Radiance (Diamonds of the First Water #3)

Chapter Eighteen

“ I will accept the offer of your help and the coffee.” Edward found himself wanting to get along congenially with her. And not only because of the astounding kiss or the notion they might enjoy another one at some opportune moment, but because she truly was helpful.

And while he had no idea why the Prince Consort had put his faith in him over a London inspector or constable, Edward knew letting His Highness down was not an option.

Thus, he directed the driver to the Earl Diamond’s home on Piccadilly and soon found himself ensconced, not in the drawing room but in a library. Had she brought him there to remind him of their previous encounter?

With the door remaining innocently ajar and Sarah in a small chair in the corner, they locked gazes. A lightning bolt of heat shot through him. He saw its answering sizzle behind her glorious green eyes.

Indeed, her cheeks turned a sweet pink color, as if all the freckles had joined together.

Drawing out a chair for her at the rectangular reading table, he happily breathed in her fragrance while she took the seat. When he pushed it in, the urge to lean in and trail his lips down her neck nearly overwhelmed him. Instead, he took the chair opposite her.

As soon as the coffee and tea service had been brought in by a capable footman, Radiance pulled open a cleverly concealed, shallow drawer from under the table. Withdrawing a sheet of thick cream-colored paper and a pen, she slid both over to him. Then set an ink pot at his elbow.

As he stirred sugar into his coffee, Edward considered what to write. Suddenly nervous, he hoped he could craft the perfect letter and not disappoint her. Besides, it was more interesting to watch her splash milk into her cup and then pour in the steeped tea.

“Not particularly a lover of coffee?” he asked.

She sent him her brilliant Diamond smile.

“No, not really, although I adore the smell of it.”

He couldn’t help laughing for sometimes he, too, enjoyed the aroma more than the taste. “Shall we begin?”

Together, they had written the short, impressive missive before the coffee cooled.

“I hope you will let me know as soon as you hear back from the House of Neble,” she said.

“I shall. I would hate to receive a stern lecture from —” Edward stopped himself and looked at the ticking clock on the mantel. “Dear God. I am supposed to be at King’s College giving a lecture in fifteen minutes.”

Radiance, to his surprise, didn’t look as alarmed as he felt.

“Do you ride, Mr. Lockwood?”

“Of course.”

She rose quickly to her feet and bypassed the bellpull to go into the hallway. Unlike his own staff, the Diamonds’ servants were attentive. Almost instantly, he heard her giving instructions for a horse to be saddled and brought around from the mews behind their home.

“Hurry,” she urged.

When she re-entered, Edward had already folded the single sheet and stuffed it into his pocket and was tugging on his gloves.

“You’ll find that one of our mounts will get you to your appointed talk faster than a hired carriage.”

“I’m sure it will, my lady. I thank you.”

“You’re most welcome.” She led him back to the front door where the butler was already waiting to open it.

“It was an interesting day,” she said.

“Indubitably, it was.” He gave her a shallow bow, which seemed odd considering he’d nibbled her soft skin and touched her delectable posterior.

Perhaps Radiance, too, thought it a little formal, for she raised a dark ginger eyebrow.

Shrugging, he turned to the sound of horse’s hooves.

“I shall return it anon,” he promised.

Edward had been only a little late for his lecture. Afterward, he went out for wine and beef with a few of the other professors who’d been lingering in the hallway, including Mr. Maurice, their esteemed professor of theology as well as of English literature and history. The year prior, he’d been accused of heterodoxy and asked to resign, which he’d refused to do.

Apparently, he was hard at work upon more theological essays, and the others were trying to tame his views with little success.

Thus, after a brief disagreement over whether to go as far as Dick’s on Fleet Street while ultimately settling for Simpson’s Divan nearby on the Strand, Edward was roped into the fascinating theology discussion. He stayed long after they switched from wine to brandy.

It was late when he returned to Lord and Lady Diamond’s home with the borrowed steed. Rather than interrupting the earl’s household, Edward rode around to the mews, awakened the lowest member of the groom’s staff, and made sure the horse was safely stabled.

He couldn’t help looking up at the back of the house, wondering which bedroom held the mesmerizing Radiance. To his shock, she was standing in the window. To his further astonishment, she opened the sash and leaned out, her red hair hanging before her shoulder in a thick braid, easily seen in the moonlight.

He sent up thanks for the unusually cloudless sky.

“Greetings, my lady. I hope I didn’t awaken you.”

“Oh no, sir. I was reading while awaiting your return.”

“I should have told you not to wait.” He felt badly thinking of her struggling to keep her eyes open.

She laughed. “I assure you I was so thoroughly engaged by a fascinating book that the time flew by. How was your lecture?”

“A goodly one. And thanks be to you, I didn’t disappoint a room full of burgeoning geologists. But I did miss having you there.” Edward clamped his mouth closed. Why on earth did he say that?

Even though it wasn’t bright lamplight, he still thought he could see her smile.

“How kind of you, sir. However, I could not simply walk into the hallowed halls of King’s College as if it was a public lecture hall.”

“What about Lord ... I’m sorry, his name has escaped me. That forward chap from the lecture at Somerset House. I saw him again at the ball.”

Edward had a nasty habit of letting names slip from his memory if the person wasn’t important to him. A bad trait, indeed. Almost as bad as forgetting he was supposed to lecture. There were probably any number of other things he’d already forgotten that he had forgot.

“You mean Lord Woolley, sir. He is a friend of my brother-in-law, and I didn’t wish to ask his lordship again to sponsor me as I wouldn’t want to give him the wrong impression.”

Edward stood a little taller, glad she had said that, although it wasn’t his business whether she liked Woolley or not. Then he had an idea.

“I can sponsor you the next time you wish to go to a lecture at the Geological Society.” Another surprising utterance from his own mouth. Maybe he’d had more brandy than he realized.

To his alarm, she leaned farther across the window sill.

“Would you truly?” she asked.

Only then did he realize she was undressed and wearing a nightgown. The minx!

The moonlight caught a collar of frilly white lace, making it glow, while the delicate pink satin of her gown shimmered. His breath caught in his throat.

For a few seconds, he looked at the brick wall before him, wondering if it were scalable. Then he came to his senses.

“Yes, truly. With your interest in gemstones and your apprenticeship at Bonwit’s, there is no reason you shouldn’t be admitted to the society on your own merit.”

“Oh, Edward!” she exclaimed before clamping a hand over her own mouth.

All evening, while trying to focus on a book about spinels, the spectacular mineral which had been confused with rubies and sapphires for over a thousand years and was now causing such trouble for the Queen, Radiance had been keeping her ears perked for horse’s hooves.

Edward would either forget he had their horse and leave it at the King’s College stable or be a good sport and return it to their mews. If he remembered it, he was the type of man who wouldn’t leave a horse out front tied to the railing, nor knock on their door at a late hour.

As soon as she laid eyes on him, Radiance had been flirting shamelessly, hoping he would notice her state of undress and maybe even spy the curve of her bosom.

But she certainly hadn’t meant to blurt out his name like a tawdry harlot. Although leaning out the window, trying to show him her wares, she was halfway to behaving like one.

Immediately, Radiance drew back inside.

“My apology for being forward, Mr. Lockwood,” she said, now barely able to see him.

“Please, think nothing of it, my lady. We have arrived at a state of mutual regard, I think, when we can occasionally, in private I mean, address one another by our given names.”

Radiance felt warmed by his remark, while wondering how they might enjoy the privacy that was reserved for the married. However, in the tidbits she’d heard from her sisters, one could sometimes arrange for it.

“I agree wholeheartedly,” she said. But not wishing to appear eager, she added, “And now, I must go to sleep. I am expected at Mr. Bonwit’s first thing tomorrow for a lesson on working gold and silver in the repoussé technique.”

“Very good,” came Edward’s voice. “I am impressed indeed. Good night, my lady.”

“Good night, sir.”

Radiance had fallen asleep almost at once. Feeling full of hopeful exuberance, she entered Mr. Bonwit’s tidy shop the following day. Two customers were at the glass case, attended by young Miss Rachel Bonwit, who had no interest in making jewelry, only in wearing it and selling it.

“Good day, Lady Radiance,” the jeweler’s daughter said as she always did when there were patrons in the store. “This is the Earl Diamond’s daughter,” Miss Bonwit added, earning Radiance a long glance from both customers.

“Good day,” she said to each before continuing her way toward the back where stairs led up to the jewelry maker’s room. Mr. Bonwit’s daughter’s words reached her.

“That lady, an earl’s daughter, mind you, works alongside my father because she thinks our jewelry to be so very, very fine. And she wears it herself, of course.”

Radiance smiled, not minding being used in the least if it helped. After all, she wouldn’t have approached Mr. Bonwit if she hadn’t thought him a skilled artisan. Although, the term “work” still rubbed her the wrong way. It wasn’t as if she would be caught dead behind the counter showing rings and necklaces or taking money from customers.

Upstairs, she nodded to Mr. Carmichael, who was an actual apprentice. He had no other means of support and stayed with Mr. Bonwit’s family in their upper-middle-class residence north of Russell Square. Radiance had the notion if he played his cards correctly, then he might find himself wed to the pretty Miss Bonwit one day and inheriting the entire business.

The young man cleared his throat as he always did before speaking.

“Mr. Bonwit left you something on your table, my lady. He was called away and promised to instruct you in the repoussé technique next time you come.”

“Thank you,” Radiance told him as a wave of disappointment crashed over her. Hoping Mr. Bonwit had left her something interesting to practice, she slid open the envelope and drew out a single page as well as a gold ring with finely detailed leaves supporting a single sapphire.

My Dear Lady,

Sorry to disappoint you. We shall have a lesson in repoussé the next time you come. If you would use the talent you already have and create a replica of the sapphire ring, I will be much obliged. Don’t let Carmichael try to pull seniority over you or take the project away. Sadly, he is still behind you in cutting stones, although his en tremblant brooches are second to none.

Sincerely,

Bonwit

Radiance glanced up at the man who earnestly watched her to see what she would be doing. After sliding the ring on her finger, she rose to her feet and went to the safe box where raw stones were kept. From the drawer of rough sapphires, divided into smaller compartments by size, she lifted out one stone and then another, comparing each to the one in the ring on her left hand.

Choosing a comparable size, she signed out the stone, writing her name as well as the carat size on the small ledger before closing the drawer.

Back at her worktable, after putting on her magnifying spectacles, she felt the pure joy of polishing the planes with the scaif. And then she forgot about Mr. Carmichael and lost all track of time.

“I am leaving for the day, my lady,” the apprentice said, and Radiance finally looked around. She had risen from her seat only once in the past few hours to get the molding wax so she could copy the gold band.

“You are exceptionally skilled at both design and at polishing,” he added.

“You only need more practice,” she told him, immediately realizing it was an insult.

Sure enough, he reddened. After all, he’d been at the craft of jewelry-making for a year and a half already. And she’d had far less training. However, she had spent endless hours learning about each stone’s distinct planes of least bonds in order to create cleanly cut cleavages. Once committing those to memory, she could “see” where to make the correct cut, almost without thinking.

Mr. Carmichael still erred by trying to polish a facet that lay parallel to the cleavage plane. His polishing led to flaking and a rough surface. But that was for Mr. Bonwit to discuss with his apprentice. Not her.

“As for me,” Radiance added to soothe him, “I have tried for many hours and cannot affix the little springs for en tremblant the way you do so effortlessly.”

He nodded, seemingly appeased.

“Perhaps, if Mr. Bonwit lacks the time,” the apprentice suggested, “then I could give you a lesson at your convenience.”

Unsure whether he was being genuine, condescending, or flirtatious, she neither accepted nor turned him down.

“That is very kind of you to offer. Thank you. I bid you good afternoon.”

“Aren’t you coming now?” He approached her work station. “I would be honored to walk you to your carriage.”

Oh dear. Maybe he was flirting with her. Footsteps on the stairs distracted them both. Miss Bonwit appeared and looked at Mr. Carmichael, standing close to her table, then at Radiance and back again.

As if guilty, Radiance felt her cheeks heat. A curse of her red-headed, creamy-skinned Irish ancestors, causing her to blush with anger, happiness, guilt, or for just about any thought that crossed her mind.

Miss Bonwit pressed her lips into a flat line of disapproval. She nearly turned to leave, then seemingly recalled she’d come upstairs for a reason.

“You,” she said with annoyance, looking at Radiance, “have a visitor.”

“Excuse me. Do you mean a customer?”

“No.” With that, and a last glare at Mr. Carmichael, Miss Bonwit turned heel and left.

Radiance exchanged an awkward glance with the man as she rose to her feet, and he gestured for her to precede him.

To Radiance’s surprise, when she entered the shop, the ankle rubber from the Palace meeting awaited her.

“Mr. Rathmond,” she declared, greeting the man with his shock of black hair, dark eyes, and patrician nose. “How on earth did you know I was here?”

As if an echo of Mr. Hope, he said, “The jeweler’s community is a small one.”

She ought to have expected the predictable answer.

“I suppose you’re right.” Still, she knew he would have had to ask more than one person about her in order to find out she was at Mr. Bonwit’s. “However,” she pointed out, “I am not a jeweler.”

“Your interest in it and that you study with Mr. Bonwit are becoming well known. In fact, I barely had to mention you to another jeweler, and here I am.”

He looked her up and down.

The situation was most unusual. Normally, only men who were hopeful suitors visited Radiance, and they came to the safety of her home. At Bonwit’s, she was not under the protection of her parents.

Conversely, since they had been introduced at the Palace, she supposed there was nothing untoward in speaking with him in a public place, as long as they were not left alone.

Before she could make sure of that, Mr. Carmichael interrupted to bid her good afternoon and strode out of the store. Moreover, Miss Bonwit was suddenly nowhere to be found.

A feather of fear tickled her spine as she faced Mr. Rathmond.