Chapter Twenty
“That’s all that I have for you at this time, Tabby.” Verity quietly passed a bulging envelope to her friend. “Are you sure you don’t mind doing this?”
“Of course not. I need the exercise, it’s on my way home, and I’d just as soon have it safely stowed away.” She smiled. “We made out quite nicely, didn’t we?”
Verity nodded. “I’m surprised, actually.”
Lucas, who had been watching the exchange, chuckled. “I’m shocked. But...if people are going to throw their money away on some really awful things, then I’m happy to know it won’t go to waste.”
Tabby nodded, eyeing him carefully. “I agree, my Lord.”
Rolling her eyes, Verity was about to scold her for using his title, but then again.
..she had to be cautious at this point. So she kept her comments to herself and nodded.
“You will let me know if there are any problems, won’t you?
I rather wish we could have someone go with you. Beatrice even suggested it.”
Tabby shook her head. “I’ll be fine, and Lady Beatrice is just a worrier.
It will be just another deposit as far as anyone is concerned.
I expect there’ll be a few other people there as well.
I have the paperwork, and it’s just like any other routine procedure.
The quieter and more normal we keep it the better.
I know all the numbers and deposit fields by heart.
” She grinned. “I probably recite them in my sleep now and again.”
“Be careful then...”
“I will. We’ll talk perhaps tomorrow or the next day about assigning amounts into the different funds.”
“That would be ideal.” Verity smiled and gave Tabby a nod as she quietly left the gallery. Nobody even noticed her leaving.
“Verity.” Lucas leaned down and whispered in her ear.
Smiling, she turned her head slightly, enjoying the warmth of his breath on her skin. “Yes?”
“Did she say she knew the deposit fields by heart?”
Verity froze. “Yes.” She turned fully and stared at him. “You can’t be thinking...”
“I’m not. I trust you and your intuition. But...”
“It bears looking into, doesn’t it.” She thought for a moment. “Lucas, I have receipts from all the deposits she’s made. Could we match times, dates, and so on? I do not, not for one minute, believe Tabby plays any role in this, but if we can exonerate her from your concerns...”
“It will settle my mind considerably,” he admitted. “I don’t think it’s her either, for what it’s worth. But with something like this, we have to pursue every single angle, no matter how unlikely.”
Troubled, Verity sighed. “You’re right. And now I’m going to worry.”
He leaned closer and nipped her ear. “I can distract you.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know.”
“Darlings!” The exclamation rang across the distance between them and Lady Beatrice, who was ploughing through the guests like a galleon under sail.
“Do say you’ll share some champagne. You must..
.” She drew nearer. “The buyers will want a few words, Verity. Thanks and ego stroking. You do it so well.” She glanced at Lucas.
“They even believe she means it. She’s that good. ”
“Perhaps she does, my Lady. Maybe that’s her secret?”
“An interesting thought. Have we met?”
“I beg your pardon, Beatrice. This is Sir Lucas Ashcombe. If the name is familiar, that’s because his brother Silas is the Forge Master.”
“Oh yes, of course,” she clapped her hands delightedly.
“All that drama at Christmas. I remember. He completely upended the Warden applecart, didn’t he?
Not many effect such enormous changes in Arcvale, I’m sure.
” She studied Lucas. “And, if I’m not mistaken, you have something to do with banking, don’t you? ”
“I did at one time, my Lady.” He dipped his head politely. “It’s kind of you to recall.”
“Not at all. Remembering interesting people is a good habit, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Indeed, yes.”
“Tabby has just left with the proceeds, Beatrice. If all goes well, we can meet soon and allocate some to our more urgent projects?”
“That sweet girl. Did you know her children are every bit as delightful? One shouldn’t be surprised, I suppose.” She sighed. “She will be able to manage the deposits? One does worry you know.”
“Of course. She’s an old hand at it. Knows all the right numbers too. Far better than I do.”
“What a godsend,” nodded Beatrice. “You’re so lucky to have her.
And yes, we’ll meet soon. In the next week, perhaps?
Tomorrow and the day after, I’m attending some lectures at the Arcvale Historical Society.
Ancient ruins, you know. So romantic and fascinating.
I will be out of town for a few days after that.
But...I see I’m being summoned.” She shrugged.
“I’ll look forward to our next meeting, Verity.
And thank you for your presence this evening.
” Glancing at Lucas, she smiled. “And to you as well, Sir Lucas. Make sure Verity gets home safely. She’s a very important person to all of us. ”
“I promise, my Lady.” He bowed politely.
“Hmm...” Beatrice eyed him for a moment, then grinned and left in with a swish of satin skirts.
“She seemed particularly interested in Tabby,” Lucas observed.
“That’s just her way. Underneath all the public society bluster, she’s a woman with a good heart.”
A burst of applause distracted both of them, and Lucas ushered Verity toward the noise, just in time to see de Montclair, who had moved from his behind-the-scenes nook to centre stage in the gallery, bending over and dashing off his signature on the piece he’d been working on that afternoon.
“Oh look. He’s finished.” Verity tilted her head to one side.
“How can you tell?”
“Hush,” she stifled a laugh. “He probably ran out of yellow paint.”
Strolling amongst the crowd, Verity and Lucas nodded, smiled, and behaved exactly as one would expect. Polite, pleasantly spoken, and with a compliment at the ready.
“You’re not bad at this at all,” said Verity, somewhat surprised.
“I’m a curiosity and an unknown quantity to most of these people. And, if it hasn’t occurred to you already, somebody who was here today may be our culprit.”
She slowed her pace and glanced up at him. “You think so?”
“It wouldn’t surprise me,” he answered. “Your charity is about to get a large deposit. What better time to activate that tiny glitch and reap the rewards?”
Unsettled, she gazed over the crowd. “It’s a horrible thought, Lucas.”
“I agree. But what he’s doing is horrible, as well.”
Verity nodded in agreement. “I’m sorry Alastair didn’t come to this. It would have been nice to see him.”
“We will talk to him soon. Maybe tomorrow. Remember we both have something to tell him, and that might fill in some of the gaps...”
They’d been strolling for quite some time, she realised, her heart leaping when she looked at the handsome man by her side. Aethercoaches were starting to rattle around outside, and she knew it wouldn’t be long before the room emptied and the art would be left in the darkness.
A shiver ran down her spine. “Lucas...”
She never got to finish her sentence, because just at that moment a man ran in through the door. “There’s been an attack, a dreadful attack...a young woman...down by the river, at the bank deposit building...”
Within seconds, the gallery was filled with people trying to leave, a mass of jostling and shouting guests, all clogging up the doorways.
“This way.” Lucas grabbed Verity’s hand. “The back door.”
She followed him without question, her heart in her throat.
“Lucas..” She tumbled into an aethercoach behind him, scarcely even wondering how he had procured it. “Lucas,” she said again.
“I know,” he shot her a worried frown. “Tabby.”
*~~*~~*
They moved swiftly through the streets of Arcvale, the aethercoach whisking them over the smooth streets to the bank deposit building, where a small crowd had already gathered.
Lucas pushed away his emotions and focussed on what lay ahead.
“Great coggles,” hissed Verity. “If she’s injured because of me, I’ll never forgive myself.”
“I can understand that feeling. But you’re wrong. She’s injured because some villain hit her. We don’t know yet if it had anything to do with your charities, so hold the hysterics until we find out.”
“I don’t have hysterics,” she replied coldly.
“Good.”
Slowing, the vehicle slid quietly to a halt at the back of the crowd, and both passengers leapt from the cab and rushed through, Lucas managing to keep hold of Verity’s hand while urging people out of the way. “I see her,” he called over his shoulder. “She’s sitting up.”
“Oh thank God,” gasped Verity, still clinging firmly to Lucas.
Within moments, they were kneeling next to Tabby, who was white as a sheet and with blood smeared on one side of her face.
“Tabby,” whispered Verity. “Oh Tabby...”
Lucas, having ascertained that she was conscious and not seriously injured, began moving the crowd along, politely but firmly. As he did so, he casually asked one or two people if they’d seen what happened.
There were varying accounts, as he’d expected. But more than a few were similar enough to give him a picture of the incident.
She’d been depositing the money, when someone in a dark cloak struck her head, grabbed her reticule, and fled. Descriptions varied. Tall, short, in between, dark gloves, woman or man. Again, Lucas had to filter out the dramatics and extract what information he could.
Armed with that, he returned to Tabby and Verity.
They were both sitting on the curb, Verity holding Tabby’s hand and dabbing away the blood with her handkerchief.
“Should we go the hospital?” he asked calmly.
“Oh nooo, no, I’ll be fine in a moment or two. Really.” Tabby looked up at him.
“No pain?”
“I have a nasty headache,” she admitted. “But other than that, I’m uninjured.” She turned to Verity and clutched her hand. “My reticule’s gone. The money...the codes...” She touched her head and frowned. “I wish I could remember...”
“Hush now. You’re far more important to me, Tabby. So put all that aside for now.” Verity shot a glance at Lucas, and then at the aethercoach.
He nodded. “Let’s get you home, Mrs Monroe. I know you’ll feel better once you’re tucked up and resting.”
Still trembling a little, Tabby managed to stand. “I’d like that, sir.”
He put his arm around her to steady her. “Good. We’ll get you there in no time.” They took a couple of steps. “By the way? It’s Lucas. None of this “sir” business.”
Verity smiled at that and walked on Tabby’s other side. “Are you sure you don’t want me to summon a medic for you?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” she sighed. “I suppose I must have a hard head, because even though it cut my head a little, it didn’t knock me out.”
“You were very lucky,” replied Verity. Then she turned to Lucas. “The aethercoach?”
“Yes. We’re almost there.”
Tabby was tucked comfortably into the cab, the settings were changed to her home, and Verity gave her a hug.
“Take care of yourself, my dear girl. I do not want to see you out and about for at least a few days. And if you have any unpleasant reactions, it’s straight to the medics for you. No argument.”
“I’m sure your family will be glad to have you home in one piece,” added Lucas. “I believe you have two children?”
She managed a smile. “I do. And they’ll be quite impressed with my adventures this evening, not to mention my riding in a first class aethercoach. My mother lives with us, so I’ll be fine.”
“That’s good to know.” Lucas moved back. “If you need anything at all...”
“You’re very kind.” She blinked and then gripped Verity’s sleeve. “Oh...wait...there was perfume,” she paused, “flowers—roses, I think, or perhaps gardenias—and...and...silk. I remember thinking it was unusual, very fine, too clean. Then everything went dark.”
And with that, the vehicle quietly moved forward and away from the few people who had hung around in case anything else interesting happened.
Lucas looked at Verity. “Come home with me. We need to talk about this.”
She stood for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts. Then she nodded. “All right.”