This Was A Man (37 page)

‘I can’t imagine the circumstances in which that would happen,’ said Virginia, ‘but if it should arise, I will be in touch immediately.’

‘Thank you. I still have time,’ he said, looking at his watch, ‘to check the lower ground floor before I leave.’

‘I can’t imagine you’ll find anything below stairs,’ said Virginia, ‘other than a few ancient pots and pans, and an antique Aga that I’ve been telling the
duke should have been replaced years ago.’

Poltimore laughed dutifully, before finishing the last mouthful of his bread and butter pudding.

‘The car will be ready to take you to the station at two forty,’ said Virginia, ‘which should give you plenty of time to catch the five past three back to London.’

Virginia was talking to the gardener about planting a new bed of fuchsias when she looked up to see Poltimore running towards her. She waited for him to catch his breath, before
he said, ‘I think I may have found something quite remarkable, but I’ll need to check with the head of our Chinese department before I can be absolutely certain.’

‘Your Chinese department?’

‘I nearly missed them, hidden away in a corner of the downstairs corridor, near the pantry.’

‘Missed what?’ said Virginia, trying not to display her impatience.

‘Two large blue and white vases. I checked the markings on the base, and I think they just might be Ming Dynasty.’

Virginia kept her tone casual. ‘Are they valuable enough to be added to the inventory?’

‘Without question, if they turn out to be originals. A similar pair, but much smaller than yours, came up at auction in New York a couple of years ago, and the hammer price was over a
million dollars. I’ve taken some photographs of them,’ Poltimore continued, ‘in particular the distinctive markings on the base, which I’ll show to our Chinese expert as
soon as I get back to Bond Street. I’ll write to let you know his opinion.’

‘I would prefer you to telephone me,’ said Virginia. ‘I wouldn’t want to get the duke’s hopes up, only to find it was a false alarm.’

‘I’ll call you some time tomorrow,’ Poltimore promised.

‘Good, then that’s settled,’ said Virginia, as a footman came out carrying a suitcase which he placed in the boot of the car.

‘I’ll say goodbye now, your grace.’

‘Not quite yet, Mr Poltimore,’ said Virginia, who joined him in the back. She waited until they had set off down the drive before whispering, ‘If the duke were to decide to
sell the vases, how would you recommend he go about it?’

‘If our expert confirms they are Ming Dynasty, we would advise you which sale would be most appropriate for a piece of such historic importance.’

‘If possible, I’d like to sell them with the minimum of fuss and the maximum discretion.’

‘Of course, your grace,’ said Poltimore. ‘But I should point out that if the Hertford name were attached to the vases, one could expect them to fetch a far higher price.
I’m sure you’re aware that two things really matter when a discovery of this potential importance comes up for auction: provenance, and when the piece last appeared on the market. So if
you can combine the name of Hertford with three hundred years of history, frankly it would be an auctioneer’s dream.’

‘Yes, I can see that would make a difference,’ said Virginia, ‘but for personal reasons, the duke might want to remain anonymous.’

‘Whatever you decided we would, of course, abide by your wishes,’ said Poltimore as the car drew up outside the station.

The chauffeur opened the door to allow the duchess to get

out.

‘I look forward to hearing from you, Mr Poltimore,’ she said, as the train pulled into the station.

‘I’ll call you as soon as I have any news, and whatever decision you make, be assured that Sotheby’s will be proud to serve you with the utmost discretion.’ He gave a
slight nod before climbing aboard.

Virginia didn’t return to the car, but crossed the footbridge to platform number two, and only had to wait for a few minutes before the London train pulled in. When she waved to the duke,
he rewarded her with a huge smile.

‘Good of you to come and meet me, old gal,’ he said, bending down to kiss her.

‘Don’t be silly, Perry, I couldn’t wait to see you.’

‘Has anything interesting happened while I was away?’ the duke asked as he handed the stationmaster his ticket.

‘I’ve planted a bed of fuchsia, which should flower in the summer, but frankly I’m more interested in hearing everything that happened at your regimental dinner.’

Poltimore was as good as his word, and rang the following afternoon to let Virginia know that Mr Li Wong, Sotheby’s Chinese expert, had studied the photographs of the
vases, and in particular the distinctive markings on their bases, and was fairly confident that they were Ming Dynasty. However, he stressed that he would need to examine them in person before he
could give his final imprimatur.

Li appeared a fortnight later, when the duke was visiting his doctor in Harley Street for his annual check-up. He didn’t need to stay overnight, as a few minutes was quite enough to
convince him that the two vases were works of genius which would ignite global interest among the leading Chinese collectors. He was also able to add one corroborative piece of scholarship.

After spending a day at the British Museum, he had come across a reference which suggested that the fourth Duke of Hertford had led a diplomatic mission to Peking some time in the early
nineteenth century, on behalf of His Majesty’s government, and the two vases were probably a gift from the Emperor Jiaqing to mark the occasion. Li went on to remind the duchess, more than
once, that this historical evidence would add considerable value to the pieces. A gift of two Ming vases from an emperor to a duke who was representing a king would have the auction world
buzzing.

Li was clearly disappointed when Virginia told him that if the duke were to part with the vases, it was most unlikely that he would want the world to know he was selling off a family
heirloom.

‘Perhaps his grace would agree to the simple nomenclature, “the property of a nobleman”?’ suggested the Chinese expert.

‘A most satisfactory compromise,’ agreed the duchess, who didn’t accompany Li to the station, as he would be safely back in London long before the duke boarded his train for
Hertford.

As Virginia knocked on the door of the duke’s study, it brought back memories of being summoned by her father to be given a lecture on her shortcomings. But not today. She
was about to be told the finer details of Perry’s will.

He had asked her during breakfast to join him in his study around eleven, as he was seeing the family solicitor at ten to discuss the contents of his will, and in particular the wording of the
proposed codicil. He reminded Virginia that she still hadn’t told him if there was anything she would particularly like as a keepsake.

As she entered her husband’s study, Perry and the solicitor immediately rose from their places and remained standing until she had taken the seat between them.

‘Your timing couldn’t be better,’ said Perry, ‘because I’ve just agreed the wording of a new codicil that concerns you, and which Mr Blatchford will attach to my
will.’

Virginia bowed her head.

‘I fear, Mr Blatchford,’ said the duke, ‘that my wife finds this whole experience a little distressing, but I have managed to convince her that one has to deal with such
matters if the taxman is not to become your next of kin.’ Blatchford nodded sagely. ‘Perhaps you would be kind enough to take the duchess through the details of the codicil, so we need
never refer to the subject again.’

‘Certainly, your grace,’ said the elderly solicitor, who looked as if he might die before Perry. ‘On the duke’s demise,’ he continued, ‘you will be given a
house on the estate along with the appropriate staff to assist you. You will also receive a monthly stipend of five thousand pounds.’

‘Will that be enough, old gal?’ interrupted the duke.

‘More than enough, my darling,’ said Virginia quietly. ‘Don’t forget that my dear brother still provides me with a monthly allowance, which I never manage to
spend.’

‘I understand,’ continued Blatchford, ‘that the duke has asked you to choose some personal memento to remember him by. I wonder if you have decided what that might
be?’

It was some time before Virginia raised her head and said, ‘Perry has a walking stick that would remind me of him whenever I take my evening stroll around the garden.’

‘Surely you’d like something a little more substantial than that, old gal?’

‘No, that will be quite enough, my darling.’ Virginia was quiet for some time before she added, ‘Although I confess there are a couple of old vases gathering dust below stairs
that I’ve always admired, but only if you could bear to part with them.’ Virginia held her breath.

‘There’s no mention of them in the family inventory,’ said Blatchford, ‘so with your permission, your grace, I’ll add the walking stick along with the pair of vases
to the codicil, and then you can engross the final copy.’

‘Of course, of course,’ said the duke, who hadn’t been below stairs since he was a boy.

‘Thank you, Perry,’ said Virginia, ‘that’s so very generous of you. While you’re here, Mr Blatchford, could I ask for your guidance on another matter?’

‘Of course, your grace.’

‘Perhaps I should also be thinking about making a will.’

‘Very wise, if I may say so, your grace. I’ll be happy to draw one up for you. Perhaps I can make an appointment to see you on some other occasion?’

‘That won’t be necessary, Mr Blatchford. I intend to leave everything I possess to my beloved husband.’

T
WENTY MINUTES LATER
an ambulance, siren blaring, pulled up outside the castle gates.

Two orderlies, under the direction of Virginia, followed her quickly up to the duke’s bedroom. They lifted him gently on to the stretcher and then proceeded slowly back downstairs. She
held Perry’s hand and he managed a weak smile as they lifted him into the ambulance.

Virginia climbed in and sat on the bench beside her husband, never letting go of his hand as the ambulance sped through the countryside. After another twenty minutes they arrived at the local
cottage hospital.

A doctor, two nurses and three orderlies were waiting for them. The duke was lifted on to a trolley which was wheeled through the open doors to a private room that had been hastily prepared.

All three doctors who examined him came to the same conclusion, a minor heart attack. Despite their diagnosis, the senior registrar insisted that he remain in the hospital for further tests.