Page 30 of The Earl's Error
“I do not think it is one’s standing that matters to Lady Albury,” Joceline answered, taking the piece of paper from her mother and reading over the names again, wondering if any of the others would have stolen into the house. “She thinks only of the wealth she can show to others, the extravagance that must be more than any other.”
Lady Melford drew herself up. “I am glad that you can see that, Joceline. I must confess that I am a little concerned about the time you are spending with Lord Albury. If he is anything like his mother, then he is not good company.”
“He is not like her in the least.”
The surprise that etched itself into her mother’s eyes also pressed into Joceline’s heart, hearing herself speak fervently about Lord Albury without having had any real intention to do so. Swallowing hard, she tried to smile. “What I mean to say is that he is just as frustrated at her behavior as you are,” she said, turning to gesture to the door. “Shall we take our leave now, Mother? We ought not to betootardy!”
“Indeed,” her mother answered, though this was said slowly and with a long, lingering look upon Joceline, as if she suspected that there was something more to the fervency with which Joceline had spoken. “Come then. Let us go.”
Handing the piece of paper to the ever helpful butler and instructing him to set it in her bedchamber, Joceline hurried after her mother and into the carriage. She had to find her friends, had to tell them what the maid had told her and, thereafter, speak to Lord Albury. Though quite what they were to do now, Joceline did not know. Suddenly, everything appeared to be a little more indistinct rather than becoming clearer, as she had hoped. For the first time, a flicker of doubt came into her mind; doubt that they would be able to find the truth. Sighing,she sat back in the carriage and closed her eyes as it began to pull away from the house.
I cannot give up,she told herself, silently.I have to find the answers. There is nothing else I can do but search until the truth is revealed.
It wasthe following afternoon before Joceline was able to tell her friends all that she had learned. The ball had been a great success and she had danced every dance, including one with Lord Albury, though they had not had much opportunity to speak. Now, however, she was seated with her friends in St James’ Park, all of them eager to share what they had discovered.
“Do you mean to say that someone else entered your house and stole the necklace?” Lady Rosalyn asked, her eyes widening as Joceline nodded. “Then it does not matter which of the ladies present at your soiree were displeased with Lady Albury, for it could not have been one of them!”
“That might be so, though we cannot say so outright,” Lady Isobella said, slowly, her brows knotting together. “Mayhap there were two of them working together to make sure that the necklace was taken from Lady Albury’s neck and then switched with the paste necklace instead.”
“It is all very confusing,” Joceline answered, with a heavy sigh. “Amelia, did you discover anything?”
Lady Amelia nodded. “I did. I have spoken to a good number of my acquaintances, under the guise of desiring some paste jewellery of my own. I have discovered that, though some differ, the majority of my acquaintances would go to Hamilton and Sons, an establishment here in London.”
This brought Joceline a little relief. “Then we can make our way there.”
“And do what?” Lady Amelia asked, a small frown on her forehead. “Do you think there would be a way to find out the previous customers? I am not sure we could simply ask for a list of them but –”
“If we go together, then we will be able to, yes,” Joceline said, firmly. “Wemust.If a name there is one of the ladies who is against Lady Albury, then we might have something to pursue!”
“I have found some interesting information about the heirloom,” Lady Rosalyn added, her gaze darting from face to face. “I do not know if Lord Albury himself is aware of this, but the heirlooms were passed from one family to his many decades ago.”
Joceline’s eyes flared. “Who did they belong to originally?”
Lady Rosalyn’s lips twisted. “Alas, it did not say though I intend to keep searching. The story goes that the heirlooms were sold to the Earl of Albury, for the family he bought them from was becoming impoverished.”
“Goodness.” Joceline frowned. “Then there could be a desire to recover them, could there not?”
Her friends all nodded, though there was the same heaviness in the expressions of her friends that Joceline herself felt in her chest. With the news from Bessie, Joceline felt as though she were pushing her way through a thick darkness, seeing only a flicker of light here and there.
“We shall be able to discover more, I am sure,” Miss Sherwood said, gently. “What we have learned thus far is valuable.”
Joceline nodded, trying to garner some encouragement from Miss Sherwood. “You are quite right.”
“And we now know what we must do,” Lady Isobella added, with a smile. “We are to make our way to Hamilton and Sons, are we not?”
A little bolstered, Joceline smiled back at her friend. “Yes, we are.” With a small shake, she spread out her hands. “Let us think of what we know in the hope that it will help us still further.”
Her friends glanced at each other before Miss Sherwood began.
“We know that someone came into the house the night of your soiree, coming in, most likely, through the servants’ entrance and thus, not being noticed by either the servants or by the guests.”
“We know that the necklace was switched and that the person responsible put the paste jewelry into your bed-chamber,” Lady Isobella added, frowning. “Though we do not know why.”
“And we know that the person responsible must have planned all of this well in advance,” Lady Amelia put in. “They must have had every detail about the emerald necklace in their mind and been able to have it made so it appeared identical!”
“Which,” Joceline murmured, “would speak of someone who not only has a connection to Lady Albury, but someone who has known her for a very long time indeed.” As she spoke, her breath caught in her chest, her eyes widening as she looked back at her friends. “Is that not so? It must be someone who has known Lady Albury for a long time, for she would not often have worn the necklace, given the significance and the value of it!”
Miss Sherwood sat forward in her chair. “I think you are right, Joceline! It must be someone who has long been acquainted with Lady Albury – though quite why they would then place the necklace on your bed, I cannot imagine!”
