Page 56 of An Eye for an Eye

‘You are a knight in shining armour,’ Lady Hartley said as she studied the cheque, her hand trembling. Not an image Booth Watson had ever considered. Without another word, she led her two guests back into the drawing room and poured them a second cup of tea.

‘I’ll draw up a contract as soon as I return to my chambers,’ said Booth Watson.

‘Thank you,’ said Lady Hartley.

‘May I ask my driver to put both works in the back of the car?’ Miles enquired as Lady Hartley handed him the cup.

‘Of course,’ said Lady Hartley, while offering Booth Watson a digestive biscuit.

After Collins had lifted the Constable off the wall, Lady Hartley looked up at the blank space in front of her, sighed and said, ‘I shall miss it.’

‘Of course you will, dear lady,’ said Miles, ‘and if you want to change your mind …’

‘No, no,’ she replied, while quickly placing the cheque in her handbag.

Miles glanced at his watch. ‘I do hope you’ll forgive me, Lady Hartley, but I ought to be getting back to London, before I change my mind.’

Lady Hartley laughed nervously as she got up and led her guests out of the room and along the corridor to the front door.

‘Mr Booth Watson, you could not have done more,’ she said as she opened the front door. ‘You must be sure to send me your account.’

‘Certainly not,’ protested Booth Watson. ‘I have only played a minor part in assisting your cause, which is no more than a repayment for my debt to your late husband for all the good advice he gave me over so many years.’

‘How kind of you to say so,’ said Lady Hartley as Collins placed the Declaration and the Constable in the boot of the car before returning to his place behind the wheel.

Lady Hartley remained standing by the front door, waving farewell, and didn’t move until the Rolls was out of sight. She then went back into the house, closed the door, and returned to her husband’s study.

She paused for a moment to look at the faded square on the wall where the Declaration had hung for the past two hundred years. She finally turned around to be greeted with her husband receiving his knighthood from the Queen.

‘Do you think, John,’ she said, staring down at the framed photo of her husband, ‘I should have told the kind gentlemen why our version of the Declaration of Independence wasn’t mine to sell?’

‘And while you’re at it, Sybil,’ came back a voice ringing in her ears, ‘perhaps you should also have told him the truth about the Constable.’

Lady Hartley felt ashamed, but the feeling didn’t last for long.

•••

‘I think we should be making a move,’ said Alice, glancing towards Ross. ‘We promised the babysitter we’d be back before eleven.’

‘And we’d better check that the twins haven’t burnt down the house in our absence,’ said Beth. ‘Or worse, had a rave party.’

Christina laughed. ‘When did they become so grown up?’

‘Overnight! But, thank you for another fantastic evening,’ said Beth, giving her friend and her new husband both a warm hug. ‘You’re such generous hosts.’

‘I’m an American,’ replied Wilbur. ‘It’s the way we’ve always treated the English – except during the War of Independence.’

Wilbur went to fetch their coats while Ross, Alice and William followed him. Beth hung back.

‘Well?’ she asked conspiratorially. ‘Are you really going to stand for chair of the Fitzmolean?’

Christina left her friend in suspense for a few moments before saying, ‘I submitted my name yesterday – and if I do become chair, my first executive decision will be to reappoint you as the director of the Fitz – that is, if you’d be willing to come back?’

‘Of course I would,’ said Beth without hesitation.

‘Thank heavens for that,’ said Christina. ‘As I couldn’t hope to do the job without you.’

‘And so say all of us,’ said Wilbur as they joined them in the hall.