Page 28

“All right, Buckland, I’ve remained silent long enough. Spill it!”

Henry swung around to see Fernsby approaching along the landing. The gentleman’s hair was pulled back in an extravagant yellow ribbon that matched his waistcoat. His jacket was undoubtedly some shade of red and seemed to be similar in tone to his breeches.

“Good morning to you too, Fernsby,” Henry said dryly.

Fernsby grunted. “There’s nothing good about this morning unless you’re a duck or a frog. Even the worms are out on the roads protesting the continued rain.”

Henry opened the door and walked in. Not surprisingly, Fernsby followed.

“Did you need something?” Henry asked, setting his letters on the table.

“Yes.” Fernsby folded his arms over his sunny waistcoat. “The truth.”

Tamping down his alarm, Henry took his time hanging up his wet hat and cloak. Had he made a mistake with the last batch of semiprecious stones? He’d been sure of the sapphire, but the variety of agates had caused him difficulty. “The truth about what?” There was no point in beating about the bush.

“Whatever it is that you’ve said or done to Townsend to put him into such a foul mood.”

It was a testament to his measure of relief that Fernsby’s accusation caused Henry to smile. “Has he been barking at you more than usual?”

Fernsby eyed him suspiciously. “It’s more than that, and you know it. He’s never cheery, I grant you, but for the best part of a fortnight, he’s been especially dour. And it seems to me that you’ve been avoiding him.”

Henry moved around the large table in the center of the room and took his seat. Half a dozen pieces of pottery lay in a tidy row in a box on his left. His quill, inkwell, and ledger stood ready at his right, but experience told him he’d get no work done until Fernsby’s curiosity was satisfied. “Claridge visited the museum a week last Friday,” he said.

Fernsby’s eyebrows rose. “Why did I not know of it?”

“He was here for only half an hour before leaving for a board meeting. Apparently, he’d heard from Lady Grenville’s solicitor. The viscountess has instructed him to draw up the papers to transfer ownership of her butterfly collection and a significant portion of her husband’s compilation of literature to the museum.”

“I would have thought Townsend would consider that to be excellent news. What does he have to be grumpy about?”

Henry rolled up one sleeve to protect it from the fresh ink he still hoped to apply to the next page of his ledger. “It seems that Lady Grenville has determined that the transfer of items is conditional upon her working exclusively with me. Claridge came to thank me for acquiring the endowment and to ask me to oversee the material when it arrives.”

Fernsby’s expression was unusually thoughtful. “And Townsend’s nose was put out of joint because books and manuscripts come under his purview.”

“Yes.”

“Did Claridge say whether he’d heard anything from Mr. Watts?”

Puzzled by the abrupt change in subject from Townsend’s displeasure to the museum director’s continued absence, Henry shook his head. “No. Why?”

“We’ve been waiting on the shipment he promised for weeks. I just wondered if Claridge had heard of any ship sightings yet.” He shrugged. “Perhaps there will be something for Townsend to focus on in those crates when they arrive.”

Given that the cargo was coming from the South Seas, it was extremely unlikely that there would be much literature in the containers, but Henry would not fault Fernsby for trying to be positive. “It’s possible.”

“Yes.” Fernsby appeared thoughtful. “If Claridge stops by to talk to you again, let me know, would you? It doesn’t hurt to be prepared for Townsend’s increased displeasure.”

“I don’t see why he’d need to speak to me a second time,” Henry said. “Rutherford will take charge of any deliveries, as he always does. Once everything’s unloaded, I will happily give Townsend charge over all of Lord Grenville’s papers.”

“An assignment he will no doubt undertake with considerable resentment if it comes through you.”

“I sincerely hope not.”

Fernsby snorted. “The old man should have stepped down and allowed someone younger to take the position years ago.”

“His cantankerous disposition notwithstanding, it’s hard to imagine anyone taking more diligent care of the manuscript saloon.”

“Lady Grenville obviously thinks otherwise, and it would seem that Claridge concurs.”

Henry shook his head. “Claridge has agreed to follow along with Lady Grenville’s whims for the sake of the museum.”