Three Graces by Celia Lake

Author:Celia Lake [Lake, Celia]
Language: eng
Format: epub

Chapter 10

Lizzie, July 17th at an auction house in London

“Lady Carillon.” Lizzie caught the voice just before she caught the colour and dress. “Such a delight to see you here! I had no idea you had an interest in objets de vertu.” The voice gave it an exceedingly French trill, though the sales catalogue of course had it in the English, ‘objects of vertu’. Lizzie turned and smiled slightly. There was Margot Williams in all her theoretical and actual glory. She wore a brilliant blue frock with an excess of pleats and button holes that contrasted with Lizzie’s rich forest green and simpler lines.

“Mrs Williams.” They had to keep to the titles that would not confuse, here. Margot would, in Albion, be Mistress, since she did not make a public show of her expertise. Lizzie’s own title— or rather, Geoffrey’s— had some minor continuation in Britain at large, and would pass here without too much concern. “An unexpected moment indeed. I was most interested in several pieces going up for auction. The quality of the work, of course, is superb. The collection as a whole makes that clear.”

She had originally come to London to have a private look at the books, before they went up for sale on the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth. It would help to figure out which Geoffrey might want to have her bid for. There was a rather fine fifteenth century book of hours, though both she and Geoffrey expected it would go out of the range they were willing to pay. But when he’d heard about the sales catalogue, he’d noted there were half a dozen of the small decorative pieces. They really ought to come out of circulation in the non-magical community. Two minaudières, meant to hold small items and pretend to be a purse, a lighter, and two snuff boxes, to be precise, all enchanted to charm and entice. The late owner had been a collector for the sake of beauty and artistry - he’d died in January - but those pieces could find a safer home now, for the people around them.

Of course, Lizzie didn’t wish to indicate which pieces she was interested in. Not that she’d intended to do her own bidding, of course. That was entirely too obvious. She’d already passed her list to one of the Scali family, here to act in that role for the Carillons. It meant she could incline her head.

“Are you bidding, darling?” When Lizzie shook her head, Margot’s eyes lit up. “Ah, well. Are you staying? Do come sit with me, and we could find somewhere for a little drink after, catch up.”

Since Lizzie wanted a bit more of a chat, there was really nothing for it. The world had presented an opportunity on a silver platter. Lizzie knew enough to make use of it. The next two hours were a combination of making pleasant conversation in the pauses and being careful not to do anything that might signal a purchase during the sales itself.

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