"Not yet. But I will. And before you ask, this has nothing to do with my father's investigation. This is an entity unto itself."
"Tell me."
"Have you ever heard of the Fox and the Falcon?"
Aurora's whole face lit up. "Of course! Some of Mr. Scollard's most wondrous legends center around them and all their daring exploits. Mr. Scollard is a visionary of sorts. He has the most extraordinary abilities, like bursts of insight into the past or future. Anyway, he's been sharing magical stories with me since I was a tot. And the mysterious Fox and the Falcon were among my favorites. The Fox—cunning, brilliant. The Falcon—precise, lethal. The fearless way they embraced danger, immersed themselves in exciting adventures. Such as the time they recaptured that enormous English brig from bloodthirsty pirates—calculating the ship's probable course, stealing aboard by night, overtaking the stunned blackguards before daybreak. Oh, and the time they embarked on that quest for the chest of jewels that had been smuggled from China to…" Aurora's brow furrowed.
"Ceylon," Julian supplied.
"Ceylon," Aurora breathed, staring at Julian in growing wonder. "So those stories are true. That's what you're saying, isn't it?" She scarcely paused, much less awaited an answer. "Of course they're true. Who better than you to know? You're an adventurer, just as they were. You've traveled the world, heard dozens of incredible tales—and you know the authentic ones from the fabrications. I told Slayde he was wrong; Mr. Scollard's yarns are far more than mere fairy tales. They are, aren't they?" This time she stopped, gazing at Julian like a hopeful puppy.
She wouldn't be disappointed. What he was about to divulge would send even Aurora's imagination soaring.
"Yes, Aurora, Mr. Scollard's yarns about the Fox and the Falcon are much more than fairy tales." Julian seized her hands in his, his fervent grip conveying the importance of his upcoming revelation. "His stories are accurate but incomplete. The Fox and the Falcon were indeed adventurers, but the purpose behind their various quests delved far deeper than a thirst for excitement. They were special agents retained by King George II from the year Seventeen Thirty-nine through the year Seventeen Fifty-eight to handle various delicate missions. They traveled abroad, restoring stolen treasures, rescuing English ships—the stories are limitless. They worked swiftly, brilliantly, and—as one would expect—anonymously, which is why no one ever learned the details of their dazzling exploits until now."
"Until now … and until you." Aurora's wonder was tempered by puzzlement. "How is it you discovered all these undisclosed facts? And, fascinated though I am, what have the Fox and the Falcon to do with the black diamond?"
"I'm getting to that. In Seventeen Fifty-eight the King ordered the Fox and the Falcon to go in search of the black diamond. Their objective was not to turn the stone over to the Russian prince who was offering a reward for its recovery, but to restore it to its rightful place in the sacred temple of India from which it was stolen centuries ago."
"That's very benevolent. But why would King George involve them in such a mission? The diamond's disappearance didn't impact England."
"Ah, but it did. Consider what was happening in India at the time. A year earlier, Britain had reestablished its supremacy in Bengal at the Battle of Plassey. Conflict was rampant. Rumors had sprung up among the natives that it was the English who had stolen the gem all those years ago and that until the diamond was restored, blood and death would rule Bengal."
"I see." Aurora nodded pensively. "Then for all our sakes, I wish the Fox and the Falcon hadn't failed in their mission."
"They didn't fail," Julian refuted, watching Aurora's forehead wrinkle in confusion. "At least not in finding what they sought. What they failed in was completing their assignment."
"I'm lost," Aurora pronounced. "I thought it was our great-grandfathers who found the black diamond."
"It was."
A heartbeat of silence.
Realization struck, sending Aurora bolting to her feet. "Julian, are you telling me…"
"I'm telling you that Geoffrey Bencroft and James Huntley were the Fox and the Falcon."
* * *
Chapter 4
« ^ »
With a shaken expression, Aurora sank back into her chair. "I think it's time you told me how—where—you uncovered this information."
"I fully intend to." Julian leaned forward, brushing a strand of burnished hair from her cheek. "As of today, I inherited my great-grandfather's journal, which explains everything I just told you—and more."
"But there were two generations of Bencrofts between you and Geoffrey! Why weren't your father or grandfather aware of the intrigue?"
"Because my great-grandfather didn't choose for them to be aware of it." Julian proceeded to explain the letter and the chest he'd been left, as well as what each contained.
"My God." Aurora shook her head, trying to assimilate all she'd just learned. "Then all these years … the hatred between our families, the bitterness, the accusations…"
"Could have been avoided," Julian finished. "The deception and animosity that we all thought destroyed our great-grandfathers' friendship never existed. Quite the opposite, in fact. Geoffrey and James were partners in the truest sense, bound by allegiance to each other and to England. Betrayal was out of the question."
"But then what went wrong?" Aurora demanded. "When they found the black diamond, why did my great-grandfather abandon yours and flee for England?"
"He didn't." Julian frowned, contemplating what he'd read in Geoffrey's final journal entry. "Before they left on their last mission, our great-grandfathers calculated the diamond's location to be high in the mountains of Tibet, where it had been hidden by a thief who never lived to reclaim it. Assuming that the specifics outlined in the journal unfolded as planned, the Fox and the Falcon sailed from England, adopting their customary roles as mercenaries in pursuit of great wealth and adventure. No one realized who they were, or that they were on the verge of finding and restoring the black diamond. Unfortunately they weren't the only ones combing the Himalayas. There were several other privateers headed there, too, equally intent on unearthing the stone and hell-bent on reaping the reward. According to the journal, the Fox and the Falcon had planned to swiftly uncover the stone, then throw the others off course by feigning failure. James was to take the diamond and head back to England—allegedly disgusted with his lack of success, actually intent on concealing the diamond until Geoffrey's return. Geoffrey, in the meantime, was to stay behind for a fortnight, pretending to search. But in reality, he was to assess the privateers—waiting until he convinced them that the stone had yet to be found before hastening home to England—at which time he and James would deliver the stone to King George."