Radiance (Diamonds of the First Water #3)

Chapter Thirty-Five

W ith an invitation to the Koh-i-Noor’s preliminary cutting, Radiance didn’t have to stand outside Garrard’s with the crowd of onlookers. On July 17, she joined a small group inside the first-floor workroom, which had been specially redesigned for the project.

Naturally, Edward was there. Somehow, he wasn’t late, nor in disarray. Despite it being the first time she’d seen him since the steps of Buckingham Palace, they did little more than nod at one another.

Radiance found it nearly impossible to believe he’d once had his tongue in her mouth, but perhaps she was too na?ve to know that might be commonplace among adults in the heat of the moment.

When the spectators began to cheer, she peered out the window beside which she and Sarah stood. The crowd’s roar of approval heralded the arrival of the Duke of Wellington. The popular old soldier came by himself on his beloved horse, and the Londoners parted for him. He dismounted at Garrard’s door and entered.

In no time at all, and with little hesitation, the Duke moved the diamond into place with the scaif revolving too fast to see, thanks to the new Maudslay, Sons, & Field steam engine powering the grinder.

As he polished the first facet, there was no sound in the room beyond the engine. When the Duke stepped away, however, those who’d assembled to watch — including Sebastian and Robert Garrard, the Dutch diamond cutters from Coster’s in Amsterdam, Mr. Voorzanger and Mr. Feder, Edward, Radiance, and Sarah — all clapped.

This time, Sarah had requested not to remain in the carriage. Her applause was loudest of all.

“Blimey!” she exclaimed, causing the Duke to turn to her and wink.

Then Wellington left, remounted his old white horse, and rode away to the thunderous cheers of the throng on Haymarket Street.

Edward remained, but after a few minutes, Radiance and Sarah left for home. He didn’t seem to notice her departure.

Before she knew it, her life went back to normal, exactly as it was before she knocked on Edward’s door and told him he was in possession of a fake Hope Diamond. Except now she had a steady suitor in John Castille.

There was no further cause to run into Edward unless she went to a lecture. And in order to halt her obsession with the man, Radiance refused to scrutinize the schedules in the newspaper of the Royal Polytechnic Institution, the Royal Institution, or even the Geological Survey and Museum of Practical Geology to see if he was presenting something that interested her.

Two months later, however, and a mere week after she’d done the unthinkable by telling John they must stop keeping company, Radiance received a missive addressed to her in Edward’s messy scrawl. Taking it from the silver salver Mr. Dunley held out, she clasped it to her bosom and hurried upstairs.

Why was he writing? Tamping down her silly fantasies, Radiance sat on the end of her bed, broke the plain red seal, and unfolded the single sheet.

Dear Lady Radiance,

The Koh-i-Noor has been successfully cut and will be presented to the committee by the Crown Jeweler at Buckingham Palace on Thursday in the Yellow Drawing Room. Three o’clock sharp. I hope you will attend.

Yours,

Lockwood

Hers! She sighed and reread it. At least he had said he hoped she would attend. That was something surely signifying he held her in some regard above other women. Didn’t it?

Then she tossed the paper down and fell back onto the bed. Infuriating man that he was, why did she yearn for him? Of course, she would go to the ceremony if only to be in his company once again. Not to mention seeing the diamond now that it was finished.

Thus, on Thursday, she descended from her father’s carriage with Brilliance this time since Sarah had come down with a catarrh. Unsightly phlegm had no place at the Palace. Instead, home in bed with a mustard plaster on her chest and a penny dreadful in her hand, her maid was not suffering a bit.

“But Bri is not a suitable companion,” Radiance had protested that morning. More of a hindrance, she thought privately, not sure what unintended mischief her younger sister might get up to. “Can’t you accompany me, Mother?”

“Take your sister. She will behave herself. No wandering off, Bri, dear. Do you promise?”

And with that less-than-satisfactory instruction, Radiance was forced to have Brilliance come along with her.

“I’m monstrously excited,” Bri crowed. “To think I shall be in the Palace and not in the same room every young lady goes to for her presentation, either.” She clapped her hands.

Radiance couldn’t help smiling. She’d felt just as thrilled when Edward took her the first time.

Soon, however, it was made clear that Bri had to remain in the wide hallway on a gold satin divan, her entrance barred to the drawing room.

“Sorry, dear sister, but this won’t take too long.” Bri waved her away, nearly as pleased to be in the beautiful gallery.

Radiance saw most of the same faces, except sadly, the Duke of Wellington had passed away a week earlier and was lying in state. She greeted the Museum Director and the Lord Chamberlain, the two Dutch jewelers who spoke little English, and Mr. Rathmond, who offered her a hawklike stare, and ... Edward. Except he wasn’t present .

Mr. Garrard escorted her to a chair. “Where is our mutual friend?” he asked her as if she had any clue. “We cannot begin without him.”

Radiance shook her head. “I promise you I have no idea.”

“More’s the pity!” he exclaimed, staring at the door.

“Let us get on with it,” Mr. Rathmond insisted. “The tardy geologist will have to look at it another time.”

“Agreed,” said the Lord Chamberlain. “I have other places to be.”

Mr. Garrard grew more perturbed. To give Edward time to arrive, Radiance decided to strike up a conversation.

“The newspapers turned the cutting into quite an exciting event, as if the entire polishing would be done in that first moment and by the Duke’s own hand rather than taking weeks.”

They all paused to think of the deceased soldier. Soon after making the first cut, he’d expired in his beloved Walmer Castle in Kent.

“I read it, too,” Mr. Garrard said. “‘A single slip of the cutter’s hand,’ and all that drama. Neither I, nor these men,” he nodded to the silent Dutchmen, “were about to make such a slip, nor take our attention off the diamond for even a second.”

Then he frowned. “Anyway, I believe it brought the Iron Duke joy to be there that day. And now let’s hope the diamond brings joy to Her Majesty and the Prince Consort.”

“Are they coming here? Now?” Radiance asked.

“No,” Mr. Garrard said. “They are in Aberdeen, enjoying the peace at Balmoral before renovations start on it again next year, but they are returning shortly.”

Radiance was disappointed she wouldn’t see the Queen’s reaction to the Koh-i-Noor’s new shape. And Bri, in the hallway, would certainly not be pleased at being deprived of Queen Victoria, even if all Her Majesty had done was pass her by.

Mr. Garrard began to pace when suddenly the door flew open, and Edward rushed in. Stopping in his tracks, he glanced around, realized he was the object of everyone’s attention, and whipped off his hat to run his fingers through his hair.

“My apologies,” he said, and nothing more.

Radiance rolled her eyes. He ought to have taken a moment to straighten his necktie and tug his sleeves down. What’s more, his jacket was buttoned up askew, leaving one side longer, and she could see a little of his shirttail hanging down the side of his trousers.

Radiance knew he had become caught up in his work, forgotten what time it was, and had made a mad dash to dress and hail a cab.

Still, he sent her a warm smile, sending the usual spark sizzling down her body. She smiled back at him. It was so very good to lay eyes upon him again.

“Lockwood, you are a scoundrel to make us all wait,” Mr. Garrard said, while looking relieved.

“My sincere apologies,” Edward said. “Some unpredicted ... uh ... distractions ... that is, these particular distractions distracted me.”

Radiance would wager gems were involved, and if not for Mrs. McSabby, he probably wouldn’t be there at all.

“We have saved the Koh-i-Noor’s unveiling for your expert eyes,” Mr. Garrard said before taking his seat at the head of the table. Edward found an empty place at the other end, opposite Radiance. Their gazes met for an instant.

Mr. Rathmond scooted forward in his chair, and Radiance, too, could hardly wait to see what the Dutch had done. However, when she glanced at him, she flinched, realizing he was the one who reminded her of Mr. Sully. Or more precisely, Mr. Rathmond had been the man whom Mr. Sully had brought to mind.

Studying him now, she thought it was the color of his eyes and the shape of his nose and chin. Not that they were twins, but Mr. Rathmond’s features, even the same black hair, was uncanny.

When he noticed her continuing to stare at him, he looked away, and she regretted her rudeness. Besides, they were there to see the Koh-i-Noor.

At Mr. Garrard’s behest, one of the Dutch jewelers opened a stark wooden box set inconspicuously upon the edge of the table before him. From this, he withdrew a velvet pouch. Needles of anticipation pricked Radiance’s skin, and she shivered.

When he flipped the pouch inside out to let the diamond remain nestled, a collective gasp sounded. Even indoors, with only the light of the chandelier over the table, the Koh-i-Noor finally shone like the mountain of light for which it was named. She could hardly credit it was the same stone.

The change was so significant, both in size and shape, that Radiance truly wouldn’t have known it was the diamond with which they’d started. Some of the others around the table had been following the progress all along. Thus, its new brilliant cut shape was no surprise. But she saw the Lord Chamberlain frown, and Mr. Rathmond actually groaned.

“Eight-thousand pounds,” the gem dealer exclaimed, “spent from our country’s coffers, and it looks like it has shrunk from a boulder to a pebble.”

It wasn’t that bad, although Radiance had been unaware of the staggering cost.

“What is the current carat weight?” she asked, noticing Edward was staring at her. She could almost believe he was as hungry for the sight of her as she had been for him.

“It started at 190 carats,” Mr. Garrard said, “and is now,” he coughed, “105, I believe, give or take.”

“Give or take,” Mr. Rathmond muttered. “Looks like take, to me.”

“But it’s much improved,” Radiance pointed out, looking at the shallow oval brilliant cut.

At Mr. Garrard’s behest, Mr. Voorzanger passed the Koh-i-Noor around the table so everyone could take a closer look. It went swiftly from hand to hand. Radiance swallowed hard as she held it, thinking of its long history and the many rulers who’d worn it. All male, until Queen Victoria.

She passed it to Mr. Rathmond, knowing she would never hold it again. When it was Edward’s turn, he donned magnifying glasses and gave it careful scrutiny. She loved the way his hair fell over his forehead when he did.

Finally, the diamond was back in its pouch.

“Thank you, Meneer Voorzanger, Meneer Fedder,” Mr. Garrard said. “You have cut it to everyone’s satisfaction, and I can vouch for the fact that the Queen will be overjoyed. It is spectacular!”

With that brief commendation, the Royal Keeper of the Jewels took the velvet bundle from the Dutch jeweler’s hand. Not bothering with the wooden box, to Radiance’s astonishment, he seemed to drop the velvet pouch onto his lap and out of sight.