Page 22 of The Earl's Error
“There was a maid present also,” Theodore mumbled, mortified. “Though I see your point. You can be assured; I will not do such a thing again.”
His friend snorted. “It is a little too late for such promises. You ought never to have done such a thing in the first place! I know that you are deeply angry and worried about this heirloom but Miss Trentworth would not have taken your presence well, I imagine.”
Again, Theodore could only nod and agree with all that his friend had said.
“And she, in turn, then told her mother all that you had said and that is why you received such a firm letter,” Lord Castleton finished, as if he were reprimanding a child. “Please tell me that you did not accuse Miss Trentworth of anything?”
“Not directly,” Theodore answered, quickly, as Lord Castleton let out a low groan. “I did not once state that I believed she had stolen the necklace. All I said was that I wanted to know what she had done with the necklace. I wanted an explanation as to what had exactly happened when the necklace had been returned to my mother.”Though when I asked herthat, I meant to ask her outright what she had done with the emeralds,Theodore admitted to himself, his regret ever increasing. “Though you must understand, Castleton, I cannot help but think that the lady or her mother might have had something to do with the disappearance of my emeralds! After all, Lady Melford is a rival of my mother’s, that is plain enough. Therefore, I cannot simply dismiss the idea.Thatwould not be wise.”
With a click of his tongue, Lord Castleton made it clear what it was he thought of this statement.
“Miss Trentworth did say that whoever had this made knew precisely what the necklace looked like,” Theodore continued, a little lamely. “She recognized that it would have had to have been prepared well in advance, with the expectation that my mother would wear it that evening.”
Lord Castleton nodded. “That is a relief, at least.”
“A relief?”
“That she was willing to speak with you,” Lord Castleton responded, with a wry smile. “Had it been any other young lady, I think you would have been thrown from the house and thereafter, given the cut direct!”
This made Theodore consider, his jaw tight as he thought about the lady. She had been upset with him for how he had spoken to her, perhaps a little afraid at first given the way he had strode towards her across the room towards him, and that had given him pause. Thereafter, she had responded to him with determination and that had made him step back. Her sharp but clear words had made him realize how poorly he had behaved – and yes, he had to admit, Lord Castleton was right. Any other young lady might have had her servants throw him from the house and might even have dragged his reputation into the mud thereafter, but she had not done so. Instead, she had seen his suspicions and had clearly stated she had not beenin any way involved, going on to make some very wise and considered statements thereafter. She had thought, as he had, that his mother might well be involved, even though she did not fully understand the situation as regarded the heirlooms. She had also ascertained that there had been careful planning and prior preparation, revealing to him her quick mind and steady thinking.
A fresh wall of shame rose before him and Theodore winced as it crashed down over his shoulders, making him feel the weight of his actions. “I did not speak well. I will admit that.”
“Does this mean that you think her entirely innocent, then?”
Theodore opened his mouth to say yes, only to close it again. Seeing his friend frown, he let out a small sigh. “I am sorry. I know that you want me to say that yes, I was wrong and that she could have had nothing whatsoever to do with it, but what if the connection between her mother and mineiswhat ties this situation together? I will admit that she promised me outright she had no cause to take the necklace and indeed, she did seem surprised – bewildered, even – when I told her about the paste jewels but then again, I can only presume that what she expressed was genuine. It might not have been so.”
“Lord Albury?”
Heat roared up his spine and into his neck as he turned to see none other than the very lady he had been speaking of looking up at him, a slight lift at the corners of her mouth though her eyes were glinting gently. Had she overheard him? And if she had, what was she going to say to him?
“Miss Trentworth.” Theodore bowed quickly, aware of the sweat breaking out across his forehead. “Good evening.”
“Good evening,” she said, gesturing to her friend. “You remember Lady Isobella, yes?”
“Yes, of course.” Theodore glanced to Lord Castleton, who smiled at both the young ladies. “Good evening, Lady Isobella.”
“Good evening.”
After this, there came a long beat of silence during which Theodore’s stomach twisted this way and that, wondering what it was that Miss Trentworth was going to say. What was her purpose in coming to speak with him? Lord Castleton was right, he recognized, in stating that she was most extraordinary in her response to him. As he considered this, as the silence continued to grow, he noticed the shifting colors in Miss Trentworth’s eyes and, for whatever reason, that seemed to still him. The greens merged into the blues, only for the blues to then swirl back into green. His gaze traveled to the curve of her cheek, then the soft pink of her lips.
“I wanted to offer you my help.” Miss Trentworth looked to her friend and smiled. “Ourhelp.”
“Help?” Theodore repeated, a little confused. “What do you mean?”
Miss Trentworth looked back at him. “You know that we are bluestockings, Lord Albury. We have made that clear. Therefore, we would like to use our knowledge and the like to assist you with this mystery,”
Theodore, a little confused, frowned. “You mean with the necklace?”
She nodded. “Yes. Though…” Pressing her lips together, she lifted her chin and looked back at him directly. “There is something that I must say to you. You will be a little frustrated, I am sure, but the reason I tell you this is because I want there to be trust between us.”
This did not sound particularly good to Theodore and he said nothing, looking back at Miss Trentworth and wondering why it was she appeared so anxious all of a sudden. Was there something about the necklace that she had not yet told him?
“I hope you will understand my hesitation in sharing this with you. Indeed, I have not even told my own mother aboutthis!” Miss Trentworth let her gaze drift to Lord Castleton. “And after speaking with your wife, Lord Castleton, I know that you are a gentleman who can be trusted. You will not gossip about what I have now to say.”
This made Lord Castleton smile. “My wife has spoken highly of me, it seems. She always thinks the very best of me and it is not always deserved. But in this case, it is quite true.” He put one hand to his heart. “I shall not say a word to anyone about whatever it is you wish to share.”
“I thank you.” Miss Trentworth’s throat bobbed. “Now, Lord Albury, before I begin, I must tell you that the reason I kept this from not only you but from the rest of the guests was solely because of my concern.”
