“I’m sorry, Grandfather, er, Mr. Hammonds. I can’t think what could have happened because I’ve been extra careful to do my duty as required. The Duke gave me the task of keeping the Duchess dry and safe until she was within doors.”
“Did you?”
“I did. I held one of those new French umbrellas she brought back from London last year over her right up to the door, and I tipped it backward so that all the water ran outside instead of in. She must have been pleased, because she gave me a penny.”
Mr. Hammonds frowned. “So then what did you do?”
“I went to the bachelor quarters to change my uniform because I was soaked. By the time I was done, my hand was red and itchy. So I scratched it. That just made the itchy part spread.”
“Do you still have the coin?”
“I do. But Grandfather, the Duchess was carrying it in her handbag. How could I come to harm from something she handled just before giving it to me?”
“That is a good question. Did you touch any of the plants in the bouquets? Wipe up any spills?”
“No, Gra…” and at the elderly butler’s frown, “Mr. Hammonds. My hand was fine before the storm, then it just started doing this.” David Hammonds held up the swollen hand, and started to reach for it with the other.
“Don’t scratch.” Mr. Hammonds stepped to the door, and beckoned to the maid, Betty, as she was passing. “Miss McGuire, please send one of the footmen to fetch Dr. Dermott and Gran’ther Tim. Young David has touched something that has disagreed with him.”
Betty giggled as if she thought Mr. Hammonds had made a fine joke, but when he drew his eyebrows together, she stopped laughing. “I’ll send someone at once, Mr. Hammonds.”
As soon as she had stepped away from the door, Mr. Hammonds said, “Now, tell me everything you have done or touched today. Oh, and do you still have the coin?”
David nodded. “It is in my other pants pocket. I can go get it . . .”
Mr. Hammonds shook his head. “I’ll send someone for the pants. I don’t think you should touch it again.”
David sat quietly while his grandfather, Mr. Hammonds, spoke with someone in the hall. His hand itched abominably. He sat on his good hand to keep from scratching at the afflicted one.
After a time, Gran’ther Tim came in. The old gardener looked at the hand, and shook his head. “I’m not sure what would do that. Rue can cause hands to break out in a rash, an’ ye’ll nae be wantin’ ta eat it, but ye’d ha’ ta hold it in ye’r hand ta cause swellin’ like this. I could make up a plantain poultice for it, but best ta let Dr. Dermott see it afore I do aught to it.”
Mr. Hammonds must have come in with him, because his voice rumbled something that David couldn’t quite make out. His sodden uniform pants were delivered in a basin to keep them from dripping on the carpeted floor.
Shortly after that, Dr. Dermott entered the butlery. By the time he arrived, David could scarcely restrain himself from scratching at the swollen hand, and the tightly stretched skin had begun to ache.
There were some more murmured voices. Then Dr. Dermott turned his hand from side to side, examining the proud flesh. “Did you go fishing?” he asked.
David shook his head from side to side. “No. I was on duty, attending the Duchess while the Duke saw to some guests who were caught out by the rain. Before that, I helped set up benches by the judging arena.”
Dr. Dermott tsked over the hand, then used a pair of forceps to fish the coin out of the pocket of the wet trousers. “Odd. It looks like a silver penny, but the markings on it are wrong.”
Gran’ther Tim held out a gloved hand. “Might I ha’ a swatch at it?”
The old gardener peered at the coin. “Looks mighty like summat we dug up in the orchard last year. I think ye would be hard pressed ta spend it.”
Dr. Dermott looked at the old man in surprise. “Why is that, Gran’ther Tim?”
“Well, ye might think an old man like me wouldn’t know much, but coinage, now, that’s important if ye’re savin’ for yer old age. Mr. McAhmladhson explained it all to us, an’ showed us which pieces could spend an’ which were most like just fer lookin’ at. This here looks like a bawbee, made out o’ billon. Or maybe not even billon.”
The doctor looked bewildered, and glanced at Mr. Hammonds in hope of a translation.
“What the Gran’ther is trying to tell you is that this coin looks like a very old Scottish coin that was the equivalent of a halfpence. But after the Treaty of the Union in 1707 they were no longer legal for trading, except perhaps as tokens.”
“Oh. I knew about the Treaty, of course, but I had not thought what effect it might have on coins.”
“More ‘n’ that,” Granther Tim added, “I am thinkin’ that it isn’t even a real bawbee. More like an imitation bawbee, made by some ‘un ignorant enough to think a bawbee could still be spent.”
Dr. Dermott picked it up with the forceps again, and peered at the coin closely. “It looks as if it has been dusted with something, and there are bits of vegetable matter clinging to it.”