The King's Falcon (Roundheads & Cavaliers Book 3) (57 page)

‘Yes.’

‘Is everyone well?’

‘Yes.’
 
His eyes were no longer laughing.
 
‘Something you’d know yourself if you paid more than a two-day duty visit once a year.’

Eden’s expression grew shuttered.

‘I go when I can.’

You mean you go as
little
as you can
, thought Tobias but saw the wisdom of changing the subject. ‘So what are you doing now there isn’t a war to fight?’

‘I work with a fellow named Scot in the Secretary of State’s office.’

‘That sounds very grand.
 
Doing what, exactly?’

‘Cryptography.’
 
And when Tobias simply stared at him, ‘I make and break codes.’

‘Thank you.
 
I know what cryptography is.
 
I just didn’t know
you
could do it.’

‘I like numbers and puzzles and patterns,’ shrugged Eden.
 
‘I got involved in it more or less by accident when someone discovered I had a certain aptitude.’

Tobias was still absorbing the ramifications.
 
He said slowly, ‘So being employed by the intelligence service means that your work is … confidential?’

‘Most of it, yes.’

‘Oh.
 
Well that explains why you’ve never written anything about it to Kate … and why neither Mother nor Tabitha could tell me very much.
 
God
.’
 
A sudden grin.
 
‘My brother, the spy.’

‘Now you’re exaggerating.’

‘Only a bit.
 
And it must be quite exciting.’

‘It has its moments – though not as often as you might think.’
 
Eden re-filled their cups and pointedly changed the subject.
 
‘How is Kate?’

‘Much the same as ever and still ecstatically happy.
 
Young Alessandro is turning into a rare handful and little Mariella is a delight.
 
Kate hasn’t said but I suspect there might be another one due in the summer.’

‘And Luciano?’

‘Busy as ever and still razor-sharp – but the most ludicrously doting husband and father you could ever wish to meet.’
 
Tobias paused and then said, ‘My apprenticeship finished around the time of Tabitha’s wedding but I stayed on until Sir was prepared to admit that there was nothing more he could teach me.
 
Now he has and I’m ready to set up my sign.
 
Is that going to be all right with you?’

‘It’s better than all right, you ass!
 
I’m surprised you needed to ask,’ replied Eden.
 
‘The only reason Luciano held on to these premises was for you.’

‘I know.
 
But you live here too and --’

‘And I’ll be glad of the company and eager to see you succeed – as you will.’

‘Thank you.’
 
Pleasure at his brother’s vote of confidence brought a hint of colour to Tobias’s cheek.
 
He said, ‘Sir left a basic stock of equipment at Thorne Ash and I’ve arranged for it to be delivered here two days from now.
 
I’ve also ordered a further consignment from suppliers in Rotterdam which will take a little longer.
 
I’ll be setting up the workshop where it always was.’

‘Ah.
 
You know we had a fire down there?
 
Obviously, I’ve had it cleared up but --’

‘I’ve seen it.
 
The workbench and the wall-racking will need replacing but, aside from that, it’s fine.’
 
Tobias held out his cup for more ale.
 
‘There’s a story behind that fire, isn’t there?’

‘There is.
 
You met Gabriel Brandon at Tabitha’s wedding, didn’t you?’

‘Your commanding officer?
 
Yes.’

‘Well, somebody tried to roast him alive.
 
But perhaps I’d better start at the beginning?’

*
 
*
 
*

Later that night, his arms full of a sleepy and thoroughly sated Deborah, Eden said, ‘What do you think of my little brother?’

‘Little?
 
He’s hardly that.’

‘You don’t need to remind me.’

She laughed and kissed his shoulder.

‘He’s easy and open and charming.
 
The young girls will be falling over themselves.’
 
She hesitated and then said, ‘Are you going to tell him I’m your mistress?’

‘Probably – assuming he doesn’t figure it out for himself.’

‘Will he mind?’

‘Why should he?
 
And I don’t care whether he does or not.’
 
He cuddled her closer.
 
‘Let him find his own pie-maker.’

*
 
*
 
*

On the following day, Eden arrived home earlier than usual and found Deborah in the parlour refreshing her bowls of scented herbs. She said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me that your brother is quite mad?’

‘I didn’t know he was.
 
Why? What’s he doing?’

‘He’s in the cellar beneath the cellar.
 
A place I didn’t know existed before today.
 
And he’s digging up the floor.’

‘He’s
what?
’
 

‘Digging.
 
He’s been at it most of the afternoon.’

Eden shook his head.

‘I didn’t know there was a lower cellar, either.
 
I’d better take a look.’

Taking a candle, Eden walked downstairs and looked around.
 
He spotted the open trapdoor, wondered why he’d never noticed it before and then realised that it had previously lain beneath the work-bench.
 
Peering into the dimly-lit hole, he called, ‘Toby?
 
What the hell are you doing down there?’

‘Following Sir’s orders,’ came the echoing reply. ‘And it’s taken longer than expected.
 
But I think I have it all now.’

‘Have all of what?’

Eden set his feet to the narrow-runged ladder and descended with some difficulty on account of the candle.

‘Luciano’s Hoard.’

Reaching the bottom, Eden walked over the parts of the beaten-earth floor that Tobias didn’t appear to have attacked with a spade.

‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’

‘No.
 
You wouldn’t have.’
 
Tobias was sitting on the ground, covered in dirt and surrounded by numerous irregular-shaped packages.
 
‘Back in ’45, Sir had to leave a goodly amount of stock behind when he left London to catch up with Cyrus Winter – so he buried it down here.’

‘And it’s still there?’

‘Yes.’
 
Tobias grinned up at his brother and gestured to the one bundle he’d unwrapped.
 

Eden squatted beside him and looked.

Laid out on Tobias’s handkerchief were some dozen exquisite pieces.
 
A tiny parrot carved out of emerald; an amethyst intaglio depicting an eagle with a snake in its beak; and a small enamelled scent-bottle, overlaid with diamonds and rubies.

Eden stared and stared again.
 
Then he said, ‘This has been down here all the time?’

‘Yes.’

‘And Luciano asked you to dig it up?
 
Why?’

‘A couple of reasons.
 
First, he’s suggested that I remove all the loose stones for my own use. And second, at the time he originally buried it, he was in a hurry so I’m to re-pack it properly in waxed paper and hessian.’
 

‘And then?’

‘He left that to my discretion.
 
But it’s been safe enough down here for the last seven years, hasn’t it?’

‘You’re going to put it
back?
’ asked Eden incredulously.
 
‘Why, for God’s sake?’

‘Because he doesn’t need it and neither do I.
 
Also, because he says we don’t know what the future may bring and sufficient money can usually overcome any eventuality.’

‘Such as what?’

‘A shift in government.
 
Father sat in the Parliament and you’ve fought for it.
 
If the King should ever be restored, what do you think will happen to Thorne Ash?
 
To Mother and Tabitha … to your children?’
 
Tobias stood up and started passing packages to Eden. ‘Luciano’s worth a bloody fortune these days … and he wants to ensure that the family has something to fall back on, should the need arise.
 
So you won’t mind giving me a hand, will you?’

*
 
*
 
*

Working non-stop, it took Tobias two full days to unpack, sort and then re-package what he persisted in calling Luciano’s Hoard.
 
Seeing it spread out in all its glory on the floor of an empty bedchamber, Eden was stunned by both the sheer quantity but also the quality of what Luciano del Santi had left buried.
 
And when Tobias insisted he choose something to give to Deborah, he selected an enamelled gold chain, set with seed pearls and rubies and looked forward to seeing it against her naked skin.

They replaced the caskets in the lower cellar on the morning of Christmas Eve and then, having washed off the signs of their endeavours, they repaired to the parlour for a well-earned glass of wine and a platter of freshly-made fruit pies.
 
They were just embarking on the second glass when they heard the pealing of the doorbell, followed by Deborah’s voice raised in welcome.

Eden set his glass to one side and stood up, unsure who his visitor might be.
 
Then the door opened and he said blankly,
 
‘
Nick?
 
How in God’s name did you get here?’

‘With difficulty,’ replied Nicholas succinctly. ‘The crossing was a nightmare.
 
I thought I’d be spending Yule at the bottom of the channel.’ He shook Eden’s hand, gave Tobias a polite nod and added, ‘If there’s any wine left, I’d be glad of it.
 
I’m half-soaked and freezing.’

‘Take your coat off and sit by the fire,’ said Eden, pouring wine.
 
‘This is my brother, Tobias.
 
Toby – meet Sir Nicholas Austin.
 
He’s been on a mission for me.’ He handed Nicholas the glass and added, ‘Nothing untoward, I hope?’

‘No.’

‘Good.
 
Then you can fill me in later, when you’ve thawed out.’

Nicholas subsided into a chair and took a large swallow of wine.
 
Then he said, ‘I’m here because Francis asked me to come. Something’s happened.
 
It’s nothing to do with the – the business that took me to France.
 
It’s something else.’
 
He paused briefly.
 
‘Eden, I’m sorry. I don’t know how to say this except straight out.’

‘So say it.’

‘It’s Francis’s sister … your wife.
 
She’s dead.’

The words were greeted with stunned silence.
 
Finally, Tobias said, ‘
Celia?
’

Nicholas nodded, keeping his eyes on Eden as he waited for him to speak.
 
And eventually, Eden said, ‘When?
 
And how?’

‘It was a week ago.
 
She fell down the stairs and broke her neck.’

‘Hallelujah,’ muttered Tobias.
 
‘Pity she didn’t do it years ago.’

‘Don’t, Toby.’
 
Eden drew a long, steadying breath.
 
‘I’m not going to pretend I’m sorry she’s dead.
 
But neither am I about to burst into wild celebration.’
 
He turned back to Nicholas.
 
‘How’s Francis?’

‘Shocked, of course.
 
But Ash is with him.
 
And Pauline.
 
So he’ll be all right.’

‘Pauline?’

Nicholas nodded and, for the first time, smiled a little.

‘Yes.
 
If you want my opinion, I think he’s in love with her.’

~
 
*
 
*
 
~
 
*
 
*
 
~

‘Judge not the play before the play is done; her plot hath many changes
.

Every day speaks a new scene; the last act crowns the play.’

Francis Quarles