him. “Do you not mean to sell out and set up as a country gentleman? Much more the thing, Jonathon."
"What about my uniform?"
"Yes, you would lose the advantage of your regimentals. That is certainly a point against the scheme. But then you might have them put into a glass case in the armaments room to replace the reproductions of the jewels."
Jonathon sensed a little irony at this point and reverted to the real item of interest. “Fact remains, I'll be in London, and you and Gabriel will be here—right on the doorstep of the buried diamonds."
"The graveyard is not on my doorstep,” Hillary replied. “Really, you cannot think I would tolerate so funereal a view. The prospect from my doorway is of gently rolling lawns, well manicured, with discreet groupings of trees at well-placed intervals. Relieves the monotony of just grass without impeding the long-range view."
"That's all very well, but you're here," Jonathon said.
"Well, so are you at the moment. Will it be shovels and spades at midnight, captain?” he asked in a quiet undertone laden with significance.
Jonathon's eyes widened, and he was conned for a moment into thinking Sir Hillary was serious. "You may laugh and joke about it, but someone will dig her up before the year's half out, and if you don't know it, you ain't such a knowing one as I take you for."
"Very true. I expect the traffic will be heavy in the graveyard the next few nights. I'll speak to Fletcher about setting up a guard."
Jonathon was silent a moment, frowning, but soon added, “Yes, by Jove. Ought to be done."
Luane was recovering from her first spasm of anger and beginning to formulate plans for the retrieval of her diamonds. Her eyes scanned the room, going more than once to Gabriel and Claudia. She went to Gabriel and tugged his sleeve. “I must see you alone before you leave. Come to the armaments room with me. We'll pretend we're looking at my paste jewels."
They slipped out at once, and in the general confusion and noise, which were still at a high level, no one noticed their exit except Miss Milmont. Once they were safely alone, Luane put her plan to Gabriel.
"I mean to dig up the grave as soon as may be and get my diamonds,” she said.
Gabriel looked at her, not in surprise certainly, but not quite in agreement either. “They are bound to be stolen long before the year is up,” he said. “I don't trust Jonathon for one, and the story is bound to get about locally, too. I can't imagine how Sophie came to do such a cork-brained thing. They must be meant for you at the end of the year."
"Of course they are, and this is just spite because you—we wouldn't get married at Christmas."
"Of course it is, the old devil. I wish we had gone through with it then—though I'd feel a fool being married and leaving my wife behind while I go back to school like a boy. Hil wants me to take my degree, you know."
"I had no wish to be pushed into it, and I know you didn't want to do it..."
"I told you, Loo, after I graduate. Hil thinks that is the event referred to in the intervening year. I daresay he's right."
"I haven't said I'll have you."
"I haven't asked."
She sniffed. “Never mind that. Will you help me get my diamonds?"
"I don't think we can, though I'd love to have a go at it. Hil says he and Fletcher will have a guard set to watch the grave. That must be done, I think."
"I bet you it won't be done today."
"You mean we should go after them tonight?"
"The sooner the better. What time shall we meet there?"
"Late. About twelve, I suppose. Can you get out?"
"What is there to stop me?"
"You can't go down there alone. I'll come here and get you. I'll have to make some excuse to Hil."
"He'll be asleep long before that, but I'll take Cousin Claudia with me."
"Don't be a sapskull, Loo!"
"No, she's all right, and she hates the diamonds herself. Besides, she needs some excitement, poor old thing. I feel sorry for her, with that horrid old mother."
"She don't see much of
"What about my uniform?"
"Yes, you would lose the advantage of your regimentals. That is certainly a point against the scheme. But then you might have them put into a glass case in the armaments room to replace the reproductions of the jewels."
Jonathon sensed a little irony at this point and reverted to the real item of interest. “Fact remains, I'll be in London, and you and Gabriel will be here—right on the doorstep of the buried diamonds."
"The graveyard is not on my doorstep,” Hillary replied. “Really, you cannot think I would tolerate so funereal a view. The prospect from my doorway is of gently rolling lawns, well manicured, with discreet groupings of trees at well-placed intervals. Relieves the monotony of just grass without impeding the long-range view."
"That's all very well, but you're here," Jonathon said.
"Well, so are you at the moment. Will it be shovels and spades at midnight, captain?” he asked in a quiet undertone laden with significance.
Jonathon's eyes widened, and he was conned for a moment into thinking Sir Hillary was serious. "You may laugh and joke about it, but someone will dig her up before the year's half out, and if you don't know it, you ain't such a knowing one as I take you for."
"Very true. I expect the traffic will be heavy in the graveyard the next few nights. I'll speak to Fletcher about setting up a guard."
Jonathon was silent a moment, frowning, but soon added, “Yes, by Jove. Ought to be done."
Luane was recovering from her first spasm of anger and beginning to formulate plans for the retrieval of her diamonds. Her eyes scanned the room, going more than once to Gabriel and Claudia. She went to Gabriel and tugged his sleeve. “I must see you alone before you leave. Come to the armaments room with me. We'll pretend we're looking at my paste jewels."
They slipped out at once, and in the general confusion and noise, which were still at a high level, no one noticed their exit except Miss Milmont. Once they were safely alone, Luane put her plan to Gabriel.
"I mean to dig up the grave as soon as may be and get my diamonds,” she said.
Gabriel looked at her, not in surprise certainly, but not quite in agreement either. “They are bound to be stolen long before the year is up,” he said. “I don't trust Jonathon for one, and the story is bound to get about locally, too. I can't imagine how Sophie came to do such a cork-brained thing. They must be meant for you at the end of the year."
"Of course they are, and this is just spite because you—we wouldn't get married at Christmas."
"Of course it is, the old devil. I wish we had gone through with it then—though I'd feel a fool being married and leaving my wife behind while I go back to school like a boy. Hil wants me to take my degree, you know."
"I had no wish to be pushed into it, and I know you didn't want to do it..."
"I told you, Loo, after I graduate. Hil thinks that is the event referred to in the intervening year. I daresay he's right."
"I haven't said I'll have you."
"I haven't asked."
She sniffed. “Never mind that. Will you help me get my diamonds?"
"I don't think we can, though I'd love to have a go at it. Hil says he and Fletcher will have a guard set to watch the grave. That must be done, I think."
"I bet you it won't be done today."
"You mean we should go after them tonight?"
"The sooner the better. What time shall we meet there?"
"Late. About twelve, I suppose. Can you get out?"
"What is there to stop me?"
"You can't go down there alone. I'll come here and get you. I'll have to make some excuse to Hil."
"He'll be asleep long before that, but I'll take Cousin Claudia with me."
"Don't be a sapskull, Loo!"
"No, she's all right, and she hates the diamonds herself. Besides, she needs some excitement, poor old thing. I feel sorry for her, with that horrid old mother."
"She don't see much of
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