‘When do you want to leave?’
Lady Glostrum smiled. ‘Five minutes ago wouldn’t be too soon.’
Her ladyship left Serena with one parting injunction: Do not, under any circumstances, talk to him about the keys. He might already be aware of the connection between the riddle and his stolen property, in which case there was little to be done. On the other hand, given the vastness of his collections he may have only a vague recollection of the stone’s appearance and may not be aware of its significance at all; and if this was the case, Lady Glostrum wanted to preserve his state of ignorance.
True, if he knew that he might get his stolen artefact back he might be more co-operative. On the other hand, since they had no intention of ever returning it to him, raising such expectations might prove t
