Andrew Taylor - The American Boy

"Such excitement, my love!" Miss Carswall cried. "Mr Harmwell and Mr Shield have found a ring in the ice-house. It is a mourning ring for Amelia Parker. We believe she must have been one of Henry's ancestors."

For a moment the only sound was the ticking of the clock on the mantel. The colour fled from Sophie's cheek, and her bosom rose and fell.

"Treasure!" Edgar burst out in a piercing whisper to Charlie. "There – what did I say?"

Miss Carswall thrust the ring at Sophie. "So pretty," she went on, seemingly unaware of the awkwardness she had caused, "but so morbid, too, and the diamond is cut in that dull, antique way, and the setting is dreadfully old-fashioned. Have you seen it before?"

Sophie looked up, her face pale but composed. "No. But I know who Amelia Parker was. Her daughter married Charlie's grandpapa, which was how Monkshill came to the Frants."

Charlie leaned on the arm of his mother's chair and she allowed him to take the ring. "Mama? Will it be ours?"

"I doubt it, dearest – mourning rings are often made for a person's family and friends – sometimes a dozen or more. There's no reason why we should have a right to this one."

He dropped it on the palm of his mother's hand. "But she was my family."

"What a pity Sir George and the Captain are not still here," Miss Carswall said. "We might have asked them if they had seen it before. Still, I am sure they will be back after they have inspected Grange Cottage."

"In the meantime, should we give it to Mr Carswall?" I said.

Miss Carswall glanced at me. "Indeed, you are right, Mr Shield. I wonder if poor Mrs Johnson dropped it in her last moments. But that is by the by. In itself, it must be a ring of some considerable value, for the stone alone, and Papa should see it. But first I shall make a note of the inscription – I am sure Sir George will be interested." She sat at the table, took pencil and paper and began to make a copy of the words. The point of her pencil broke. "Oh! How vexing!"

"Allow me to sharpen it for you," I said.

She watched with flattering interest as I trimmed the point with my penknife. Afterwards, she asked me to check the accuracy of what she had written. Having thanked me prettily, she fluttered out of the room.

"Sir George and Captain Ruispidge have conferred with Mr Carswall," Sophie said quietly. "They have also seen their unfortunate cousin. Now they have ridden to Flaxern."

"They mean to return today?"

"After they have called at Grange Cottage, they will come back through the park."

A moment later Miss Carswall reappeared and said that her father wished to see Mr Harmwell. The boys scampered out of the room in his wake, leaving me alone with the three ladies.

"Such a pretty stone," Miss Carswall said. "One could always have it re-cut and re-set. By the by, Mr Shield, I find that you have fallen out of favour with my father."

I bowed. "I regret to say that I have unintentionally offended him."

"Oh." She waited for me to continue, though she must have known how I had offended him and how delicate the matter was. When I remained silent, she glanced from me to Sophie and then back again. "Should you like me to speak to him?"

"You are very good, Miss Carswall, but I do not think it would answer. Besides, perhaps Mr Carswall is in the right of it: it is better that I leave."

Sophie looked up. "When are you going?"

"I was to leave this morning but the death of Mrs Johnson has made it necessary to postpone my departure."

"I wish-" she began; but I was never to know what she wished because at that moment the door opened and there was Mr Carswall himself.

"Shield," he said. "A word with you." He beckoned me into the hall and then into the library. "Close the door. Harmwell tells me it was he who actually put his hand on the ring, but it was you who saw the hiding place beforehand?"

"Yes, sir."

"He said you chanced to meet in the ice-house, and that he is interested in the construction of such buildings, and that was why he was there: is that correct?"

"That is what he told me. I cannot express an opinion as to the truth of what he said."

Carswall grunted. "Sir George may need to see you: you must stay within-doors for the rest of the day. You will not dine with us, by the by. You may go."

I opened the door to pass out of the room. But he called me back.

He lowered his head and glared at me through tangled eyebrows. "I hold you directly responsible for the boys' imprudent escapade last night. It might have led to serious injury, if not worse. I shall inform Mr Bransby so."

What he said was clearly audible to everyone in the hall, to Harmwell and both the footmen. I did not attempt to rebut so unfair a charge because I knew it would serve no purpose. Instead, I bowed again and closed the door on that cruel, fleshy face.

I avoided meeting Harmwell's eyes. I went up to the schoolroom. On the way I caught the boys kneeling beside the door of the Blue Room, with Charlie peering through the keyhole while Edgar kept up a running commentary.

"No, you great booby, look to the left and you can see the corner of the bed, and there's a bit of black cloth, which I think might be her-"

He broke off, turned his head and saw me. Both boys leapt to their feet.

"Are we – are we to have lessons today?" Charlie inquired.

"No, I believe not." I realised that no one had thought to tell them that they would never have lessons in this house from me again. "In fact, I shall soon be leaving you."

"You return to Mr Bransby's, sir?" asked Edgar.

"Probably." Though for how long, I dared not guess. "You are to remain here, Edgar, at least for the time being – Mr Carswall will write Mr Allan. So, unless Mr Carswall finds you another tutor, you will have to run wild for the next fortnight."

Boys are strange creatures. They stared up at me in silence for a moment, their faces curiously similar, in expression as well as feature. Then, without a word, they turned and ran along the landing.

Dusk came earlier than usual that afternoon, the colours and shapes fading steadily as though a shadowy mist were creeping through the house in search of someone or something. More than once I found myself wondering whether they had lit a lamp in the room where Mrs Johnson lay.

I spent the rest of the day beside a small fire in the schoolroom. By now, news of my disgrace had spread far and wide. I had half expected the servants to rejoice in my downfall but to my surprise they seemed almost sorry at the prospect of losing me. The housekeeper arranged for my spare shirt to be washed and ironed. The little maid who saw to the schoolroom offered to brush and sponge my outdoor clothes, which had suffered from the adventures of the morning and the previous night.

During the afternoon I heard the bustle of arrivals below. Sir George and Captain Ruispidge had returned. The girl who took my clothes told me that the brothers were to dine at Monkshill and spend the night. She also had a message for me from Pratt the footman, now grown too grand to run errands to a mere tutor himself: a groom would take me into Gloucester in the morning; the gig used by the servants was ordered for eight o'clock. From this I deduced that Sir George, in his capacity as a magistrate, saw no legal reason why I should be detained any longer.

I dined early with Mr Harmwell. He was reluctant to talk about recent events and spent most of the meal sunk in thought. Afterwards he shook hands with me and said that he and his master would soon be leaving Monkshill themselves.

"Do you go to South Wales?" I asked.

"I believe Mr Noak has changed his plans. We shall probably travel back to London." He gave me an unexpected smile. "How I long to return to America."

We bade each other Godspeed. I returned to the schoolroom and tried to read. In a short while, the maid brought up my clean shirt.