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‘It is the business area. Your legal advisers, your bank and so forth are located there, I have no doubt, but their representatives come to you, not the other way around. It is the haunt of merchants and traders, not a place for the ton to live.’
Madelyn made herself pay attention. Modern life seemed to be full of snares and pitfalls and she was floundering as she tried to assess what would be considered merely eccentric behaviour, what would be embarrassing and what would constitute a major faux pas.
At Louisa’s suggestion she had brought along every item of jewellery she possessed, packed securely in the dressing case that Harper held on her knee. The doors of the carriage were locked and there were two footmen holding on behind as well as the groom up beside the driver. London thieves were brazen enough to snatch jewellery from the necks of ladies whose carriages were held up in traffic, Louisa warned her, so no risks were to be taken.
The carriage went steeply downhill, then up again. ‘Ludgate Hill. We are here.’
The door was unlocked, the footmen flanked the steps as the three women descended and a doorman ushered them into the shop where they were shown through into a private room by a man who Madelyn had thought at first glance must be a customer. But apparently this was Mr Sedgwyck, the manager, condescending to inspect Miss Aylmer’s jewels personally in response to a note from Lady Fairfield.
He spread them out on black velvet. ‘A very nice diamond parure. Not perhaps in the very latest style and in need of cleaning and a repair to the loose clasps. We could reset the stones if you wish.’
‘The set was my mother’s. She never wore them in recent years.’ Not, in fact, since Father had become determined on total historical accuracy in dress as well as manner of living. ‘Cleaning and repairs will be all that is required.’
‘Certainly. And these pearls are very fine. They never go out of style, of course. The earrings are freshwater pearls of some age, I imagine. I would advise restringing the necklace. And these... Good gracious, are they original?’ He was lifting out the first of the old pieces her father had bought for her mother.
‘Most of them are early sixteenth century. That one and that are, I believe, earlier. And these are recent settings of old stones.’
‘Magnificent and most interesting.’ Mr Sedgwyck was poring over the gems with a magnifying glass. ‘Quite unwearable these days, of course—’ He broke off at a knock on the door.
One of the assistants looked round the edge. ‘Mr Ransome is here, sir. He saw the carriage and is enquiring if he might join Miss Aylmer.’
‘Yes, of course.’ He had hired the carriage for her, so she supposed he had recognised it. Or more likely the team of matched bays harnessed to it.
Jack came in, making the office seem even smaller, was greeted by Mr Sedgwyck who clearly knew him well and shook hands with the ladies. ‘I should tell you, in strictest confidence, Sedgwyck, that Miss Aylmer and I are betrothed.’ He turned to Madelyn. ‘Do you mind if I join your discussion? You have brought your jewellery to be overhauled, I see.’
‘Yes. We have agreed that the diamond set is to be cleaned and checked over and the pearls restrung.’
‘I was admiring the antique pieces,’ the jeweller remarked. ‘Museum quality, most of them. Unless of course Miss Aylmer wishes to have any of the stones recut?’
‘Certainly not.’ Madelyn put her hand down protectively, fingers spread over the richly coloured, rounded stones and the heavy gold links and mounts.
‘When these were made faceted cutting was not technically possible,’ Jack began.
‘I am perfectly aware of that.’ She bit the inside of her cheek before she could say anything more. She certainly did not need a lecture on antique jewellery.
‘The colours will show to more advantage and the stones will sparkle if they are recut,’ he persisted.
‘That would be vandalism—virtually all these stones have a recorded history. Besides, I prefer to wear them as they are.’
‘They would be quite unsuitable for anything but a masquerade,’ Jack said flatly. ‘Sedgwyck, they had best be stored here, I believe.’
‘I was about to suggest that.’ The two men nodded, quite in agreement, Madelyn saw, smarting at their assumption that they had resolved the situation.
‘No.’
‘Ma’am, Her Majesty the Queen has her jewels in our keeping. I assure you they would be quite safe.’
‘No. Thank you. I am sure they would be in good hands, but, no.’ She would be civil if it killed her. ‘Please have them cleaned and the clasps and links checked and then they will all be returned to me, if you please.’
‘Er...yes, Miss Aylmer.’ Sedgwyck shot an uncertain glance to Jack, sitting beside her.
‘I am not married yet, Mr Sedgwyck.’ She smiled as she said it, and he tittered nervously, uncertain whether she had been speaking in jest.
Beside her, Jack made a low sound suspiciously like a growl, but when he spoke he sounded perfectly pleasant. The man was a good actor, which was something she should be wary of. ‘And in the meantime you will need some jewellery to wear, my dear.’ He turned and smiled and she saw that he was quite deliberately calling her to order, expecting her to behave herself in front of the jeweller and not display any of those worrying eccentricities, such as a liking for ancient gems or a refusal to do as two men told her.
She returned the smile sweetly, finding an unexpected pleasure in this duel. It had never been any use protesting to Father. He would not notice any dissent unless it was a full-blown tantrum or a flat refusal to do something—and either of those reactions met with swift retaliation—but Jack Ransome was very aware of her and her reactions and that was strangely stimulating.
‘If you say so, dearest.’ She returned his smile with one just as false and saw his eyes narrow. ‘What do you suggest?’
