Page 57 of An Eye for an Eye

‘Another executive decision made in my absence,’ said William, as he helped his wife on with her coat.

•••

Artemisia and Peter sat at home on the bedroom floor studying several leaflets.

‘The protest march will take place in Whitehall on the day the Saudi Minister of Defence visits London for talks with the Prime Minister,’ said Artemisia.

Peter only had to read a couple of pages of theRallying Callbefore he proclaimed, ‘You’re right, we shouldn’t be making deals with countries that don’t even give women the vote.’

‘And Mum certainly wouldn’t have been allowed to run a national gallery,’ said Artemisia.

‘They don’t have a national gallery to manage,’ said Peter, after turning the page of another leaflet. ‘Just offices where women are expected to be secretaries and cleaners, and they can’t even drive to work on their eight-lane highways as they’re not permitted to have a driving licence.’

‘And more important, Simon Hartley is still in prison for a murder he didn’t commit, and worse,’ continued Artemisia, turning a page of one of the leaflets, ‘Prince Ahmed, a member of the Royal Family, is the one who should be locked up.’

‘I’m not sure Dad will be happy if we …’ said Peter, ‘and Mum’s got enough problems of her own at the moment.’

‘There’s no reason for them to find out,’ said Artemisia, placing a finger over her lips as the front door opened.

‘Quick,’ said Artemisia. ‘We have to be in bed, before one of them comes upstairs.’

Peter bolted.

•••

Faulkner was on time for a change, and after the briefest of greetings, took the seat on the other side of Booth Watson’s desk.

‘Given the circumstances,’ said Booth Watson, ‘I considered it prescient to draw up a contract of ownership, so there could be no misunderstanding at a later date.’

Miles had to agree with his lawyer’s judgement, when he realized just how much Jefferson’s Fair Copy of the Declaration might be worth.

‘Once the document had been notarized,’ continued Booth Watson, ‘I paid a second visit to Lady Hartley at her home in Bucklebury. She happily signed all three copies of the agreement – one of which she retained. Incidentally, she couldn’t stop singing your praises, even though it might well turn out to be her Nunc Dimittis when she discovers what she’s let go of for a mere bagatelle, which is precisely why I wanted to make sure everything was legal and above board. The last thing we need is a vexatious litigant pursuing you at some time in the future.’

‘What’s there to dispute?’ asked Miles. ‘It was a deal agreed by both parties and signed in good faith with a QC present.’

‘It was indeed,’ said Booth Watson, ‘but unfortunately a complication has arisen.’

‘What kind of complication?’ demanded Miles.

‘It concerns the letters Jefferson wrote to Hartley over the years, and one in particular.’

‘But she gave them to me as a gift,’ said Miles, not wanting to admit he hadn’t read them.

‘Five of them are of little interest, other than to historians of that period.’

‘But clearly that doesn’t apply to the sixth.’

‘I’m afraid not,’ said Booth Watson, ‘because should youdecide to sell the Declaration, that particular letter will cause you an insurmountable problem to which I can find no obvious solution.’ Booth Watson opened the file on his desk, extracted the uncompromising letter and handed it across to his client. It didn’t take more than one reading for Miles to work out what the insurmountable problem was.

He read the letter a second time.

Hôtel de Langeac

Paris

August 11th, 1787

Dear Mr Hartley,