Page 25 of Her Scandalous Pursuit

“When?”

“How do you know?”

“Have you seen her? Have you seen it?”

“Have you talked to her?”

Carson threw up his hands in mock surrender. “Wait. Wait. One at a time.”

“Quiet.” Professor Gordon cast a stern look around at the young men. “Let the man speak.” He turned back to Carson. “Tell us.”

“To answer your questions—she arrived just yesterday. Apparently she’s the sort whose movements attract immediate attention. And, no, I haven’t seen her. I hardly move in the same circles as duchesses. I heard my mother and her friends gossiping about it this afternoon, so I eavesdropped. Apparently she’s something of a harridan. One of the women said the duchess is mad as a hatter—the whole family is.” He paused, then added significantly, “And another woman remarked, ‘They say she claims to speak to her dead husband.’”

“Are you serious?” Desmond leaned forward.

“I thought that would get everyone’s attention.”

“You think she knows what the Eye is? That she actually uses it?” Gordon asked in astonishment.

“I’ve no idea, sir. But it sounded suspiciously like that.”

“It’s a stroke of luck that she’s in town,” Desmond said. “You can call on her, sir, ask her directly.”

The older man shook his head. “No. She won’t see me, I’m sure.” He plopped down on his high stool, his expression falling into dejection. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. “I had a reply to my letter. From her man of business. She didn’t even deign to write me herself. He says, and I quote, ‘The Duchess is not interested in selling or lending any of her possessions. I must request that you not write her on this subject again.’” Gordon stuck the letter back in his pocket, his face stony. “The bloody arrogant woman. The advancement of knowledge means nothing to her.”

“That’s the toffs for you,” Benjamin commented. “The aristocracy cares for nothing but themselves.”

“Seems to me it’s time for my suggestion,” Carson asserted.

“To steal it?” Desmond asked derisively.

“It’s not stealing. We established that it was almost certainly stolen from Anne Ballew. If it belongs to anyone, it would be her descendants.”

“And no one knows who those are,” Gordon said. “So, really, it should belong to the world at large, to science and history. We could use it, unlike her, who wants to keep it hidden away.”

“That excuse could be used by any thief—I need that money and he’s rich,” Desmond protested. “Besides, if Carson’s gossip is accurate, she apparently does use it.”

“But it has no real monetary value,” another of the students reasoned. “Annie Blue wasn’t wealthy. I doubt it was made of anything expensive.”

“Yes,” Gordon agreed, sounding more interested by the moment. “Its value is incalculable to us, but in material terms, it’s worthless.”

Desmond looked around at the others. Their faces were filled with excitement. “I cannot believe you’re actually considering this. Any of you.”

“Don’t be such a puritan, Dez,” Carson told him.

“I don’t think considering theft wrong qualifies one as a puritan,” Desmond declared.

“This is more important than legalities,” Gordon said. “It’s for the advancement of human knowledge. If this woman sees spirits, that proves that Annie Blue’s Eye works. It makes it even more imperative to investigate it. One stubborn old woman should not be allowed to stand in the way of progress.”

“All of you are talking as if it’s a surety that you would be able to steal it and get away. That’s faulty reasoning. The odds of you stealing it are at best fifty-fifty. First, none of you are thieves so you’re apt to bungle it. Second, you don’t even know what it looks like.”

“I’d know it the instant I saw it,” Gordon assured him.

Desmond refrained from rolling his eyes. “Begging your pardon, sir, but you merely think you’ll instinctively recognize it. Those aren’t the only obstacles. This woman is a duchess—she’s bound to live in a large house with any number of rooms. How will you know where to look?”

“It’ll be near her, I’d warrant. She’d keep it close,” Carson countered.

“Marvelous. All you need do is enter a room where someone is sleeping and creep about in the dark, trying to find an object of unknown appearance.”