“That would be marvellous,” he said. “Not to be too bold, but I believe I speak for everyone here when I say that we would be most interested in these pieces.”
Marcus nodded as Beatrice looked with gentle chastisement at him.
“I am insulted that you did not mention these pieces to us before,” she said.
Marcus chuckled, again impressed by how genuine it sounded.
“It was not until the day before yesterday that I found any relevance to showing them in this context,” he said. “And truthfully, I also think they might be best introduced at another symposium that focuses more on Italian and Indian culture and history. As I said, I am as yet undecided. I will give it some more thought.”
There was a general murmur of agreement, and Marcus felt relieved.
From the edge of his vision, he saw Edmund give him a small smile and nod of approval. He had done well avoiding raising suspicion, at least for the moment.
Still, he hoped that Edmund could find the evidence he needed and see Harold punished quickly. Marcus was not a man for lies and deception. Even though it was to protect his peers and family, he did not know how long he could keep up the charade.
Later, in the drawing room, Marcus reviewed the new catalogue entries Rosalind and Sophia had completed under Catherine’s supervision. Several artefacts had been shifted earlier that morning under the guise of documentation updates. Replicas now stood in place of the originals with such exactness that even a seasoned scholar might fail to discern the difference without careful study.
“Are all the pieces secure?” he asked.
Catherine nodded.
“Every item on Edmund’s priority list has either been moved or thoroughly documented with enough scrutiny to discourage immediate theft,” she said. “If Harold attempts anything tonight, he will have to choose from what we want him to find.”
Marcus frowned.
“I thought we were going to lock away all of them?” he asked.
Catherine nodded, her expression briefly falling.
“Henry brought one piece that is a little too large to fit,” she said. “As did Beatrice. I had to think quickly to avoid questions, as everyone received the notion of a mock museum with such delight that no alarm was raised. I have, however, engaged a second servant, promising him additional wages, to make quiet rounds through the passages at night to ensure that no one slips out of their rooms unnoticed while we all sleep.”
Marcus smiled. He was ceaselessly amazed by Catherine’s ability to think and act so well under pressure. Her confidence steadied him, and her cleverness was a constant reassurance.
“Very well done, Catherine,” he said softly.
His wife smiled, blushing.
“I am merely doing what I must to help us help Edmund and protect our esteemed guests,” she said quietly.
With a nod, Marcus returned to his study briefly to retrieve a new sheaf of papers, then lingered by the door, watchingas Catherine conferred with Henry about the provenance of a recently uncovered seal.
She tilted her head as she listened, then made a quiet remark that caused Henry to laugh. She smiled in return.
There was no tension in her posture, no self-consciousness in her manner. And yet she was watching everything. Marcus had never seen such balance between warmth and vigilance. Her mind worked ceaselessly even as she played the perfect hostess.
By late afternoon, the strain on Harold became impossible to miss. He had dropped a volume of compiled field notes during a conversation with Edmund and failed to retrieve it for several long seconds. He laughed too loudly at one of James’s jokes and misidentified a coin that Marcus knew he had catalogued correctly just days earlier.
Catherine approached Marcus by the corridor archway.
“Do you think he is unravelling?” she asked.
Marcus gave a slight shrug.
“I cannot say. He appears too preoccupied to mark anything amiss. I believe his mind is fixed either upon seizing another prize, or upon slipping away with what he has already taken.”
Catherine nodded, her brow beginning to wrinkle.
“We do not have much time left before our event concludes,” she said.
