Page 94 of Secrets and Seashells at Rainbow Bay
‘It’s more than a brooch,’ Tom says. ‘It’s a cameo brooch.’ He holds it up to the light and then to my surprise he pulls from his pocket one of those tiny magnifying eye glasses you see jewellers and antiques experts wear, and slots it into his eye.
‘I’d say late nineteenth century, possibly even earlier,’ he says, examining the brooch. ‘These little cameos had a resurgence in popularity when Queen Victoria took to wearing them. They’re usually carved from shell. This one is made from a carnelian or maybe a conch shell, I’d say by the look of its colour.’
‘Can I see?’ I ask.
Tom passes me the brooch. It’s an exquisite white carving of a woman’s head against a pale orange background. It’s surrounded with gold, tiny pearls and what I think are diamonds.
‘Are these real diamonds?’ I ask Tom, still looking at the brooch.
‘Yes, I think they are,’ he says. ‘I’d have to do some research, but I’d say what you’re holding in your hand is pretty valuable, and possibly quite rare.’
‘I wonder why it’s down here with the diary?’ I pick up the diary again, and put the two together. ‘They must be linked. This brooch must have been Clara’s too.’
‘Are there any more paintings of Clara at the castle?’ I ask Tiffany. ‘I’ve only seen the one of her in evening dress. She’s definitely not wearing this brooch in that one.’
‘I don’t think there are,’ Tiffany says, thinking. ‘Not that I can remember.’
‘Not to worry. So, we have a diary and a brooch,’ I say, looking at the two items in my hands, ‘let’s put them together with the other diaries and see if we can find out what this big mystery is. And the first person we need to speak to about all that when we get back upstairs, is our friend Benji.’
Thirty-four
‘Leave it with me,’ is all Benji says when we find him in the library and excitedly hand him the diary.
‘Is that it?’ I ask, feeling a little hurt that he isn’t more enthusiastic about the discovery of the missing diary. ‘I thought you’d be pleased.’
‘I am pleased,’ Benji insists. ‘Really pleased. Now I might be able to finally piece together this mystery. But it’s going to take more than a quick read of this diary to do it.’
‘Why? What’s going on here? You’ve never really said, and now we’ve got Arthur acting strangely too. Whatisin that diary that’s so important?’
I’m now beginning to wish that I’d read the diary before giving it to Benji. Perhaps I’d be able to figure it out for myself then.
‘The fact you say Arthur wasn’t keen for you to find this tells me that my suspicions might be correct after all. But,’ Benji holds his hand up to stop me asking any more questions, ‘let me do my own investigation and I’ll get back to you, okay?’
‘Okay . . . ’ I agree hesitantly.
‘Amelia,’ he asks, ‘do you trust me?’
‘Yes, of course, but—’
‘Then let me do my job. I’m very good at it,’ he says, smiling now, ‘as you very well know . . . ’
I nod. ‘Sure. But you’ll come and find me the minute you know anything?’
‘I will.’
We leave Benji in the library opening up the first page of the diary. I thank Tiffany for her help, and then tell her to take the rest of the afternoon off so she doesn’t need to bump into Arthur again today.
‘But how will I be able to face him in the office tomorrow?’ she asks anxiously. ‘He’ll still be cross with me.’
‘I’ll speak to Arthur before you see him again,’ I tell her. ‘Don’t worry; I’ll smooth things over for you.’
Tiffany heads back towards her room, while Tom and I stand awkwardly in the hall together.
‘What are you going to do with this?’ he asks, holding up the small pouch containing the brooch.
‘I have no idea,’ I say, taking it from him. ‘I guess I’ll just hold on to it for now, until I find out what’s what.’
‘Look after it; I reckon it might be pretty valuable.’
