"I have no idea what you are talking about. What ring is that?"
"Monsieur Fournier's Trojan-horse ring, of course. The one you stole for me in an attempt to secure my affections." Andrew looked entirely nonplussed, smiled, and turned to Monsieur Fournier.
"The poor girl doesn't know what she is saying. Is that something from your husband's collection, Emily?"
"No. As you well know, it's from Monsieur Fournier's." Andrew laughed; Monsieur Fournier's eyes fixed on the ring in my hand.
"I'm afraid she is trying to protect the memory of her husband, who had an unfortunate habit of stealing antiquities."
"Are you suggesting, Mr. Palmer, that the Viscount Ashton stole this ring?" Lord Lytton asked. Andrew made no attempt to answer the question.
I handed Monsieur Fournier his ring. "Is this yours?" I asked.
He examined it methodically for a moment before nodding. "It is one of the pieces that was stolen from me," he said.
"Mr. Palmer presented it to me several days ago after having proposed marriage."
"I assure you I did not take it," Andrew said, the edge returning to his voice. "I was foolish enough to propose, but I did not give her the ring."
"Cécile du Lac witnessed the entire exchange. Would you care to enlighten these gentlemen regarding the relationship you have with her? I'm sure Lord Lytton would be particularly interested in your plans for the Elgin Marbles."
"You forget that the Elgin Marbles are safely in the British Museum, Lady Ashton. Again, I refer you to your own husband's crimes. Perhaps you are confusing him with me. Or are you trying to blame his wrongdoings on me?"
"Madame du Lac spoke with me this morning about the meeting you had with her," Lord Lytton interrupted. "It would appear you have quite a bit of explaining to do, Mr. Palmer."
"I would like to know how you came to give my ring to Lady Ashton," Monsieur Fournier said forcefully. "Did you steal it yourself or hire someone to do it for you?"
"Given the short period of time in which he needed to acquire it, I imagine that he took it himself," I said. "Although I confess I am somewhat shocked that he is clever enough to have pulled it off. I heard every word of your meeting with Madame du Lac, Andrew, and was devastated to learn of your true character. I quickly realized that greed motivated you above all else, and I knew that the lure of my fortune would be too much for you to resist. I suggested that you find Monsieur Fournier's ring for me, knowing full well you would do anything you thought might induce me to marry you."
Andrew looked like a man who was slowly beginning to realize that his plans had been thwarted. Anger clouded his eyes, his expression similar to the one I had seen after refusing his first proposal of marriage.
"I admit to stealing the ring. It was the foolish action of a man in love. But it was an isolated incident."
"It was nothing of the sort," I said with conviction. "Aside from the evidence you have already provided for us during your conversation with Madame du Lac, do not forget that I am in possession of all of my husband's records."
"You said you burned them."
"And you said that you confronted him about his illegal activities. Both of us lied. Philip kept meticulous track of your own involvement in the forgeries."
"Aren't you a clever girl, Emily? I underestimated you," he said, crossing his arms and methodically tapping his fingers against them. "But why would anyone believe what Ashton wrote? His character will not stand up to scrutiny."
"I find it interesting that when faced with evidence, you attempt to discredit the source rather than proclaim your own innocence. Whatever Philip's faults, he was not a criminal." I hoped this was true. If it was not, I fully expected that Andrew would quickly blame everything on his accomplice. "I must admit it surprises me to learn that you managed to orchestrate such an extraordinary series of thefts; I would not have thought you capable of pulling it off."
He bristled visibly at this comment. "I will not respond to such preposterous accusations," Andrew snapped, his cold eyes fixed on me.
"And I, Mr. Palmer, have heard quite enough," Lord Lytton said, motioning to Monsieur Fournier, who pulled a bell cord.
The two gendarmes I had arranged to have waiting in the house entered the room and bound Andrew's hands. "You are under arrest for having stolen Monsieur Fournier's ring. Do not doubt that further charges will be filed. Madame du Lac's testimony was quite compelling."
16 SEPTEMBER 1888
HÔTEL CONTINENTAL, PARIS
Left K most reluctantly yesterday morning, after a decidedly sleepless night. Had I not such expectations, both for the hunt and for the conclusion of this game in which I have become involved, I think I would not have quit England. Hope she will be grateful for a less distracted husband upon my return.
Have arranged for Renoir to paint a portrait of my darling wife; I do not think another artist could so accurately capture the brightness residing in her.
34
The hours that passed after Andrew was taken away slipped by me unnoticed. Madame Fournier put me into one of her sitting rooms, sent for Cécile, and plied me with tea and more than a little cognac. Needless to say, her husband was delighted to have his ring returned, but he was even more pleased at having had a hand in the downfall of Caravaggio. Lord Lytton congratulated me heartily and told me that he would send someone to speak to me about the case as soon as possible. Sometime later Colin Hargreaves walked into the room. Cécile, considerably more composed than I, spoke at once.
"I must say, Monsieur Hargreaves, that your arrival is completely unexpected. Am I to assume that this means you are not in league with Caravaggio? I hoped that such a face would not be wasted on a criminal."
"I'm afraid I have a significant amount of explaining to do," he replied.
"I have no plans for the evening, monsieur," she said, motioning for him to sit. "Perhaps if you begin now, you could finish before dinner."
He ran his hand through his hair and looked at me. "I have been looking into the matter of Caravaggio for some months."
"How interesting," Cécile exclaimed. "Are you a spy, Monsieur Hargreaves?"
"Not at all," Colin said, laughing. "I am occasionally called on by Buckingham Palace to investigate matters that require more than a modicum of discretion. Rumors of forgery and theft at the British Museum have circulated for some time, and it had become clear that some involved were members of the aristocracy. Her Majesty, as you might imagine, prefers such things to be dealt with as quietly as possible."
"So you have been following Andrew all this time?" I asked.
"Partly, but I have also been following you, Emily, in a vain attempt to keep you out of danger. Shortly before the Palmers joined us on that last safari, Ashton confided in me that he had discovered their involvement in some sort of underground activity. He would tell me no details, insisting that he had the situation well in hand, and that he planned to confront them when they arrived in Africa."
"Perhaps he wanted to give them a chance to end things honorably?" I suggested.
"Yes, he unfortunately assumed that they would hold to a code of gentlemanly behavior similar to his own. He rather liked the idea of handling everything alone, imagining himself as some sort of classical hero."
"But when did you learn of the thefts?" Cécile asked.
"Shortly after I returned to England following Ashton's death. I did not connect him or the Palmers to any of it until Andrew started to show such an interest in you, Emily."
"Is it so astounding that a man would fall in love with Kallista, Monsieur Hargreaves?" Cécile said, arching her eyebrows.