Page 4 of Lady Louisa and the Carriage Clock (The Rogue’s Alliance #3)
T he Leigh and Sotheby offices were located in the Exeter Exchange on the north side of the Strand in London. While known for auctioning off books, the auction house had recently begun including other goods for sale.
As he alighted from his carriage on Walling Street, Cecil heard the sound of a big cat’s roar from the building in front of him.
Edward Cross housed a makeshift menagerie on the upper floors of the building, a venture he’d named the Royal Grand National Menagerie . With the cacophony of sounds coming from the menagerie ringing in his ears, Cecil wondered why the auction house hadn’t found a quieter location to do business.
He’d traveled in a nondescript black coach with attendants dressed in plain black livery to attract as little attention as possible. There was no indication the RA was after the clock, but he couldn’t be sure they wouldn’t have someone bidding on it.
If lucky, he would have the clock within the hour and be on his way home. As he entered the building’s lobby, a gentleman directed those attending the auction to an open door on the left side of the vestibule. Cecil entered a chamber full of hard-backed chairs with two long tables beside a raised dais; he took a seat in the back of the room on a chair in the last row.
One of the long tables held stacks of books and an ebony wood box that he recognized. It was identical to the one that stored his own gold clock.
Four rows before him, he spied Lady Louisa, recognizing her unique style. She wore a wide-brimmed hat that would block the view of anyone seated directly behind her if not removed.
Beside her, Edith wore a demure bonnet. Louisa’s hat was a bold choice, her maroon pelisse striking. Although debutantes were expected to choose light colors for their dresses, he noticed that Louisa often wore outerwear in bright, vibrant hues.
The gentleman beside her turned his head, and Cecil recognized Leopold’s patrician nose. He should have expected the ladies to have an escort.
There wasn’t any reason Cecil should have to speak with the man. They’d had a rivalry at Eton that he'd considered friendly. Leopold did not. Cecil was here to get the clock, not to exchange barbs with Louisa's brother.
A tall, gray-haired gentleman walked to the raised dais and tapped an ivory hammer on one of the nearby tables until the room quieted. “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I am George Sotheby, your auctioneer this afternoon.”
A younger man standing by the other table picked up a stack of books and carried them to the table beside Mr. Sotheby.
“Lot number one is a collection of social science books, many first editions, from Lord Campbell’s private collection.”
Neither he nor Lady Louisa bid on the books and the lot sold promptly as there was little interest. The next lot was a collection of notebooks by the naturalist Joseph Banks. He suppressed a yawn.
“Lot number three is a rare gold mantel clock, believed to be the only one left of a pair made by Francois-Pierre Jolly, better known as Gaston Jolly. Little is known about the clock discovered amongst the effects of Lord Campbell by his nephew after his passing.”
Cecil looked about carefully, wondering if the RA had members there to bid on the clock. Who else in London knew the significance of the piece? The younger gentleman transported the ebony box to the other table, took out the clock, and held it up for viewing for several moments before replacing it on the table.
“The bidding will start at a shilling.”
Lady Louisa raised a gloved hand, as did another gentleman in the front row. He didn’t recognize the man. The bids were up to twenty shillings, or one pound when Cecil touched his forehead with his right hand. “Two pounds.”
“Two pounds to the gentleman in the back of the room.”
Several pairs of eyes turned to look at him, including Edith, Louisa, and Leopold. Louisa’s lovely eyes widened momentarily, and Edith gave him a brief nod. Leopold stared daggers before he turned to his sister and whispered in her ear, causing Louisa to smile.
* * * * *
L ouisa started and turned in her seat to look behind her when she heard Leopold mutter under his breath, “Lord Wycliffe!”
“Leopold?” she asked, alarmed at the dark expression on her brother’s face as he stared at the viscount.
“Do you really want that clock, Louisa?” he asked grimly.
She nodded. “I do, brother.”
“Then you shall have it.” Turning to face forward, he raised his hand. “Three pounds.”
With a smile, she also faced forward.
“Four pounds.” Louisa didn’t have to turn her head again. She recognized the voice. Lord Wycliffe’s deep, husky voice had often been an unwelcome guest in her dreams.
The auctioneer nodded back and forth several times between her brother and Lord Wycliffe.
“Twenty pounds going once, going twice, sold for twenty pounds!” Mr. Sotheby rapped his hammer on the table.
The clock was hers. How? Why? There were rumors that Lord Wycliffe was short of funds, but she’d imagined he would never surrender the clock if it meant she would get it. They were both very competitive people, after all.
“It’s yours, Louisa!” Edith clapped her hands from her place on Louisa’s other side.
There was only one more lot left, another collection of books. She did not look behind her to see how Lord Wycliffe was taking his loss. When the auction was over, Mr. Sotheby motioned for Leopold to approach the table at the front of the room, where her brother signed a paper and handed over a draft on his bank. The gentleman then placed the gold clock back into the red silk-lined ebony box, closed the lid, and handed the box to Leopold.
“With my best wishes,” her brother said with a smile as he walked to where she stood several paces from the dais and handed her the ebony box.
“Thank you, Leopold!”
Once the clock was in hand, she turned to look at the back of the room. Lord Wycliffe was nowhere in sight. Louisa told herself if she was disappointed the viscount had disappeared, it was only because she wanted to see the expression on his face as she held her prize.
“I hoped to say hello to Cecil,” Edith said with a sigh. “It is quite rare for me to encounter him in public, the ball last night being an exception.”
Had Lord Wycliffe wanted the clock desperately? Why had Leopold acted so strangely when he saw the viscount?
She would not discuss the matter with her brother in front of Edith. Leopold was taciturn at the best of times; Louisa would have to find a way to bring up the subject when they were alone.
After they were seated in her father’s carriage, Louisa could tell Edith also had questions, as she fidgeted with one of her earbobs repeatedly but held her tongue.
“Would you like to come for tea at Carstairs, Edith, or would you prefer to return home?”
“Tea sounds refreshing,” her friend replied quickly.
Leopold handed the women from the carriage when the coach arrived at the townhouse in Grosvenor Square and then took his leave. After she and Edith were settled in the drawing room with a tea tray, Louisa let out a relieved laugh.
“I can’t believe I won the clock!” She paused, glancing at the ebony box on a small table nearby. “Or rather, my brother won the clock.”
Edith shook her head. “Leopold seemed to be on a mission. It was obvious he wanted to best Lord Wycliffe.”
“His behavior was odd,” she replied with a frown.
“I do hope Cecil didn’t want the clock too badly.” Edith took a sip of her tea.
“ I wanted it very badly,” she replied firmly, opening the ebony box, removing the clock, and setting it beside the tea tray on the low table before her. She closed the box and replaced it on the small mahogany table at her elbow.
“I’m surprised you bid on the clock, as you don’t normally care for gilt-covered items when decorating.”
“True, but the clock is one of a pair shrouded in secrecy. I’ve wanted to find the clocks from the first time I read about them.” She picked up her teacup and took a sip of tea.
“Why didn’t more people bid on the clock if they’re infamous?” Edith asked with a frown.
Lifting a shoulder, she responded, “I believe few people would know the background of the clock. The auctioneer didn’t recognize its significance.”
“How can you be sure it is one of your mystery clocks?” Edith raised a brow.
“My squat baron is Lord Campbell’s nephew and noticed the clock last month when he cataloged items for sale at his uncle’s estate. Knowing my interest in home decorations, he described the clock to me, and I’m sure it is one of the missing Roman mythology clocks. There is an illustration of the pair of timepieces in a book by Thomas Hope that I’ve studied a thousand times. Although, with the other clock missing, I don't think the riddle can be solved.” She let out a breath. “I completely forgot to tell you about the riddle!”
“Riddle?” Edith asked eagerly, sitting forward in her stuffed chair.
Louisa placed her teacup on the table before her and picked up the clock. “Legend says that there is an inscription inside the timepiece.”
She opened the small door on the back of the clock face with the tiny gold key included with the timepiece. There was little space inside the opening for any writing with the movement and pendulum, and she observed no signs of an inscription. She closed the back door of the clock and then examined the bottom of the raised plinth. “I can see no engravings anywhere.”
Louisa handed the clock to Edith, who completed her own inspection.
After examining the timepiece, Edith placed the clock back on the table. “I don’t see any clues to a riddle.”
“One tale says that the riddle will be solved merely by looking at the clocks. I don’t see how that is possible.”
“And deciphering a parlor game riddle is important?” Edith asked with raised brows.
“Legend says that the answer to the riddle would shake English society to its core.”
Edith shook her head, laughing lightly. “Louisa, that sounds awfully far-fetched.”
“I would still like to solve the riddle.” She added softly, “It could be our secret from the ton .”
“I think it is no secret you’re happy to have bested Lord Wycliffe,” Edith replied dryly. “You both should try harder to get along.”
She merely responded, “I’ll have to look at the illustrations in Thomas Hope’s book again. I might discover a clue in what he wrote about the clocks.”
“I must be off. Will you come to dinner in two days?” Edith asked, rising to her feet. “I have invited Ashford’s sister Lady Diana so that we might catch up on events at the registry office. I’m hopeful Cecil will also attend.”
Diana managed the Veteran’s Registry Office in Berkeley Square. Ashford and Nathaniel had recently purchased land in Berkeley Square and opened a veterans registry office. However, due to interference from the RA, the two men signed the business over to Lady Devon soon after and stayed away to keep the enterprise protected.
“The viscount is invited to your dinner?” she asked with a flicker of awareness, chuckling to hide her excitement at the thought of seeing Lord Wycliffe again so soon. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“You have two days to learn to conceal your jubilation at winning the clock,” Edith replied dryly.
She wrinkled her nose. “I’ll do my best.”