Page 38 of Lady, Behave
At that, he beamed. His little crooked teeth shone bright white in his happy smile. “I earnestly do.”
“Prove it.”
“In any way, Miss Adelaide,” he said as he gallantly offered her a bow. “I am your servant.”
“What gossip is there about my family?”
He snapped backward at that. “Oh, I doubt that—”
“Come now. You implied it. Others do, too. Tell me what is rumored about myself and my sisters. My Grandpapa, too.”
Fellowes cleared his throat. “You and your sisters were terrors in Dublin.”
“How?”
“Well, um…as children. You stole items from stores.”That had been Imogen.“And you could copy someone’s handwriting to get them to hand over their family jewels.”Laurel had done that once, and Grandpapa had made her return the rubies to Lady Dunmare.
“And me?”
He waved a dismissive hand. “I told you that the other day. I won’t repeat it.”
Why not admit it?“That I kiss a lot of men.”
He flinched. “You do.”
She inhaled and considered the mellow light of the moon. “And my grandfather? What word of him?”
“Your grandfather, it is said, was a master at valuing art. Paintings, mostly. Some sculpture. A few other items, such as jewelry.”
“I see.” She trod closer to the fellow who could chastise her without a qualm but who recited her grandfather’s expertise. Meanwhile, he sweated like a pig. “For example, what did Grandpapa do?”
“The late Earl of Barry made his income by taking in stolen art and selling it privately. He took only items he could authenticate himself as the work of a master.”
“And who were his clientele?” she asked.
“Ah. Those who bought?”
“Precisely, sir.”
“Everyone who had the blunt.”
“And so, the gossips spread this about us three sisters for the fun of it.”
He pressed his skinny little lips together.
“But they speak of Grandpapa’s work and hope they can get their rightful possessions back.”
“Yes.”
“But they cannot unless they pay a current value for the art. Am I right?”
“True,” he said. “And many cannot afford to buy theirs back.”
“Many of the works are that valuable?”
“They are,” he said. “Napoleon stole so much from so many countries for more than twenty years. He carted it all to Paris for his Louvre that the palaces of Europe are bare! If anyone has anything left of any value these days, it’s a miracle. Your Grandfather is one such person.”
“I see,” she said with reluctance. “For example? What works is he reputed to have in his collection?”
