See Part One for story details.
Unbidden by the clerk, Sir Leopold lead the two women through the door at the back of the shop. To Jenny's surprise, it wasn't locked but opened on to a narrow corridor that ran for a couple of yards before meeting an equally narrow staircase that lead up to the workshop above.
Unlike the polished elegance of the showroom, this storey was all rough - though immaculately swept - floors and hardwood work benches. Three rows of benches ran down the length of the room, open as it was from the windows at the back to those at the front. Each bench was divided into smaller areas and most were occupied by men and even a few women who toiled over the fine details of their work.
Though it was warm, the room was not hot and neither was it dirty; no coarse workroom this but an artisan's den turning out the fine workmanship that they had seen in the shop below. Vastra looked around, wondering where the hotter, more troublesome work might be carried out but set the thought aside when a stout gentleman of middle years spotted them from the other side of the room and waved his greeting to Sir Leopold.
He was dressed in the trousers and waistcoat of a well made suit but had dispensed with the coat in favour of shirt and sleeve garters, a neckerchief of sorts loosened at this throat. He wore small, round glasses on his small, round face but behind them, his eyes were sharp. He appeared to be weighing up the women as he walked across the room to join them where they waited in a rare clear area close to the staircase.
He greeted Sir Leopold with an extravagant hug before pumping the hands of both women while professing his delight at meeting the Great Detective and her esteemed colleague. Jenny liked him immediately, though Vastra seemed a little taken aback by the man's enthusiasm. It was certainly striking after the austere nature of the shop below.
Sir Leopold completed the introductions by giving them the gentleman's name - a Mr Isaac Rifkind - and then began the explanations without being prompted to do so.
"Madame Vastra, Miss Flint, I am - as you both are aware - something of a collector of fine gemstones. Mr Rifkind is kind enough to keep a watchful eye out for any piece that might tempt me. He found just such a stone some five weeks past -"
"A very fine stone indeed," Rifkind interrupted.
"Quite," Sir Leopold went on with only a mild glance of rebuke at his friend, "This particular stone - which I am certain Mr Rifkind will describe in detail when I have told my part of the tale - was agreed for purchase with Isaac acting as the intermediary between myself and the seller. Everything appeared to be as it should and I left the country for a short time. Upon my return, I found that complications had arisen and that the stone was no-longer available for sale."
"Surely not unusual, Sir Leopold?" Jenny said.
"Oh no," Mr Rifkind answered instead, "not at all; in this business one is often undercut or outbid, it is a part of the game, as you might say."
"And yet something has happened, something that troubles you greatly, Sir Leopold?" Vastra said.
"Something indeed, Madame," he said in a low tone, "For but yesterday, I was approached in a somewhat unorthodox manner with the offer to purchase the stone once more."
"At a somewhat exaggerated price and on most uncommon terms," Rifkind added with a shake of his head.
Jenny glanced from one man to the other, "Uncommon, how?"
Sir Leopold continued, "Everything about the arrangement has suggested a most shady deal. They wanted cash only - no bankers draft, and no direct contact - all done through some very unlikely sounding intermediary."
"And the offer was made via what medium?" Vastra said.
"Hand couriered message. Couriered, I might add, by a rather rough looking creature who, nevertheless, was wearing a butler's uniform," Sir Leopold said.
"And what did you tell this rough looking cove?" Jenny asked.
"I told him that I would require forty-eight hours to consider the offer. He gave me twenty-four."
Vastra said, "And how are you to communicate your response?"
"Via spoken message to this unlikely address," Sir Leopold took a piece of fine notepaper from his inside pocket and handed it to Madame Vastra, "It must be made within the next few hours."
"Not in person, surely?"
"Indeed no, Miss Flint. I had hoped that you might do so?"
Jenny looked up at Vastra, a brow raised in question and received a faint twitch of the veil in response.
"No," Jenny said, "not personally but I think we can find someone to send the message."
"And what precisely do you wish that message to be, Sir Leopold?" Vastra said.
"I admit, I would like to own this particular stone, though I certainly do not wish to be treated shabbily in the process."
"You want us to broker the deal?" Jenny said.
"Or to investigate the current owner?" Vastra added.
"Both," Sir Leopold said, "I am quite happy to pay the price, should the deal be legitimate, however..." he trailed off.
"However, if this is as questionable as it all feels to my old bones," Mr Rifkind finished for him, "then you should do everything you can to deal with the matter."
That seemed like rather a broad remit to Vastra, if not a less than legitimate one in its own right. Still, it would make for an interesting case. Diverting too, given this strange world that they had been invited into.
"Very well," Vastra said, having looked to Jenny for a nod of agreement, "Miss Flint and I would be happy to offer what assistance we may. Now, Mr Rifkind, this stone?"
"Ah, ladies," Rifkind's face took on a rapturous expression and he slapped his hands together in delight, "this is quite the most magnificent example of a purple diamond that I have ever seen."
"Purple? They're rare, aren't they?" Jenny said.
"Exceedingly," Sir Leopold said.
Mr Rifkind took up his topic with gusto, "Coloured diamonds are rare but purple diamonds are quite the rarest of all. This particular stone - known as The Lilac Heart, ladies - is a fine example of such. Though, despite its name, it is a round brilliant cut. The colour is as the name suggests, however; a clear lilac with exquisite clarity. Quite the best example I have ever seen, ladies."
"And the weight?" Jenny said.
"Some seven carats."
"So a good half inch across then?"
Vastra considered Jenny for a moment before turning back to the men and finding them both eyeing her companion speculatively. Jenny grinned at them and gave a non-committal shrug.
Vastra shook off her surprise and said, "Am I to understand that Miss Flint and I are to use whatever means necessary to further our investigation, Sir Leopold?"
"You are, Madame."
"And broker a deal, if the thing turns out to be legit?" Jenny added.
"Quite."
"Though, I doubt that very much," Rifkind said, "Doubt it very much indeed."