usual Kirn was sorry she had missed seeing their encounter
Robert Choiniet and Mairelon s brother, Andrew, were stand-
ing over Dan Laverham, who looked and smelted somewhat
singed but seemed otherwise unhurt Renee D'Auber stood
next to the door, her face composed, her eyes bright and
alert; on the opposite side of the room, Lord St Clair
watched the others with a cold, speculative expression
"'Ere, now," Stuggs said to Jack, who was struggling in
vain. "None o' that "
"Get your hands off me!" Dan said to Robert and Andrew
They had considerately helped him to his feet and then ne-
glected to let go of his arms
"And give you a chance to grab one of those pistols again,
or start some more magic?" Robert said "Not likely "
"Someone should find those guns and get them out of the
way," Andrew added
"Did you say something about brandy a bit ago, Jon?"
Freddy asked "Like to get some for Marianne "
"Get me out of this first." Jonathan said crossly, holding
out his hands and the tangle he had made of Kirn's knots
Mairelon was studying Kirn with an abstracted air, as if she
were wearing her coat inside out and he couldn't puzzle out
why she should do such a thing "Now what?" Kim asked him
in a low voice "We ain't much better off than when we
started."
"Aren't," Mairelon said without thinking He blinked
"Aren't we?"
"Well, Dan don't—doesn't have his guns any more," Kim
236
admitted. "That's something But we still haven't found that
platter The real one, I mean And we ain't—aren't going to
with this lot of Bedlamites muddling everything up proper"
"Ah, yes, thank you for reminding me," Mairelon said. He
glanced around, then took two steps sideways and reached
under a chair He straightened and held up the vine-covered
silver sphere that Dan had used to focus the spell he had cast
on Kim "You don't happen to see the other one, do you?"
"It's next to Mr. Aberford's foot," St Clair said Maireton
gave him a sharp, suspicious look, then retrieved the second
sphere without comment "I do hope you aren't planning to
repeat Daniel's lunacy, Mernll," Lord St Clair went on "Not
only was it an uncomfortable and dangerous bit of sorcery, it
was pointless as well I doubt that you could do any better "
Mairelon raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly "You think
not?"
"Richard, don't be a fooli" Andrew said
"It matters not at all," Renee announced "For that annoying
person with the pistols was not so altogether unsuccessful as
you think. Look'" She pointed toward the fireplace
Kim blinked, not understanding, then she saw the silver
shimmer on the hearthstone Mairelon immediately lost all
interest in St Clair "Well, well' Andrew—no, you'd better
keep hold of Laverham Aberford and Marston, then, come
and lend a hand "
It was not quite as easy as that, Jonathan had first to be
extracted from the rest of the cords on his wnsts, and Jasper
only stood and glowered until Lady Cranteigh poked him and
pointed eloquently It took the three of them longer than
Kim expected to find the notches in the edge of the stone and
pry it out
Mairelon reached down into the gaping hole and lifted out
a familiar-shaped bundle Kim held her breath as he pulled
237
the canvas wrapping away and took hold of the silver han-
dles.
"The Sacred Dishi" Jonathan breathed.
"Is it another fake?" Kirn demanded, unable to bear the sus-
pense.
"No," Mairelon said He looked up with a broad smile.
This is the real Saltash Platter "
238
^w-^ '"T* here was a long silence while everyone
JJ^^^ 1 stared at the heavy silver tray. Then Lady
f ' Granleigh swept forward.
"I believe that belongs to my dear friend, Mr. Charles Bra-
mingham," she said. "It should be returned to him at once."
"By you?" Mairelon's tone was polite; too polite.
Lady Cranleigh lifted her chin. "Certainly," she replied
without blushing
"No!" Jonathan Aberford leaped to his feet and planted
himself between Mairelon and Lady Cranleigh. "The Sacred
Dish belongs to the Sons of the New Dawn! It will not leave
this house!"
"No, no, really, Jon," Freddy protested. "1 lost it to Henry
at play; told you that ages ago- So it doesn't belong to the
Sons Doesn't belong to this Charles person, either, if it
comes to that. It's Henry's."
'"Ere," said Stuggs, "somebody give me a 'and with this
cove afore 'e breaks 'is arm accidental-like."
Kim grinned malevolently at Jack and crossed the room to
retrieve the cord that had been used to tie Mairelon and
239
Jonathan She tossed it to Stuggs, who snatched it out of the
air and had his grip back on Jack's arms before Jack realized
he had missed a chance to get free Kirn grinned again to
hide her unease and kicked a broken chair rung out of her
way Between the chair Freddy had smashed, the window
Dan had broken, and the table Kim herself had overturned,
walking across the room was becoming decidedly hazardous
Kim retreated to the back wall, where she could see everyone
without getting in the way
Lord St Clair looked up from the platter at last and turned
a coot, thoughtful gaze on Renee d'Auber "So you were
lying," he said
"But of course," the Frenchwoman replied with a Gallic
shrug "I did not at all like that person with the pistols, whom
I hope Monsieur Andrew is holding very hard Why should I
not lie to him?"
Dan lunged, almost breaking free of Andrew's hold "Sal-
awlei"
"What?" said Freddy Lady Cranleigh stiffened in outrage,
from which Kim deduced that whatever Dan had said was
disrespectful, if not actually shocking Stuggs and Jack Slower
wore identical expressions of bafflement, while Robert
glanced warily at Renee. Andrew was plainly appalled, but
Mairelon seemed to be holding back a smile St Clair was
watching everyone with an expectant air, like a cat waiting
for the right moment to pounce
Renee D'Auber raised an eyebrow, looking faintly puzzled.
"Pardon? Your accent is not at all good, monsieur If you wish
for me to understand, you should speak the English."
"1 think not," said St. Clair. "It might distress the ladies."
"You!" Dan transferred his glare from Renee to the Baron
"You won't get away with this!"
"With what?" Lord St. Clair asked in a reasonable tone.
"You're not getting that platter! You've had everything
240
etse—the money, the title, everything—)ust because you
were born on the right side of the blanket, but you're not
getting this "
"That remains to be seen," St Clair said calmly
"Does if" Mairelon said "By whom?"
"The Sacred Dish is the property of the Sons of the New
Dawn
," Jonathan repeated stubbornly No one paid him any
more attention this time than they had the last
"Richard," Andrew put in uneasily, "you're not going to
keep that thing, are you? If you're found with it—"
"—there are at least thirteen people here who can say that
I didn't have the smallest idea where it was until Laverham
there did his locating spell," Mairelon interrupted "I'm sure
that at least one or two of them would be willing to say as
much in court Don't be a fool, Andrew "
"Ah, but you might have been acting," Lord St Clair said
with a cold smite "I think Mr Mernll's point is well taken "
"You would," Mairelon said
"They don't like each other much, do they?" Freddy com-
mented sagely to Robert
"Freddy?" Marianne Thorntey was coming around again,
and the sound of her beloved's voice had caught her atten-
tion "Oh, Freddy, what has happened?"
"You have behaved very badly," Lady Granleigh answered
in a severe tone "We shall, however, discuss it later, in pri-
vate Jasper' We have wasted enough time Bring the platter
out to the carnage at once Come, Marianne "
"You aren't taking Marianne anywhere," Freddy said, step-
ping in front of the shrinking Marianne
"Nor you the Sattash Platter," Mairelon said to Jasper
"Amelia " Jasper said, waffling visibly
"Really, Jasper' You're larger than he is," said Lady
Granteigh over her shoulder "Just take it"
"Allow me to get out of the way first," said Lord St Clair
241
Kirn frowned as St Clair moved farther away from the
hearth where Mairelon, Jonathan, and Jasper stood. She
could understand a gentry cove not wanting to get involved
in a turn-up, but St. Clair hadn't been close enough to be
inconvenienced by a fight. She watched as he crossed the
room to Join Lady Granleigh, and saw him stumble as he
passed a footstool Her frown deepened Had he scooped
something from the floor? She couldn't be sure, he had turned
away from her as he straightened
The sound of a scuffle distracted her She turned in time to
see Mairelon shove the handle end of the Sattash Platter into
Jasper Marston's stomach Kim winced in sympathy as Jasper
doubled over with a huff of exhaled breath Mairelon yanked
the platter back, grabbed the free handle, and brought it
down on the back of Jasper's head There was a satisfying
clang, and Jasper collapsed without another sound
"Very impressive," St. Clair said without enthusiasm Kim
looked quickly back at him, but his hands were empty; if he
had picked anything up, he had hidden it under his coat
Mairelon turned and flourished the platter in an elegant
stage bow "Would you care to be the next to try to take it?"
"Richard!" Andrew said, sounding horrified "You can't go
around assaulting peers of the realm!"
"Oh, really, Andrew, he's only a Baron," Mairelon said irri-
tably
Renee D'Auber rolled her eyes "It is not how it must be
done," she declared
"And giving St Clair the Saltash Platter is?" Mairelon
asked, his jaw tightening
"I did not say such a thing at all," Renee said with dignity
Lady Cranleigh turned, her attention momentarily diverted
from Freddy and Marianne She raked Mairelon with a
haughty look that had no apparent effect whatever, and
sniffed loudly. "Lord St Clair seems an infinitely more proper
242
person to have charge of that object than you, Mr de Mare,
or whatever your name is "
"Just so," said St Clair "And after all, Mr Merrill is a
wanted man I wonder what the Bow Street Runners would
make of this little scenes"
Mairelon's lips thinned Jack Slower lurched sideways,
whimpering, in spite of William Stuggs's gnp on his arms and
the cord Stuggs had knotted around his wrists, dragging the
two of them several feet nearer the door Jonathan Aberford
shifted uncomfortably and ran a hand through his hair as if in
search of the stocking mask that had been taken from him in
the carnage Lady Cranleigh turned a shade paler and raised
her chin imperiously
"Oh, no," Dan Laverham said softly He was staring at
Lord St Clair with single-minded intensity, and Kim had
never heard so much hatred in anyone's voice before- "Not
this time, Gregory This time, if I lose, you lose, too "
plied, frowning "In any case, this is not a suitable place for
that discussion."
"I have thought," Dan said. "You lied to me before and
tried to use me; 1 won't make the same mistake again. You
call the Runners in, Gregory, and I'll tell them whose idea it
was to nick that bloody platter, yes, and exactly how it was
arranged, too Shall 1 tell this lot right now?"
"Please do," Mairelon said
"Don't be absurd, Daniel," Lord St Clair put in quickly
"No one will take your word for anything "
"St Clair?" Andrew said "You mean St Clair stole the Salt-
ash Set? I don't believe it "
There, you see?" said the Baron
"Not so fast," Mairelon said "I want to hear him out "
Robert nodded "Let him have his say "
243
"He's a gutter-bred criminal'" St Clair snapped "I give you
my word as a peer of the realm—"
Dan's high, half-hysterical laughter cut off whatever Lord
St Clair had planned to say "Peer of the realm! The only
reason you're the peer and I'm the gutter brat is that our blue-
blooded rather was too high in the instep to marry a kitchen
maid, though he wasn't above giving her a tumble "
"Good Lord," breathed Mairelon, looking from Dan to St
i Clair. "So that's it "
"This discussion is highly improper," Lady Cranieigh an-
nounced "Marianne, cover your ears 1 recommend that you
do the same. Miss D'Auber, though I am well aware that
French persons do not have any real delicacy of mind "
Everyone, including Marianne, was too busy studying the
two men to pay any attention to Lady Granleigh The re-
semblance between them was marked Kim remembered how
shaken she had been by her first glimpse of Lord St Clair,
when she had thought for a moment that he was Dan Lav-
erham, and cursed herself mentally for not guessing the truth
before But who would have pegged Dan for gentry blood,
i even on the wrong side of the blanket?
St Ctair looked a trifle pale, but seemed otherwise un-
moved by the intense scrutiny "This does not change matters
at all," he said. "Your wild accusations are clearly the delu-
sions of a mind deranged by jealousy I am very sorry you
have been subjected to this, Lady Cranteigh, but I venture to
hope that you will not hold my father's indiscretion against
me
Dan laughed again, bitterly "Still wanting to have your
cake and eat it, too, Gregory? You were pleased enough with
me as long as you could make use of my services You
shoul
dn't have lied to me about the Saltash Set, though If I'd
known it was magical, I'd never have split it up to sell "
244
"You ad this ere dish as all the fuss is over?" William
Stuggs put in unexpectedly "'Ow did that 'appen?"
"Fenton was my man," Dan said, speaking directly to St.
Clair "He wouldn't have dreamed of cracking a crib without
cutting me in You didn't know that when you told him to
keep mum about it, did you?"
"Be quiet, Daniel," Lord St. Clair said
"Why? I told you, this time you're going to lose, one way
or another "
"No " St Clair sounded regretful, almost sad "You may
make my life a little difficult for a time, but even if everyone
here believes you, it won't make any real difference Bow
Street won't take the word of a criminal against that of a
Baron, and without Fenton you have no proof of anything
you say There will be rumors, of course, and one or two
houses may shut their doors to me for a time, but nothing
more serious than that Its one of the advantages of my posi-
tion, you see "
Dan Laverham growled and lunged again St. Clair stood