“I cannot begin to tell you how pleasant it is for me to be able to say ‘yes’ to a young man asking for my daughter’s hand in marriage. Congratulations, Newhall. I think you and Caroline will make a fine match.” Charles held out his hand, and Julian accepted his warm handshake.
“Thank you, sir. I am proud and honored to be the one who finally succeeded,” said Julian.
Despite Caroline already having accepted his proposal, Julian still found himself nervous asking her father for his permission. He had not been able to see Charles the previous day, having received an unexpected summons from the palace to collect the letter that Francis had mentioned. A future brother-in-law with that amount of clout with the Prince Regent, was a boon any man would be happy to have.
“So, have you discussed wedding arrangements as yet?” asked Charles.
“Caroline has informed me that Lady Adelaide will be in charge of all the organizing. I expect it will be a smooth operation,” he replied.
Weddings, and the commotion that came with them, were purely for females. His sole input, if he had his way, would be to arrive at the church on time and say ‘yes’ when asked.
Charles snorted. “You have been warned. My own nuptials had more planning involved in it than Hannibal going over the Alps. Though we did draw the line at elephants.”
He loved Caroline; and his future countess was going to get the wedding she deserved. He shrugged and readied himself for the onslaught of frippery and fabric samples. If that was what it took to launch himself into wedded bliss, he was ready.
“Unfortunately, my wife and daughter are not at home. So, the champagne shall have to wait. In the meantime, I still have some bottles of that Chateau Mouton-d’Armailhac Cabernet Sauvignon left. I am sure one of those would suffice,” said Charles.
“This is a serious matter, Lord Newhall. While I understand that there are difficulties between the countess and yourself, I would caution you against raising the issue of the necklace to a criminal matter. Accusing your own mother of theft is not something one does lightly.”
Julian studied his fingernails for a moment, giving time for the ambassador to think that he was taking his words to heart. “I understand the situation fully, Your Highness, which is why I was careful in using my connections to obtain that letter.”
Prince Esterhazy held the letter from the Prince of Wales’ private secretary in his hand. He raised his eyebrows before setting it down on his desk. “So how would you like to proceed?”
As far as Julian was concerned, it should be a simple matter. The prince would speak to his house guest and explain the situation to the countess, and she would hand over the ruby necklace. But he knew his mother better than that. She would not go quietly. “I don’t wish to make this a diplomatic issue, hence why I have not raised matters to the legal authorities in England. Nor have I made mention of it to those in London society who would be able to use this disagreement to their advantage. I just want what is rightfully mine.”
The hard stare he got from the prince told him that his less than thinly veiled threat had got through. The prince picked up the bell on his desk and rang it. Within seconds, a footman appeared.
“Ask the Countess of Lienz to come to my study, would you? I did see her in the gardens not long ago, so I know she is somewhere about the embassy.”
The prince rose from his desk and crossed over to a cabinet. He pulled out a bottle of brandy and showed it to Julian. “A spot of something to fortify your spirit?”
Julian shook his head. The bottle and a half of Cabernet Sauvignon which Charles Saunders had pressed him to drink was still taking the edge off his senses.
The prince poured himself a large glass. “If I may be frank, your mother is not the easiest of women to deal with at any time. Her husband is known to seek solace in the drink on occasion. When they sent word that they would be staying here, I immediately sent out for more brandy.”
His mother would drive any man to drink, but Julian could not bring himself to feel pity for the count. He had knowingly stolen another man’s wife. What he had sowed, he was welcome to reap.
The countess arrived a short while later. Upon seeing Julian, she marched up to the ambassador and then pointed at her son. “What is he doing here?”
Prince Esterhazy glanced at the brandy bottle, and his empty glass. “Lord Newhall has come about an item of his property, which he tells me you have in your possession. He has asked for it to be returned.”
The countess huffed. “Lies. All lies. I have nothing to which I am not entitled.”
She was, in many ways, predictable. Her usual mode of dealing with anyone who dared to challenge her was to play the outraged victim, then brand everything that they said to be a lie. Finally, she would cast aspersions on their character. “You don’t know my son. He has been incapable of telling the truth since the day he uttered his first words, much like his father. The Newhall men are not of good character.”
Julian ticked off the third point on his list, and rose from his chair. “Madam, you have a ruby necklace which belongs to the Newhall estate. I would like it returned, please.”
A slow smile appeared on her face. “Exactly. The Crusader Ruby belongs to the Newhall estate. It was gifted to me as the Countess Newhall. A title which I am still permitted to use, though one would have to add the word Dowager if we were to be socially correct.”
Julian clenched his hands into tight fists. It was never going to be easy with her. “But you have remarried, so you are no longer the countess,” he ground out.
The prince held up his hand. “I will not have family squabbles in my embassy. Your Highness, please go and retrieve the necklace from your room.”
The countess nodded. “Very well, if you insist.”
While he and Prince Esterhazy waited for the countess to return, Julian pondered the possible reasons for his mother’s easy acquiesce to the prince’s instructions. There had to be an explanation that he had not considered.
When she returned a short while later, she strode into the room wearing the necklace. Prince Esterhazy gasped at the sight of the Crusader Ruby.
The length of its long silver chain was encrusted with diamonds. The pendant at the end had been formed into a large diamond shape with an enormous stunning ruby set in the middle. At four other points on the pendant, smaller rubies had been placed.
For an instant, Julian’s mind was filled with the memory of the last time he had seen his mother wearing it. It had been at a ball held at Newhall House. She had paired the jewel with a dark silver gown which showed off the rubies and diamonds to stunning effect. She had been breathtakingly beautiful, a queen fit to rule over all her guests.
The painting his father had commissioned did little justice to the real thing.
Even now, the years had been kind. The hint of crow’s feet at her eyes barely made a mark against her beauty. It was only the cruel lines of her smile at the corners of her mouth which revealed any sign of her age.
Julian’s heart was racing. Could he actually walk out of the embassy with the Crusader Ruby in his hand? His palms itched as he fought the temptation to reach out and take the necklace from her.
She remained where she was as he took a step toward her, her back ramrod straight.
“Madam, I would ask you to remove the necklace and hand it over. If you do, I shall forget about any of the other pieces of jewelry you have kept. You and I shall never have to deal with one another again,” said Julian.
The countess slowly shook her head. The smile which now appeared on her face grew wide. From out of her skirts, she produced a piece of folded paper. She waved it at him. “Read it, boy,” she commanded.
With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Julian took the paper and opened it. He recognized the handwriting immediately as being that of his father. As his gaze drifted over the words, the countess remained silent.
The silence continued as Julian handed the letter to the prince. It was only when the ambassador shook his head that the countess let out a soft sigh of satisfaction.
“I think that makes my position clear. Until my son marries, I am well within my rights to retain the necklace,” she said.
The prince looked sadly at Julian. There was nothing he could do. Even with the letter from the royal court, his hands were tied. The note from Julian’s father was clear. Until Julian married, the necklace rightfully belonged to his mother.
“I hear your house party was a disaster, so there won’t be any need in the foreseeable future for me to relinquish ownership of the jewel. Now if you don’t mind, I have things to attend to this afternoon,” she said.
As she closed the door behind her, Julian turned to the prince. “I will have that brandy now, Your Highness.”