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eyes remained intently focused upon me.
    â€œHappily, my mother had a great many friends who did their best to help, and we three children were distributed amongst as many families. I considered myself the most fortunate of my siblings as my adoptive parents, John and Frances Allan, took me into their Richmond home and treated me as if I were their son by birth, insisting that I call them ‘Ma’ and ‘Pa’. I had a privileged life, an idyll that was only disrupted when we moved to London when I was six years old. We stayed in London for five years, but my Pa’s business venture proved unsuccessful and my Ma’s health began to decline. Even our return to my Ma’s beloved Richmond could not save her, and she left this world prematurely, which cut a deep wound into my heart. Her husband did not suffer as much, for he remarried with unseemly haste, which caused a terrible quarrel between us.”
    Dupin acknowledged the summary of my past with a single nod as he puffed on his cigar. My relations with my adoptive father had been acrimonious during my time in Paris, but Dupin knew little more than that.
    â€œWhen my Pa’s health suddenly declined, his new wife failed to inform me that he was ailing, and the opportunity was lost to reconcile with him. I made my way to Richmond for the funeral, but was treated as a person of no consequence. I am not ashamed to say that I had expected to be heir to a large fortune.”
    â€œIt is a reasonable assumption, given the strength of the bond between you and your adoptive mother—and indeed for many years with your adoptive father.”
    I nodded vigorously, gratified that Dupin understood my position.
    â€œBut of course the new Mrs. Allan would take a contrary position to Mr. Allan’s deceased wife,” Dupin continued, “and would wish that only her children would benefit from Mr. Allan’s fortune.”
    â€œWhich is most dishonorable.” I felt my face flush with anger and gulped some cognac to cool myself.
    Dupin raised his brows. “Of course. But rarely is honor employed when it comes to property. The child may expect to inherit from his parents as is his right by blood, but even so, his legacy may be stolen by the cuckoo waiting by the nest.”
    â€œAnd certainly I was raised as if I were my Ma and Pa’s only son. It was cruel to cast me aside after Ma’s death—she would not have allowed my exclusion from my Pa’s will. I endeavored to make this point to my Pa’s widow after his funeral, but the discourteous woman utterly disregarded my presence in Richmond.”
    Dupin expelled a plume of smoke, which gave him rather a ferocious air, but his voice was typically measured. “It is natural to become embittered when one’s legacy is stolen by a rival with the scruples of a common thief, yet it is important to plan one’s retaliation most carefully. La vengeance se mange très-bien froide . Rarely do we prevail over our adversaries when hot with fury—it is he with the coolest head that is the eventual victor.”
    â€œFear not. I have no plan to journey back to Richmond and take my revenge on the new Mrs. Allan, for I cherish my liberty too much. There is something far more pressing that I need your assistance with.”
    â€œSomething that links your adoptive father’s widow, your legacy, London and this.” He nodded at the mahogany box.
    â€œCorrect. Imagine my astonishment when in late February of this year, I received a large parcel from Mrs. Allan accompanied by a letter that stated she was turning over to me certain artifacts that were my birthright. Her words gave me some hope that she might at last behave honorably toward me, but these expectations were dashed when I opened the parcel and found this inside.” I indicated the box in question. The flat lid was mounted with a squared brass handle and a heart-shapedbrass escutcheon adorned its front,