her from what I hear. Are you sure she's trustworthy?"
"Oh yes. We'll meet you at the graveyard at midnight then. How exciting it will be. I can hardly wait. What about shovels and things?"
"I'll take care of that."
"It isn't stealing, you know,” Luane said, in a questioning voice.
"Stealing from the dead—there's no harm in that. I suppose it's illegal, however."
"We must be careful not to get caught. Hush, someone's coming."
It was Sir Hillary and Fletcher, come to take Luane's case of paste jewels. “Would you like to see them?” Fletcher asked her.
Not two steps behind the gentlemen came Captain Tewksbury, to see what was going on.
"No, I see them every day,” Luane answered.
"That the reproductions you're talking about?” Jonathon asked. “I've never seen them out of the case. Like to have a look at them before they go."
Mr. Fletcher, rather curious himself, was willing to open the case and did so. “Try on your diamonds, Loo,” Gabriel said, with a secret smile at her.
She reached out and took them but didn't bother trying them on. Jonathan's hands reached out and lifted them from her fingers. “They're very real looking,” he said.
"The reproductions are works of art in themselves,” Mr. Fletcher pointed out. “In the rings, for example, the mountings are made of gold, and it is only the stones that are false. The reproductions altogether are worth a couple of hundred pounds. That's why the case is kept locked."
"The workmanship is very fine,” Jonathan said, handling the diamonds, then giving them back to Luane.
She flung them angrily on the lid of the glass display case. “Poo, who cares for a bunch of paste stones,” she declared.
"Not you apparently,” Hillary replied, picking up the necklace and replacing it in the velvet setting.
Jonathan looked at the glass case where she had thrown them, then looked again closely. He then reached once more into the case and lifted out the necklace. “Of course, the stones don't sparkle like the real thing,” he said, holding them up to the weak light filtering in through the window. There was a distraction at the door, for Mrs. Milmont entered at this point and demanded to know what everyone was doing. While she was being shown the reproductions, particularly the pearls, which she hinted she could put to very good use, Jonathon set the diamond necklace on to the lid of the display case, and carefully arranged it. Mrs. Milmont had then to compare the fake pearls to her real ones and even test both with her teeth.
"Yes, there is no mistaking the real thing,” she said, and handed the ersatz ones back to Mr. Fletcher.
He put all the reproductions back in their allotted places, locked the case, and gave it and the key to Hillary. “They are to be kept in trust by you for the present.” He gave him Luane's tiara, too.
"Shall we be getting back to Chanely?” Hillary said to Gabriel.
"Welcome to stay to dinner,” Jonathon offered mechanically.
"Until you have had time to restock your cupboards and hire a new cook, we must decline,” Hillary replied and went to take his leave of Miss Bliss and Claudia.
As soon as the gentlemen and Fletcher left, Luane approached Miss Milmont and requested her company for a walk about the garden. As it was cold and windy with no sign of the sun outdoors, Claudia went with some curiosity to get her pelisse. She could not believe a desire for fresh air formed any part of the reason for this walk. From the excited eyes and high color of her cousin, she thought an adventure was in the offing. The minute they were safely outside, she said, "Do tell me we are to dig up Aunt Sophie and take the diamonds! I have been hoping you didn't mean to exclude me from the adventure."
"Oh, cousin, how did you guess? I told Gabriel you were a right one. Will you come with us?"
"Oh, is Gabriel to come? I thought it would be more dangerous if we went alone at midnight, just the two of us."
"Yes, so it would, and I shouldn't
"Oh yes. We'll meet you at the graveyard at midnight then. How exciting it will be. I can hardly wait. What about shovels and things?"
"I'll take care of that."
"It isn't stealing, you know,” Luane said, in a questioning voice.
"Stealing from the dead—there's no harm in that. I suppose it's illegal, however."
"We must be careful not to get caught. Hush, someone's coming."
It was Sir Hillary and Fletcher, come to take Luane's case of paste jewels. “Would you like to see them?” Fletcher asked her.
Not two steps behind the gentlemen came Captain Tewksbury, to see what was going on.
"No, I see them every day,” Luane answered.
"That the reproductions you're talking about?” Jonathon asked. “I've never seen them out of the case. Like to have a look at them before they go."
Mr. Fletcher, rather curious himself, was willing to open the case and did so. “Try on your diamonds, Loo,” Gabriel said, with a secret smile at her.
She reached out and took them but didn't bother trying them on. Jonathan's hands reached out and lifted them from her fingers. “They're very real looking,” he said.
"The reproductions are works of art in themselves,” Mr. Fletcher pointed out. “In the rings, for example, the mountings are made of gold, and it is only the stones that are false. The reproductions altogether are worth a couple of hundred pounds. That's why the case is kept locked."
"The workmanship is very fine,” Jonathan said, handling the diamonds, then giving them back to Luane.
She flung them angrily on the lid of the glass display case. “Poo, who cares for a bunch of paste stones,” she declared.
"Not you apparently,” Hillary replied, picking up the necklace and replacing it in the velvet setting.
Jonathan looked at the glass case where she had thrown them, then looked again closely. He then reached once more into the case and lifted out the necklace. “Of course, the stones don't sparkle like the real thing,” he said, holding them up to the weak light filtering in through the window. There was a distraction at the door, for Mrs. Milmont entered at this point and demanded to know what everyone was doing. While she was being shown the reproductions, particularly the pearls, which she hinted she could put to very good use, Jonathon set the diamond necklace on to the lid of the display case, and carefully arranged it. Mrs. Milmont had then to compare the fake pearls to her real ones and even test both with her teeth.
"Yes, there is no mistaking the real thing,” she said, and handed the ersatz ones back to Mr. Fletcher.
He put all the reproductions back in their allotted places, locked the case, and gave it and the key to Hillary. “They are to be kept in trust by you for the present.” He gave him Luane's tiara, too.
"Shall we be getting back to Chanely?” Hillary said to Gabriel.
"Welcome to stay to dinner,” Jonathon offered mechanically.
"Until you have had time to restock your cupboards and hire a new cook, we must decline,” Hillary replied and went to take his leave of Miss Bliss and Claudia.
As soon as the gentlemen and Fletcher left, Luane approached Miss Milmont and requested her company for a walk about the garden. As it was cold and windy with no sign of the sun outdoors, Claudia went with some curiosity to get her pelisse. She could not believe a desire for fresh air formed any part of the reason for this walk. From the excited eyes and high color of her cousin, she thought an adventure was in the offing. The minute they were safely outside, she said, "Do tell me we are to dig up Aunt Sophie and take the diamonds! I have been hoping you didn't mean to exclude me from the adventure."
"Oh, cousin, how did you guess? I told Gabriel you were a right one. Will you come with us?"
"Oh, is Gabriel to come? I thought it would be more dangerous if we went alone at midnight, just the two of us."
"Yes, so it would, and I shouldn't
Similar Books
