The Talisman Ring

The corners of his mouth twitched slightly. ‘Do I?’ he said.

‘Certainly. We arrange that Eustacie shall stay with me in London on a visit. All is in train for our departure when my brother, finding his cold to be no better, declares himself to be unable to risk the dangers of travel in this inclement weather. Which reminds me,’ she added, rising from her chair, ‘that I had better go and inform Hugh that his cold is worse.’

A little while later, coming down from Sir Hugh’s bedchamber, she found Sir Tristram waiting in the coffee-room. He looked up as she rounded the bend in the stairs, and said sardonically: ‘I trust you were able to convince your brother, ma’am?’

‘It was unnecessary,’ she returned. ‘Nye has taken him up a bottle of Old Constantia. He thinks it would be foolhardy to brave the journey to London until he is perfectly recovered.’

‘I thought he held strong views on the subject of smuggled liquor?’ remarked Sir Tristram.

‘He does,’ replied Miss Thane, not in the least abashed. ‘Very strong views.’ She went to the fire and seated herself on one of the high-backed settles placed on either side of it. A gesture invited Sir Tristram to occupy the other. ‘I think those two children will make a match of it, do not you?’

‘Ludovic cannot ask any woman to be his wife as matters now stand,’ he responded, frowning into the fire.

‘Then we must certainly establish his innocence,’ said Miss Thane.

He glanced up. ‘Believe me, I should be glad to do anything in my power to help the boy, but this coming into Sussex is madness!’

‘Well,’ said Miss Thane reasonably, ‘he cannot be moved until his wound is in some sort healed, so we must make the best of it. Tell me, do you think his cousin Basil is indeed the real culprit?’

He was silent for a moment. At last he said: ‘I may be prejudiced against him. It sounds fantastic, but I would not for the world have him know of Ludovic’s whereabouts now.’ He looked at her searchingly. ‘What is your part in this, Miss Thane?’

She laughed. ‘My dear sir, my part is that of Eustacie’s chaperon, of course. To tell you the truth, I have taken a liking to your romantic cousin, and I mean to see this adventure to a close.’

‘You are very good, ma’am, but –’

‘But you would do very much better without any females,’ nodded Miss Thane.

‘Yes,’ said Sir Tristram bluntly. ‘I should!’

‘I expect you would,’ said Miss Thane, quite without rancour. ‘But if you imagine you can induce Eustacie to leave this place now that she has found her cousin Ludovic, you have a remarkably sanguine nature. And if you are bound to have Eustacie, you may just as well have me as well.’

‘Certainly,’ said Shield, ‘but do you – does your brother realize that this is an adventure that is likely to lead us all to Newgate?’

‘I do,’ she replied placidly. ‘I doubt whether my brother realizes anything beyond the facts of a cold in the head and a well-stocked cellar. If we do reach Newgate, perhaps you will be able to get us out again.’

‘You are very intrepid!’ he said, with a look of amusement.

‘Sir,’ said Miss Thane, ‘during the course of the past twelve hours my life seems to have become so full of smugglers, Excisemen, and wicked cousins that I now feel I can face anything. What in the world possessed the boy to take to smuggling, by-the-by?’

‘God knows! You might as well ask what possessed Eustacie to leave the Court at midnight to become a governess. They should deal extremely together if ever they can be married.’ He rose. ‘I must go back and do what I can to avert suspicion. Somehow or other we must find this panel Ludovic speaks of before he can thrust his head into a noose.’

Miss Thane gave a discreet cough. ‘Do you – er – place much dependence on the panel, Sir Tristram?’

‘No, very little, but I place every dependence upon Ludovic’s breaking into the Dower House in search of it,’ he replied frankly. ‘For the moment we have him tied by the heels, but that won’t be long, if I know him. They are tough stock, the Lavenhams

.’ He walked to the table and picked up his hat and riding-whip. ‘I’ll take my leave now. I fancy we have fobbed off the riding-officer, but there may be others. If you should want me, send Clem over to the Court with a message, and I’ll come.’

She nodded. ‘Meanwhile, is Ludovic in danger, do you think?’

‘Not at Nye’s hands, but if information were lodged against him at Bow Street by anyone suspecting his presence here, yes, in great danger.’

‘And at his cousin’s hands?’

He met her questioning look thoughtfully, and after a moment said: ‘I may be wrong, but I believe so. There is a good deal at stake.’ He tapped his riding-whip against his top-boot. ‘It all turns on the talisman ring,’ he said seriously. ‘Whoever has that is the man who shot Plunkett. I must cultivate a more intimate acquaintance with the Beau.’

He took his leave of her and went out, calling for his horse to be brought round. Miss Thane saw him ride away and went slowly back to her patient.

Had it been possible to have sent for a surgeon to attend Ludovic, cupping would certainly have been prescribed. Miss Thane was a little anxious lest serious fever should set in, but both Shield and the landlord maintained that Ludovic had a strong enough constitution to weather worse things than a mere wound in his shoulder, and after a couple of days she was bound to acknowledge that they were right. The wound began to heal just as it should, and the patient announced his intention of leaving his sick-bed. This perilous resolve was frustrated by Shield, who, though he visited the Red Lion every day, omitted to bring with him the raiment he had promised to procure from Ludovic’s abandoned wardrobe at the Court.