Sophy's head came up quickly, her brows drawing together in annoyance. "So now you propose to indulge my so-called tendency toward romanticism? Pray do not bother, Julian. Romantic gestures are meaningless if there is no genuine feeling behind them."
"At least give me some credit for trying to please you, my dear." He smiled faintly. "You do like the Culpeper herbal, don't you?"
Guilt assailed her. "You know I am most extremely pleased with it, my lord."
"And the bracelet?" he coaxed.
"It is very pretty, my lord."
He winced. "Very pretty. I see. Well, then, I shall look forward to seeing you wear it sometime in the near future."
Sophy brightened at once, glad to be able to offer a positive response. "I expect I shall wear it this evening, my lord. I am going to a party at Lady St. John's."
"It was too much, I suppose, to hope you did not have plans for this evening?"
"Oh, I have plans for every evening this week and next. There is always so much going on here in town, isn't there?"
"Yes," Julian said grimly, "There is. You are not obliged to attend every function for which you receive an invitation, however. I should think by now you'd be happy to spend a quiet evening or two at home."
"Why on earth would I want to spend an evening here alone, my lord?" Sophy murmured tightly.
Julian folded his hands in front of him on his desk. "I was thinking of spending the evening here, myself."
Sophy forced another bright smile. He was trying to be kind, she told herself. She did not want mere kindness from him. "I see. Another romantic gesture designed to indulge my whims? That is very generous of you, but you need not bother, my lord. I am quite able to entertain myself. As I told you, now that I have been in the city a while I have a much better understanding of how husbands and wives of the ton are supposed to conduct their lives. And now I really must be going. Your aunt will wonder where I am."
She stood up quickly, forgetting about the bonnet on her lap. It slipped to the floor.
"Sophy, you misunderstand my intentions," Julian said as he got to his feet and strolled around the desk to pick up the bonnet. "I merely thought we might both enjoy a calm evening at home." He adjusted the bonnet on her head and tied the ribbons neatly under her chin.
She looked up at him, wishing she knew exactly what he was thinking. "Thank you for the gesture, my lord. But I would not dream of interfering in your social life. I am certain you will be quite bored if you stayed home. Good day, my lord."
"Sophy."
The command caught her just as she put her hand on the doorknob. "Yes, my lord?"
"What about the matter of hiring a new housekeeper?"
"Tell your steward to interview Molly Ashkettle. She's been on your staff for years at Ravenwood and will make a perfect replacement for poor Mrs. Boyle." Sophy rushed out the door.
Fifteen minutes later she was ushered into Lady Fanny's library. Harriett, Jane, and Anne were already there, deep into the stack of books that had been placed on the table.
"Sorry to be delayed," Sophy apologized quickly as the others looked up from their work. "My husband wanted to discuss the matter of a new housekeeper."
"How odd," Fanny said from atop a small ladder where she was rummaging around the top shelf. "Ravenwood never concerns himself with the hiring of servants. He always leaves that to his stewards or the butler. But never mind, dear, we are making great progress with your little project."
"It's true," Anne said closing one book and opening another. "Harriett discovered a reference to the animal head on the ring a short while ago. It is a mythical creature, which appears in a very old book of natural philosophy."
"Not a very pleasant reference, I'm afraid," Harriett said, pausing to peer over the top of her spectacles. "It was associated with some sort of nasty cult in ancient times."
"I am presently going through some old books on mathematics to see if I can find out anything about the triangle," Jane said. "I have a feeling we are very close."
"So do I," Lady Fanny said as she descended from the ladder. "Although what we will have if we do find the answers is beginning to worry me a bit."
"Why do you say that?" Sophy asked, taking a seat at the table and picking up a massive tome.
Harriett looked. "Fanny was struck with a rather vague recollection last night just before bedtime."
"What sort of recollection?" Sophy demanded.
"Something to do with a secret society of rather wild young rakehells," Fanny said slowly. "I heard about it a few years ago. I never learned the particulars, but it seems to me something was said about the members using rings to identify themselves to each other. Supposedly the whole thing started at Cambridge but some of the members kept the club going after they left the classroom. At least for a time."
Sophy looked at Anne and Jane and shook her head very slightly. They had agreed not to alarm Fanny and Harriett with the real reason they wanted to learn the secret of the black ring. As far as the older women knew, Sophy was merely curious about a family heirloom that had come into her possession. |
"You say this ring was left to you by your sister?" Harriett asked, turning pages slowly.
"That's right."
"Do you know where she got it?"
Sophy hesitated, trying to think of a reasonable explanation for Amelia's possession of the ring. As usual, her mind went blank when she tried to come up with a lie.
Anne rushed glibly to the rescue. "You said she had gotten it from a great aunt who passed away many years ago, didn't you, Sophy?"
"Yes," Jane put in before Sophy was obliged to respond, "I think that was what you said, Sophy."
"Yes. That's correct. A very odd sort of aunt. I do not believe I ever met her, myself," Sophy said quickly.
"Hm. Very odd, is right," Fanny mused as she plunked down two more heavy volumes and went back to the shelf for another batch. "I wonder how she came into possession of the ring."
"We'll probably never know," Anne said firmly, giving Sophy a quelling glance as Sophy began to look increasingly guilty.
Harriett turned another page in the volume she was perusing. "Have you shown the ring to Ravenwood, Sophy? Being a man, he might know more about this sort of thing than we do."
"He has seen the ring," Sophy said, happy to be able to speak the truth at last. "He did not recognize it."
"Well, then, we must persevere on our own." Fanny selected another volume off the shelf. "I do so love a puzzle, don't you, Harry?"
Harriett smiled beatifically. "Dear me, yes. Never happier than when I'm working on a puzzle."
Four days later, Sophy, poring over an ancient treatise on mathematics with Jane, discovered the origin of the peculiar triangle on the face of the ring.
"This is it," she said excitedly as the others converged around the old volume. "Look at it. The triangle is exactly like that one on the ring, including the strange loops at each corner."
"She is right," Anne said. "What does it say about the triangle?"
Sophy frowned over the Latin. "Something to do with its being useful in certain dark ceremonies for controlling the female demons who have—" She halted abruptly as she realized what she was translating. "Oh, my goodness."
"What is the matter?" Fanny leaned over her shoulder. "Ah, I see. A shape most useful for controlling succubi while enjoying them in a carnal manner. How fascinating. Leave it to men to worry about a species of female demons who molest poor helpless males in their sleep."
Harriett smiled blandly. "Fascinating, indeed. Demon prostitutes who can be controlled at the same time that one enjoys their favors. You are quite right, Fanny. -Definitely a fantasy creation of the male brain."
"Here is more evidence of masculine fancy," Anne announced, pointing to another picture of the mythological creature she had researched. "The beast in the triangle is said to have uncommon powers. It can, it seems, fornicate for hours without any loss of vigor."