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“So I gathered fro of which,”—Oridge reached into his portfolio and extracted a folded newspaper, his eyes twinkling—“I take it neither of you has had the chance to skim today’s Times?”

Courtney nearly leaped from her seat “Are the ransom notes in there?”

“The notes and your letter Atop page two A most visible location”

“Splendid!” Courtney was already reaching for the newspaper

Slayde was a split second faster, relieving Oridge of the Tie “Ijob,” heof the letter sounds like language I would use”

“Why, thank you,frohest of compliments”

“All in all, Miss Johnston’s efforts look quite persuasive in print,” Oridge assessed “I suspect that, between the newspaper article and the ensuing gossip, people will soon be ed curse are no longer connected to the Huntleys”

“Precisely what I intended,” Courtney said with great relish, reaching for the newspaper

Slayde handed it to her, scowling as a new thought occurred to him “I wonder how Morland will react to this public revelation”

“Not happily, I should say” Oridge rubbed his chin thoughtfully “Unless he’s innocent or, if he’s guilty, unless he’s already rid himself of the stone After today, he’ll be under public scrutiny, a priiven the history of your fa the stone at this time would be an enormous risk”

“And the diamond is useless to Morland if he can’t profit fro her article

“Profit from it or, if he wants only to rid himself of the curse, transport it to the royal fa he’ll be unable to do for weeks, perhaps months, until the uproar dies down”

“So Morland ht about now” Courtney raised her head, a speculative glea”

“Courtney, don’t even think of approaching that ain,” Slayde warned, eyes narrowed on her face

“I won’t” Idly, she refolded the Tiet lucky Maybe he’ll approach us”