“A stimulating diversion,” Tobias repeated neutrally from his position at a window. “Well, that is certainly one way to describe an inquiry into murder.”

Vale arched one elegant brow. “I deal with the artifacts of the ancient dead most of my waking hours. A modern murder offers a pleasant change of pace.”

“It was good of you to see us,” Lavinia said.

Vale glanced at Joan. “Mrs. Dove is my friend. I am happy to oblige her in any way I can.” He turned back to Lavinia. “I see you are interested in my copy of Mr. Lysons’s Reliquiae Britannico-Romanae.”

“This is the first opportunity I have had to examine it. The volume is very expensive, you know.”

Vale smiled. “Yes, I know.”

She felt herself turn pink. A man of his wealth was no doubt quite oblivious to the cost of a beautiful book.

“Mr. Lysons’s unusual interest in British-Roman antiquities parallels my own,” Vale continued. “You are welcome to browse through the Reliquiae, Mrs. Lake.”

Lavinia studied the plate displayed in front of her. It showed several meticulously rendered drawings of British-Roman antiquities that Samuel Lysons had uncovered in his explorations of old ruins in his native Gloucestershire. A curious, U-shaped iron blade and portions of a pottery strainer were illustrated. Small, detailed works of art in themselves, the drawings had been colored in light, translucent washes.

Lysons was unusual not only because of his keen interest in British antiquities, she thought, but also because he paid close attention to the oddly fascinating, if somewhat mundane, relics of daily life. She turned to another one of the colored plates and smiled at the carefully rendered drawings of several elegantly shaped pottery bowls.

Tobias looked at Vale. “I’m certain that you are already aware that we are searching for the man who murdered Celeste Hudson. We believe that she stole the Blue Medusa shortly before her death.”

“So you are, in effect, looking for the Medusa on the assumption that the killer now has it,” Vale concluded.

“It is our hope that the bracelet will lead us to the murderer,” Lavinia explained. “It is an odd relic, by all accounts. We thought it would be useful to know more about it.”

“And about those who might have an interest in obtaining it,” Tobias added. “Mr. Nightingale implied that there are some collectors who would pay dearly for it in order to use it to apply for admission to the Connoisseurs Club.”

“Ah, yes, Nightingale. A very enterprising gentleman.” Vale sipped tea and slowly lowered his cup. “Serious collectors interested in gaining admission to the club would know that, as the founder and keeper of the museum, I have a preference for antiquities discovered on English soil. Indeed, I would be strongly disposed to look approvingly on whoever presented such an object to the club’s private collection.”

Lavinia turned away from the beautiful book on the table. “What can you tell us, sir?”

Vale put aside his cup and saucer and got to his feet. “Before I discuss the Blue Medusa, I believe I will show you the club’s private museum.”

They rose and followed him to a door set into the paneled wall on the other side of the library. Vale opened it and revealed a staircase. He led the way up the steps.

At the landing he opened another door and ushered them into a long gallery.

Lavinia saw at once that the shadowy chamber extended the entire length of the great house. The gallery was lined with glass-enclosed cases, tall wooden cabinets, and massive chests of drawers.

Statuary stood in the corners. Ancient vases, urns, and broken bits of columns littered the floor. Half a dozen stone sarcophagi were stacked against one wall.

“This is wonderful.” Lavinia moved to the nearest display case and saw row upon row of silver and gold coins bearing the portraits of ancient Roman emperors, neatly arrayed on black fabric.

Joan went to stand at a case and studied an exquisitely worked gold necklace set with a number of emeralds. “This is a new acquisition, is it not, Vale? I do not recall seeing it the last time I was here.”

“You have not paid me a visit since Fielding’s death,” Vale said softly. “As it happens, I have been away a good deal of the time this past year. I spent several months exploring the ruins of an ancient Roman villa not far from Bath. The mosaics were quite astonishing. I made some colored drawings.”

Joan turned away from the necklace. “I should like to see them.”

Vale smiled. “I would be delighted to show them to you.”

Lavinia saw the silent invitation in his eyes and knew from the way Joan moved quickly to another display case that she had seen it too.

Tobias appeared oblivious to the small exchange. He examined a vase with casual interest and then looked at Vale. “This is the club’s private museum, I assume?”

“Yes.” Vale stroked the carved stone of an ancient altar with a lover’s caress. “Much of what you see in this chamber was found right here in England. It is fashionable to send young men on the Grand Tour to view the glorious ruins of ancient Rome and Greece, but as Mr. Lysons has demonstrated, we have our own rich classical history to explore, do we not? The Connoisseurs are devoted to preserving British antiquities.”

“England was a Roman province for several centuries,” Joan said. “It is reasonable to assume that the ancients left many interesting relics.”

“Indeed. The Romans left us an inheritance in the form of the remains of magnificent villas, public baths, and temples.” He indicated the case of gleaming objects next to her. “And who knows how many hoards of ancient jewelry and coins are yet to be discovered buried in the ground.”

“Few of those hoards are likely to be reported by their discoverers, given the law of treasure trove,”

Tobias said dryly. “It is asking a great deal to expect a poor farmer to turn over a cache of ancient gold and silver valuables to the Crown without payment, all so that the objects can be melted down.”

“Indeed.” Vale chuckled. “But rest assured that a good many undeclared discoveries are made on a regular basis, and they go far to ensure a lively market in antiquities for the likes of Mr. Nightingale and other dealers.”

Lavinia examined a series of little enameled bronze brooches twisted into fanciful shapes that made her think of tiny dragons. Then she moved to look at some rings set with engraved stones.

The first featured a red carnelian decorated with the tiny figure of a draped woman. The little cornucopia and steering oar identified her as Fortuna, the goddess of good fortune. The red jasper stone in the neighboring ring depicted another draped goddess, this one winged. She was shown with a small scourge. Lavinia recognized her as Nemesis, the goddess in charge of preserving the balance of good and ill in human affairs and with the task of exacting vengeance.

Tobias lounged against an elaborately carved sarcophagus and looked at Vale. “This is an interesting collection, but I believe you were going to tell us about the Blue Medusa.”

Vale nodded and walked slowly through the gallery. “The bracelet itself is said to be a particularly exquisite example of the ancient goldsmith’s craft. But of even greater interest is the cameo set into it.”

“So we have been told,” Tobias said.

“From what I can determine, the antiquity was found sometime early in the last century. It was handed down through a family that gradually thinned out until only a maiden aunt and her nephew, a boy of about fifteen, were left in the line. One morning many years ago, the aunt’s body was discovered by a maid. The kitchen knife that had been used to kill her was still in her back.”

“Dear heaven,” Lavinia whispered.

“There was no sign of the nephew, and a number of valuables were missing, including the Blue Medusa,” Vale continued. “It seems to have been sold and resold a number of times before Banks eventually found it in a small antiquities shop here in London a year and a half ago.”