, and then continued.

"I know that
what I have asked of you is dangerous, but I can only be glad that you love me
enough to risk this for me. I do not think Brayleigh will harm you if he learns
of it; although the man will stoop to almost any baseness, his knowledge that I
will protect you will surely shield you from his wrath.

I am aware that when
Brayleigh is convicted it will mean the end of your marriage to the Monster and
that you may find yourself spoken of unkindly among the ton. I assure you, I
will support you in a manner befitting the sister of the Earl of Wroxton. You
will most probably wish to go into seclusion on my estates in Yorkshire, and I
will heartily support you in this desire.

I will write again
tomorrow, letting you know where we can meet. I look forward to seeing the
proof of Brayleigh's guilt and my innocence.

Your brother,

Malcolm

"Goodness!"
exclaimed Rowena, running her eyes over the letter again in the hope that she
had made some mistake. But the words were quite definite. Malcolm clearly
intended her to go through with the scheme, and was still unmoved by her
protestations of Alaric's innocence.

She picked up her tea
and took a defiant sip. Obviously Malcolm believed he was living in some sort
of romantic novel, with himself cast in the role of hero and Rowena as the
worshipful sister willing to go to any lengths to aid her brother. Go into
seclusion in Yorkshire, indeed! It was imperative that she bring Malcolm to his
senses immediately and force him to see that this was a matter that needed to
be handled with finesse and tact, not with histrionics that would be much more
appropriate on the stage. She folded the letter firmly and tucked it into the
bodice of her dress. When she met with Malcolm the next day she would tell him
exactly what she thought of it.

Rowena stood up, her
resolve renewed by Malcolm's ill-advised note. Whereas before she had wavered,
she was now quite resolute in her determination to prove him wrong. He would
understand before tomorrow was over that Alaric was not a monster and that she
had no intention of turning him over to the magistrates for the murder of
Alfred Ingram. They would simply have to learn to work together on this matter.

She marched out of
the dining room, her toast and tea forgotten on the table. A quick glance
around the hallway showed her that no one was about, and she headed up the
stairs purposefully. At this hour the chambermaids would be occupied making up
the bedrooms and the kitchen staff should be busy preparing the evening's meal,
making it unlikely that she would be seen going into the gallery. Now was as
good a time as any to accomplish her goal.

As she approached the
door to the gallery her determination wavered, but she set her shoulders firmly
and placed her hand on the doorknob. She would accomplish her task as quickly
as possible, and tomorrow she would be able to tell Malcolm that it was
necessary to search for another culprit in the matter. Then she could bring him
together with her husband and they would swiftly solve the mystery.

Rowena opened the
door and looked in anxiously. The room was uninhabited and she stepped inside,
closing the door sharply behind her. Despite her determination to move quickly,
she paused for a moment, once again overwhelmed by the beauty of the gallery's
furnishings. The jewel-like tones of portraits shone at her from the walls, and
the lovely sculptures glowed in the muted light that came through the large
casement windows. Rowena had never seen the space in daylight, and it was as
enchanting as it had been at night. She took a moment to walk around the room,
gazing once again in awe at Alaric's collection. He was a man of exquisite
taste. How could anyone ever think him a killer?

Taking a deep breath,
she walked to the far wall and looked up at the Van Dyke portrait. The young
woman in it smiled down at her gently, and it seemed to Rowena that she was
approving of her goal. Swiftly she lifted the painting off the wall and placed
it carefully on the ground. Then she pulled the scrap of paper that Alaric had
given her the night before from her bodice and began to manipulate the tumbler.
Within a few moments she heard the reassuring sound of the lock releasing, and
she gently eased the safe open, peering into it anxiously. At the very front of
it rested the blue velvet box that she knew contained her rubies. She moved it
gently to one side, and looked further into the safe. Carefully, she removed
the contents one by one. There were several leather document cases that held a
wide variety of papers relating, as near as she could tell, to Alaric's estates
in southern England. Behind them were a number of small boxes, and she reached
for them with trembling fingers. What if she was wrong and there was a giant
pearl in one of them? What if Malcolm was right and she was married to a
murderer?

Rowena removed each
box and opened it meticulously, her heart in her throat. There was a leather
case containing a lovely opal necklace that shimmered like moonlight, and
behind it a box that held a quantity of unset gemstones. The jewels twinkled up
at her accusingly and she shut the lid with a snap. Next there was a long
velvet box, which opened to reveal two exquisite miniature portraits of a man
and a woman, painted in minute detail and framed in gold set with twinkling
diamonds. After a moment's thought Rowena recognized the subjects as being
Charles I and his wife, Henrietta Maria. She closed the case carefully and
reached for a tiny box, made of rich blue leather. It was almost square, about
three inches on all sides. She looked down at it as it rested in her hand and
her heart began to beat harder. It was almost exactly the size a box would be
that would hold the pearl. She took a deep breath and gingerly lifted the lid,
peeking in apprehensively. With an incredible sense of relief her eye fell on a
golden charm in the shape of a heart, lavishly decorated with sapphires,
nestling in the satin interior of the box.

She closed the box,
willing her breathing to steady, and looked deep into the safe. It was empty
now, and her heart soared as she realized that now she could go to Malcolm and
tell him that his beliefs were unfounded. Alaric was no more guilty of murder
than her brother was. Surely the two men could be convinced to work together
now. She hastily began to restore the boxes to the safe, being careful to put
them back exactly where she had found them.

"Have you seen
enough?"

Rowena started
violently and gave a scream at the sound of the harsh male voice. The leather
case containing the necklace fell from her nerveless fingers and the pearls
tumbled out onto the floor, the row of milky stones trailing over one of her
delicate slippers. A man's hand reached down and picked it up, and Rowena
stared up, paralyzed, into her husband's face.

"You didn't
answer me."

"What are you
doing here? I thought you had gone out." The words came out in a gasp,
before Rowena could consider what she was saying.

"Was my absence
necessary? Aren't you going to tell me you were simply in here to fetch the
rubies?" Rowena winced at the cynical edge in Alaric's voice.

"How long have
you been here?" Rowena's voice was very soft.

"I was here when
you entered. I watched you as you searched my safe. Why might you have been
doing that, Rowena?"

"Mere curiosity,"
she said promptly, striving to regain her composure. "I suppose I should
not have done it, but it was irresistible."

"You are
blushing, Rowena. That means you are lying. But I knew you were lying anyway,
because I know why you are here. You didn't find the pearl, did you? Malcolm
will be so disappointed."

Rowena gaped up at
him. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that
you will have to report to your brother that you cannot prove me to be a
murderer today. Perhaps I shouldn't have interrupted you. Perhaps I should have
waited to see to what lengths you would go to find the pearl. Would you have
searched my bedroom? Would you have waited until we travelled to my estates and
searched them? Perhaps I would find you rapping the walls one night, looking
for hidden compartments. But I stopped you out of pity, Rowena. There is no
pearl to be found in my possession. I don't have it."

"I know that,"
snapped Rowena. "I was only doing this to prove you are innocent."

Alaric raised his
eyebrows. "You were searching my safe to prove me innocent? I was not
aware that was the normal procedure in these cases. I rather thought the safes
of men who were presumed to be guilty were searched."

"I believed you
were innocent, but it was necessary that I do this in order to have proof that
you don't have the Pearl of Sirsi in your possession," she said urgently. "Surely
you can understand that."

"And who were
you going to prove it to?" asked Alaric quietly.

Rowena hesitated. He
had already mentioned Malcolm once, but she had no idea how much he actually
knew. If she told him her brother was in London that might cause more problems
than it solved.

"Your brother,
perhaps?" asked Alaric silkily. His green eyes glittered as he watched
Rowena's face. He saw a number of emotions light her eyes, from alarm to fear
to annoyance.

"Come, my dear,
you can tell me. I am your husband, after all. I thought that honesty was
important between a married couple."