Chapter 25 #3
She paused at a paneled door of mahogany and clicked open the latch. The oil wall sconces were lit, and the mellow light revealed a large gallery room hung with a tasteful array of art. “If you like watercolors, I think you may appreciate this set of sketches from Venice by Mr. Turner …”
“Hmmph.” Wrexford leaned back against the squabs as the carriage clattered over the cobblestones of Conduit Street on its way to Berkley Square. “So Stoneham is eager for accolades?” he mused after Charlotte finished recounting her conversation with him and his sister.
“Do you think him capable of discovering the formula for making the types of steel required for siderography?” asked Sheffield.
“He’s a good chemist and very precise in his process.
But in truth I don’t think he possesses a great creative mind.
And the trouble is, good is only ordinary when considering the other members of the Royal Institution.
I think Hopkins or Church are far more likely to solve the steel challenge if they cared to concentrate on that aspect of metallurgy.
However, their interests lie elsewhere.”
“Stoneham must chafe at the fact that he’s merely a journeyman among his fellow members,” said Sheffield.
“As we were looking at her art collection, Mrs. Ainsley confided in me that after the death of his wife some years ago, Stoneham has devoted his life to his work,” offered Charlotte.
“So I suppose that the chance to gain accolades for a momentous discovery in his field would be awfully important to him.”
Sheffield watched the mansions of Mayfair flit past the fog-hazed carriage windowpane for several moments before responding. “Important enough to become an obsession?”
“A good question.” Wrexford frowned. “I’ll agree to pay another visit to his workspace at the Royal Arsenal, simply to get a better sense of the fellow.
” And yet a nagging sense of unease stirred in the shadows of his consciousness.
“Damnation. The more facts we discover, the more questions they raise.”
For an instant, he regretted voicing his doubts …
I am supposed to be the leader—strong and unshakable, protecting my family and friends from danger.
“But as we continue to gather clues and fit them together, the answer to the puzzle will soon reveal itself,” he finished lamely.
“We are getting closer, Wrex. I feel it in my bones,” murmured Sheffield. “One key piece, and suddenly everything will fit together.”
“Deo volente,” whispered Charlotte under her breath.
“Speaking of keys,” said Sheffield. “After our group meeting ended, I managed to winkle a bit more information out of Ainsley regarding the Bank of England keys that appear to match the one Raven acquired from his urchin friend.”
He leaned back. “I was right in thinking that Joseph Bramah made them—not ten years ago, but two, when the bank decided to do yet another security upgrade on their vaults. Apparently they have very subtle but unique angles made by Bramah’s precision lathes, and each fits into a special matching lock.
It was not the right moment to probe on what lock within the sprawling bank complex might be missing a key, but I’ll come up with a way. ”
“Again, I can’t stress how careful you need to be,” said Wrexford.
“And again, be assured that I do not have a death wish.”
The carriage slowed to make a turn, and it wasn’t until the horses picked up their pace that the earl broke his silence.
“I will meet again with Perkins and MacArthur tomorrow night,” he said.
“I need to keep pressing the young man on what he remembers from the time of the Lisbon Conspiracy. I understand that the mastermind might have kept his identity a secret from Archie Campbell, but it occurs to me …”
He paused to put his vague thoughts into order. “If I were running such a dangerous and complex criminal activity, I would want to be watching that everything was going according to plan. Most of all, I’d want to see for myself that the boy genius was as good as his father claimed.”
“Given that the mastermind was exceedingly careful that nobody ever saw his face, don’t you think that samples were simply delivered to a certain prearranged place?” queried Sheffield.
“Perhaps, but that would have entailed some risk to the mastermind of having his identity discovered,” replied Wrexford.
“Archie Campbell was a savvy and canny criminal. Knowing the fellow’s identity would have given him some negotiating power, and my sense is the mastermind would have wanted to avoid that.
And so, it occurs to me that he might have interacted with the gang as a mere friend, keeping the fact that he was actually in charge of a secret. ”
“Secretive, clever, and devious. That fits with what we know about him,” mused Charlotte. “So if you suggest that line of thought, you are hoping that Jack MacArthur might know more than he thinks?”
“It’s worth exploring,” answered the earl.
“I agree,” responded Sheffield. Pursing his lips, he lapsed into a thoughtful silence. “Hmmm. I, too, may have an idea on who may know more than he thinks.”