Джеффри Арчер - This Was a Man

‘Thank you, Perry,’ said Virginia, linking her arm through his. ‘But I can understand Camilla’s feelings. After all, I would feel the same way if someone tried to take the place of my mother.’

‘You have such a generous heart, Virginia. But I fear there’s a subject Camilla raised with me that I can’t put off discussing with you any longer.’

Virginia froze. How had Camilla found out about the loan, when she’d arranged for Moxton to leave for his Christmas holiday the day before the family arrived, and not to return until the day after they’d departed?

‘I’m sorry to have to raise such a painful subject,’ said the duke, ‘but I’m not getting any younger, and I have to consider the future, and yours in particular, old gal.’

Virginia made no attempt to speak because this was something she had already thought about. Also, Desmond Mellor had taught her that whenever you hope to strike a bargain, be sure the other side makes the opening bid.

‘The old finishing line and all that,’ added the duke. ‘So I’ve decided to draw up a codicil to be added to my will, so you’ll have nothing to worry about after I’ve gone.’

‘My only worry,’ said Virginia, ‘is that after you’ve gone, I’ll be all alone. I know it’s selfish of me, Perry, but if I could have my way, I would die before you. I just can’t bear the thought of having to live without you.’ She even managed to manufacture a tear.

‘How did I get so lucky?’ said the duke.

‘It was me who got lucky,’ purred Virginia.

‘Before I call my solicitor and get the ball rolling, old gal, I want you to give some thought to what I might leave you. Of course you’ll have the Dower House on the estate, and an allowance of five thousand a month, but if there’s anything else in particular you’d like, just let me know.’

‘That’s so thoughtful of you, Perry. I can’t think of anything at the moment. Perhaps just a little memento to remind me of you.’

The truth was that Virginia had already given the matter a great deal of thought, as it was all part of her retirement plan. She didn’t need reminding that she’d already missed out on two wills and she didn’t intend to do so a third time.

However, she needed to carry out some more research before briefing Perry on which little memento she had in mind. She knew exactly the right person to advise her on the subject, but she couldn’t invite him to the castle while the duke was in residence. No matter, that problem would be solved in a couple of weeks’ time when Perry went up to London for his annual regimental reunion, an event he never missed because, as the regiment’s honorary colonel, he would be expected to chair the dinner.

Virginia joined Perry for the short journey to the local station.

‘I wish I was going with you,’ she said as they walked out on to the platform together.

‘Not much point, old gal, I’m only staying in town overnight, and I’ll be back by tomorrow afternoon.’

‘When you’ll find me standing on the platform waiting for you.’

‘You don’t have to,’ he said as the train pulled in.

‘I want to be here when you return,’ she said as the duke climbed into a first-class carriage.

‘That’s good of you, old gal.’

‘Goodbye,’ Virginia called out, and waved as the train set off on its journey to London. She then quickly left the station in search of another man.

‘Are you Poltimore?’ she asked a young man standing on the pavement and looking a little lost. His fair hair almost reached his shoulders, and he was wearing a duffle coat and carrying a small suitcase.

‘I am indeed, your grace,’ he said, giving her a slight bow. ‘I wasn’t expecting you to come and pick me up.’

‘My pleasure,’ said Virginia, as the chauffeur opened the back door of the car for them.

On the drive back to the castle, Virginia explained why she’d invited an art historian from Sotheby’s to come and view the Hertford collection.

‘For some time the duke has been concerned that he might have overlooked something of real value that ought to be insured. We keep a full inventory, of course, but as my husband doesn’t take a great deal of interest in his family heirlooms, I thought it would be sensible to bring it up to date. After all, none of us are getting any younger.’

‘I’ve been looking forward to seeing the collection,’ Poltimore replied. ‘It’s always a bit special to be allowed to view a collection that hasn’t been seen by the public. I am, of course, aware of the Constable of Castle Hertford, and the Turner masterpiece of St Mark’s Square, but I can’t wait to find out what other treasures you have.’

Me too, thought Virginia, but didn’t interrupt the young man’s enthusiastic flow.

‘It didn’t take a lot of research to discover that it was the third duke, who travelled extensively around the continent during the eighteenth century,’ continued Poltimore, ‘who was responsible for putting together such a fine collection.’

‘But he can’t have been responsible for purchasing the Turner or the Constable,’ said Virginia.

‘No, that would have been the seventh duke. He also commissioned Gainsborough’s portrait of Catherine, Duchess of Hertford.’

‘You’ll find her hanging in the hall,’ said Virginia, who had already studied the inventory in great detail, before coming to the conclusion that the duke would never agree to part with any of the Hertford family heirlooms. However, she was rather hoping that during the past three hundred years, something just might have escaped their notice.

On arrival back at the castle, Virginia didn’t waste any time, but took the man from Sotheby’s straight to the library, where she presented him with three thick, leather-bound volumes entitled The Hertford Collection .

‘I’ll leave you to get on with your work, Mr Poltimore. Do feel free to roam around the house, remembering that your main purpose is to try to find anything we might have missed.’

‘I can’t wait,’ said Poltimore, as he opened the first volume.

As she turned to leave, Virginia said, ‘We dress for dinner, Mr Poltimore, which will be served promptly at eight.’

‘I’ve been able to check almost everything listed in the inventory,’ said Poltimore over a glass of sherry before dinner, ‘and I can confirm that it all appears to be in order. However, I do think the current estimates for insurance purposes are well below the collection’s true value.’

‘That’s hardly surprising,’ said Virginia. ‘I doubt if many of the aristocracy could afford to insure their possessions at their current value. I remember my father once telling me that if the family pictures were to come on the market, he would no longer be able to buy them. Did you come across anything of significance that wasn’t accounted for?’

‘Not so far. But I haven’t had the chance to check the two upper floors, which I’ll do first thing tomorrow morning.’

‘Those are mainly the staff quarters,’ said Virginia, trying to mask her disappointment. ‘I don’t think you’ll find anything worthwhile up there. But you may as well look, as you’re here.’

A gong sounded and she led her guest through to the dining room.

‘Where’s Mr Poltimore, Lomax?’ Virginia asked the butler when she came down for breakfast the following morning.

‘He took an early breakfast, your grace, and when I last saw him he was on the top floor making notes of the pictures hanging on the landing.’

Virginia retired to the library after breakfast and began to double-check the inventory, wondering if there just might be a minor masterpiece somewhere that the duke wasn’t particularly attached to and would be willing to part with. However, when she looked through Poltimore’s revised valuations, there was nothing that would make it possible for her to continue to live in the style she considered worthy of a duchess. She would just have to make sure that her monthly allowance was raised from £5,000 to £10,000 so she didn’t starve. Her mood didn’t improve when Poltimore told her over lunch that he had found nothing of any real significance on the top two floors.