The Portrait (22 page)

"I still can't believe him capable of theft," insisted Flora.

"Nor I. There's definitely something that doesn't sit right. I
attempted to speak to Compton, but he wouldn't even agree to
a meeting, and I couldn't push the issue. The whole episode
appears suspect, but the college authorities take his side in the
matter. Further investigations must be made, but I am too well
known by those involved to get to the bottom of the issue. I
may not be able to further the inquiry, but I have one in mind
who might."

"Then you must engage his services immediately," cried
Flora.

"There's no need. He's already in my service," replied Sinclair. "'Tis my agent, Randall, who worked as a runner for a
while, and I believe he still has connections at Bow Street.
Where better to look for a solution? He's eminently more qualified to deal with the investigation than I."

"Excellent!" cried Flora enthusiastically. "He must be set
to the task immediately."

"My very intention," replied the earl, "but I must need speak
to Perry first. By-the-by, where is he? The house seems uncommonly quiet. Even Caesar deserts us?'

"There's no mystery there" Jenny smiled. "They are gone
with Freddie and Estelle to the kennels. They were determined
that she should see the new arrivals, and, as she appeared not
opposed to the idea, they went immediately after lunch."

11Oh, Lord. Estelle! I'd completely forgotten about her,"
cried Sinclair guiltily, sitting forward in his seat. "She must
think me a very indifferent host. Almost as soon as we arrived, I found it necessary to desert her and haven't given her
a thought since. Poor girl, she will wish she never accompanied me."

"I don't think there's any fear of that," assured Flora. "She's
made herself quite at home and, despite the situation, appears
to be very much enjoying her sojourn."

Smiling, the earl put aside his cup and rose. "Then I must
go in search of them before the young numbskulls drive her to
distraction. I must not be accused of neglecting my guests."

"I swear to you, Ned, I've never been near a pawnbroker,"
cried Perry, once more standing before his brother in the library.

"Never?" queried Sinclair with raised eyebrows. "Then how
come he knows your name and likeness?"

Perry dropped his gaze guiltily. "Well, maybe, just once,"
he conceded.

"And that was when ... T'

"When I first went up to Oxford. I was short of cash, and
Jameson said all the chaps did it. You were away, and I couldn't apply to Carlton for funds, so I pawned the telescope you gave
me until the next quarter's allowance came through"

The earl laid his hand to his brow. "You don't make things
easy, do you?" he groaned. "I was hoping you'd never been
near the place and we could discredit Gerard's identification
of you. As it is, you must speak to Randall. I've arranged for
you to meet with him in the morning. You may see him alone
so that whatever information you have to impart will be solely
between the two of you. I shall not interfere, but you must be
completely honest with him. To hold back on anything could
jeopardize the outcome of the investigation."

"I understand and will do as you say," Perry assured him in
little more than a whisper. "Though I must tell you, Ned, I am
most deeply sorry for all the trouble I've caused you. I will
find some way to repay you-truly I will."

"You will repay me by keeping your spirits up. I will not
have you acting in this dejected manner when this whole matter is not your fault. When this is over, you may decide whether
you remain at Oxford or not. I will not influence you either
way. I believe it to be a decision you alone must make. In the
meantime, I will not pressure you. We will prove your innocence even if it necessitates taking the whole matter to court"

Perry's eyes widened. "I couldn't bear it, Ned. To have it
thrust so into the open would expose the whole family to
ridicule. Even if I were found innocent, accusations would still
be leveled."

Sinclair brought his hand down forcibly onto the desk. "I
will not allow this defeatist attitude." He saw that the boy appeared near to tears and relented, rising to press Perry into the
chair set at the side of the desk. "Come now," he said more
quietly. "We must place our faith in Randall and his colleagues. I'm sure they will succeed. There are too many discrepancies in the case for it to be taken further. Indeed, it
surprises me that it ever came thus far."

"I believe it to be Compton's father who insisted they find
the culprit," said Perry, regaining some of his equanimity.
"Compton himself appeared not to wish to press the case"

"It matters not who is the cause for your persecution. We
will prove your innocence and then redress the issue. Go to
bed now. I believe Randall will wish to travel to Oxford as
soon as he's spoken to you on the morrow. Therefore, you must
speak to him as early as possible."

Obediently Perry rose to leave, but the earl delayed him a
moment longer. "Tell me, did you retrieve the telescope?" he
asked, smiling. "Or does it still languish on the pawnbroker's
shelf?"

"I redeemed it as soon as I was in funds" Perry grinned in return. "How could I not, when it was you who'd given it to me?"

Intent on joining his guests in the drawing room, Sinclair
paused for a moment outside the closed door, listening to the
pleasant hum of voices. However, it was one voice in particular that held his attention, and he stood listening to the tones
as she joined in the conversation, a small smile touching his
lips. The topic was of no consequence, the ladies discussing
no more than trivialities, but still it held a fascination for him.
He stood so for several minutes before Croft, entering the hall,
brought him from his reverie, and, pushing open the door, he
made his entrance.

Later that night, when all had retired, he sat by the window
in his bedchamber dressed in his shirtsleeves, the miniature
resting in his hand. He could not remember a time when the
beloved face had not filled his thoughts. At times his longing
appeared almost as a physical pain in his breast, but still he
could not relinquish it. He gave a heavy sigh, realizing that
the miniature's possession did naught but perpetuate the torment he felt. It drove him to question the nobleness of his
motives at not throwing caution to the wind and declaring
himself, but still he thought such avowals inappropriate. For
as much as he'd regained his former strength, the devastation
wrought on his frame was still too apparent.

Although he had in part become reconciled to his disfigurement, the thought of inflicting its consequences upon another,
upon one he held so infinitely dear, was insupportable, and he tightened his fingers over the frame. Feeling the metal cut into
his flesh, he welcomed the pain as a diversion from his no less
painful thoughts.

He knew not how long he sat thus, or what the hour, but a
deep exhaustion overcame him, and, resting his head against
the winged back of the chair, he fell into a restless sleep, the
portrait slipping from his fingers to lie face upward on the
floor.

Coming to sudden consciousness, Jennifer immediately recognized the cause of her awakening. Hearing the earl's voice
in the throes of his night terrors, she threw on her robe and
hastened along the corridor to his bedchamber.

Reaching the door, she did not hesitate to push it open, but
the scene before her halted her advance. Sinclair was not alone.
Unaware that she was observed, Estelle bent solicitously over
him as he slept in the chair and, as Jenny watched, stooped to
retrieve something from the carpet and place it on a nearby
dresser.

Her worst fears confirmed, with sinking heart Jennifer
turned away. She would not intrude when it was so obvious
she was not needed. Hearing someone running down the landing, she turned to see Perry dressed only in his nightshirt
coming down its length. As he gained her side, he would have
pushed her into the room before him, but she held back. He
tried once more to urge her to enter, but she said with a catch
in her voice, "There's no need for me, Perry. Estelle attends
him." And, turning quickly, she was gone.

Confounded by her departure, Perry watched her retreat
for but a moment before hastening inside. To his vast relief, he
found that his brother was calming, and at his arrival Estelle
relinquished the earl into his care. Assured that the terror was
all but passed, she returned to her own bedchamber, leaving
him in sole charge. Perry helped Sinclair to undress before finally assisting him abed, waiting only until he finally succumbed to the exhaustion that inevitably followed the terrors
and slept.

As the earl's breathing became more even, Perry took his
candle and made toward the door, but as he passed the dresser,
a metallic glint caught his eye, and he took the object up. At
the sight of it, he gave a low whistle. "So, that's the way the
wind blows," he whispered to himself. "I would never have
suspected it." And he returned the frame to its resting place
before once more retreating to his own chamber.

Randall left for Oxford immediately after his interview
with Perry was concluded. He made no promises but assured
the boy that he would gather what information he could and
report his findings as soon as he was able. Perry held out no
great hopes of an early conclusion, but his mind felt a little
more at ease with Randall's assurance that he would leave no
stone unturned in his investigations.

Sinclair took a turn about the gardens with Flora while his
brother and guests entered into a game of croquet on one of
the well-manicured lawns. As he moderated his pace to fit
hers, she linked her arm in his, squeezing it gently to gain his
attention, as his gaze was wont to wander to the players.

"You know I have a great fondness for you, Edward," she
began as he turned to face her. "As a brother you are most
amiable, but I must tell you, you are a fool."

"Now what have I done to incur your displeasure?" He
laughed, leading her to an ivy-covered bower and seating her at his side. "I thought I was overdue for one of your lecturestherefore, speak. I am all attention."

"I know your secret," she chided, "so don't think you hide it
from me. I've seen the looks you cast in Jenny's direction when
you think yourself unobserved. That being the case, I would
ask, don't you think you take this championing of Estelle too
far?"

"I don't know what you mean," he replied defensively, declining to meet her gaze.

"I'm quite sure that you do. Surely you realize the dangers
of taking all upon yourself and how it must appear to others.
Indeed, to one person in particular. I would accuse you of indifference if I didn't know the contrary."

"You don't know what you know," he responded roundly. "I
owe a debt of gratitude to Estelle. One that I can never repay.
I'm not responsible for what others might read into my actions."

"You care not how it must seem to Jenny?"

He looked sharply at her. "Has Jenny said anything to you?"

"No, but the child would have to be a complete idiot not to
have noticed the particular attention you pay to Estelle."

"Then it is all in your imagination," he scoffed. "I know
Jenny well enough to know that she can be quite forthright when
the occasion arises, and I believe she would have broached the
subject with you before now."

"One only has to see the hurt in her eyes," persisted Flora.

"I see no hurt," he replied defiantly. "Why should she show
hurt when she has Rutledge in her toils?"

"Then you don't know!" she cried triumphantly. "I thought
you must not; otherwise, why keep up this pretext of indifference? She sent Phillip Rutledge packing. He's returned to Buxton. Now what do you say to that? Do I still not know what I
am at?"

For a moment he said nothing, but then, after what appeared a moment of thought, he murmured, "Gone to Buxton,
has he? There are no signs of a betrothal? Hawley assured me
it was all but settled."

"None whatsoever, and if Freddie's to be believed, which I
do believe he is, she would be quite happy if she never set
eyes on the man again."

The earl rose from his seat, his face impassive, and said in
a noncommittal tone, "Come, Flora, we've our circuit to complete before we return to the others"

Flora rose and stamped her foot with frustration. "I don't
see why you treat me so shabbily and act in this sly fashion,"
she cried, nonetheless taking his arm and falling into step beside him. "Why won't you admit your affection for Jennifer?"

"Because, my dear, there is nothing to admit," he replied
with infuriating aplomb.

For as much as he had appeared to take no notice of their
afternoon's conversation, over supper that evening Flora was
aware that Sinclair studied Jennifer whenever he thought himself unnoticed. However, Jenny was oblivious to his scrutiny
and listened intently to some story of Freddie and Perry's
telling, smiling frequently at their humor. Thus, the earl was
allowed his study unhindered.