Stone's Fall

'Hmm. Not much help. From your description it could be 1430s, or made last year and sold in any teashop. I'd have to look at it. Where did it come from?'

'I was given it. It used to be on the mantelpiece in Lady Ravenscliff's sitting room.' To say she had given it to me was stretching a point, perhaps.

He raised an eyebrow. 'Not the Ostrokoff bowl?'

'I think that's the one.'

'Good God, man! It's one of the loveliest pieces of Ming porcelain in the world. The whole world.' He looked at me with new interest and no little curiosity. 'I have asked to buy it on many an occasion, but have always been turned down.'

'I've been using it to eat my breakfast.'

Baring gave a shudder. 'My dear boy! The first time I saw it I almost fainted. He gave it to you? Do you have any idea what it is worth? What on earth did you do for Ravenscliff?'

'That, I'm afraid, I am not at liberty to say.'

'Oh. Well, quite correct. Quite correct,' he said, still quite breathless and flustered. The thought of my boiled eggs had so rattled him that he was no longer in full command of his faculties. For my part, the memory of it flying past my shoulder and smashing into the wall came flooding back to me. An extravagant gesture. I almost felt flattered.

'Well – I shouldn't. But – well, battleships.'

'Oh, you mean Ravenscliff's private navy?'

I smiled, and tried to look nonchalant about the whole thing.

'I suppose you know about that?'

'Of course. I had to be brought in over moving the money around. I was very doubtful, I must say but, as you may know, we owe Ravenscliff a great deal.'

'Just so.'

'What exactly do you do . . . ?'

I looked cautious. 'I keep an eye on things. Quietly, if you see what I mean. Did, at least, for Lord Ravenscliff. Until he died.'

'Yes, indeed. Great loss. Very awkward as well. Bad timing.'

'Ah, yes.'

'Damnable Government, dithering like that. Although Ravenscliff was remarkably sanguine. All will be well, he said. Don't worry. He knew exactly how to persuade them to take the plunge . . . Then he dies. Typical of the man that he foresaw even that possibility, though. When we heard I must say we rather panicked. If the shareholders found out what's been going on . . .'

'Difficult,' I said sympathetically.

'Can you imagine? Telling our shareholders that the bond they thought was for a South African gold mine was in fact for a private battle fleet? I'd be picking oakum in Reading gaol by now. But at least I'd be in good company.' He laughed. I joined in, perhaps a little too heartily.

'Yet here you are.'

'Here I am, as you say. Thanks to Ravenscliff putting some nonsense in his will so no one can look at the books for a bit. It has bought us time. Although not much. I'm damnably worried about it.'

'So is his widow, I understand,' I said.

'Ah, yes. I suspect she may know more than she should. There was little Ravenscliff didn't tell her.'

'How is that?'

'Well, I don't know exactly what he said, of course, but I hear that she has hired some man to find this child. Which, of course, has the effect of making its existence all the more real. The more he bumbles around, asking questions, the better it is.'

Oh, God. I thought.

'Are you all right?' Baring asked.

'No,' I said. 'I've had a bit of a stomach ache all day. Would you think me terribly rude if I excused myself?'

'I'm so sorry. By all means.'

'Is Lady Ravenscliff here, by the way?'

'Of course not,' he said. 'She's in mourning. Not even in Cowes.'

'Really? I was told she was staying on the royal yacht.'

'Certainly not. I was there for tea this afternoon. No, I imagine she is still in London. I know she is no respecter of convention, but even she would not . . .'

I didn't really care one way or the other. I turned round and walked out of the ballroom, as slowly as I could manage, got to the big French windows which opened on to the garden and, when I was out of sight, broke into a run, heading for the wall where I'd come in as quickly as I could.

And there I sat, for an hour or more, half-listening to the sound of the orchestra, the occasional footfall as a couple walked past, or the men came out for a cigar, the women for some fresh air, but not really interested in any of it.

Everyone had been right. I had been chosen because of my complete unsuitability. My job really had been to confuse matters. The child did not exist, had never existed; it was a safety net, designed to protect Ravenscliff's companies should he die before this great undertaking was completed. The Government wanted battleships, but dared not order them. Barings and Ravenscliff put up the money, and gambled they would change their minds. Of course it had to be secret; the slightest whisper could bring the Government down and Ravenscliff's empire . . .