The Crystal Cage Read Online Free Page A

mention of Lucas Royde coming to light.’
    There was a pause at the other end of the line.
    ‘That
could
be exciting,’ he said slowly. ‘I can report to the Society that I’ve had an expert confirm my initial findings that the Carlyon chapel was the first Royde design in this country.’
    ‘I’d rather you didn’t bring me into any conversation you have with them.’
    ‘It surely can’t hurt for me to mention you.’ He sounded almost indignant. ‘Come on, help a guy out!’
    Annoyance at being coerced must have communicated itself in my silence, because his tone changed abruptly. ‘Listen, Grace, it would help me sound convincing and I won’t name you.’
    ‘You’re not being realistic. They’re certain to want to know exactly which expert you’ve been talking to.’
    ‘I guess so, but I can skirt round that. No worries.’
    I was sure he could since he seemed fluent in not quite telling the truth. But I didn’t fancy being dragged into his scheming. It was time to plant a question in his mind.
    ‘There was
something
you might want to follow up.’
    ‘What’s that?’ He sounded taken aback. Good.
    ‘Among the stacks of paper I waded through today, I found an advertisement for a company selling fine Italian silks. I couldn’t read the company’s name, but the advert mentioned an associated firm who might just be architects.’
    ‘So?’
    ‘If they were architects, they’re not listed officially in the Exhibition Catalogue, which is odd.’
    I could hear that I’d lost him, but he was trying to keep up.
    ‘Why would that be?’
    ‘It could be for any number of reasons. Maybe the company changed their architects at some stage—after the ad was printed—and it’s the later architects who appear in the Catalogue.’
    ‘I’m sure this is fascinating stuff to you, but I’m grappling with why this could be important.’ His enthusiasm had deserted him at last. I decided to be kind.
    ‘If Royde worked on a pavilion for the Exhibition, it may not have been under his own name. He may have worked for one of the architects listed in the back of the Catalogue, or he may have worked for a firm that
doesn’t
appear there.’
    ‘I don’t see how that gets me any further.’
    ‘It probably doesn’t, but it may be worth a try. He doesn’t appear in the Catalogue under his own name, and if you can’t trace him working for another architect, then you can be pretty sure there’s no connection between him and the Great Exhibition.’
    He was uncharacteristically quiet, and I could see that I was going to have to spell out his options.
    ‘As I see it, you have the choice of going through the official Catalogue and checking every architect’s practice listed in the hope of discovering from their records who they employed in 1851. Or you could take a chance and just research this one firm who seem mysteriously to have been omitted from the record—that is, of course, if they
are
architects.’
    He caught on fast. ‘I’ll take a chance.’
    ‘I thought you might. The name is de Vere and Partners, and they operated from Great Russell Street. It’s possible that if they were architects, their offices are still used for the same purpose. The buildings are very old there and sometimes stuff doesn’t get jettisoned from one generation of workers to another. They might just have something hiding in the attic!’
    ‘I’ll get on to it, although it sounds like a dead end.’
    ‘More than likely, but this is the only clue you have and once you’ve investigated, you can claim your prize from the Royde Society with a clear conscience.’
    ‘Whatever would that be?’ His voice bubbled with laughter. Nick Heysham was bouncing back and it was probably time to go.
    ‘Let me know if you turn anything up.’ I was quite certain I wouldn’t hear another word from him.
    ‘Sure thing. And thanks. I won’t forget that drink.’
    ‘Dinner, wasn’t it?’ I teased. ‘I’ve just spent a day immured in the V