Page 11 of The Stolen Sparkler
“I concluded the same as far as the male staff. That leaves the cousins. And Cumberforth.”
“Not Cumberforth.”
“Why not?”
“He’s in love with Eleanor.”
“How do you know? As far as I know, he hasn’t declared himself.”
“I sat next to him yesterday during our luncheon. His eyes, his words, were all for Eleanor. He could hardly tear his gaze from her.”
“Men’s eyes and gazes can deceive.” As I had good cause to know.
“Not Cumberforth. There’s no guile in him.”
“Even so, we will keep him on our list of suspects.”
“You’re wasting your time.”
Amazing! She was arguing with me nce more. I pinned her with a hard gaze. “It’s my time to waste, Lady Rosalynd.”
She shrugged. “Yes, of course, Your Grace. I apologize.”
She didn’t appear the least bit sorry. But there was no time to dwell on it when we had a mystery to solve. “So? The cousins? How should we proceed?”
“We must speak to them today. There’s no time to waste.”
I nodded in agreement. Seemingly we had reached the same conclusion. Just as well. It would not help our mission if we were at odds with each other. “None of the cousins seem to have an inkling that the diamond necklace has gone missing.”
“Yes, I rather think so. Except, of course, if one of them took it.”
“We’ll need to tread carefully with our questions.”
“I agree.”
Now that the ice between us had thawed, I took a seat on the sofa next to her. We discussed each cousin, weighing each one with a suspicious eye. Two gentlemen and two ladies, each with their own secrets and possible motives. After we’d thoroughly shared our opinions, we agreed to proceed as we’d done with the staff. I would speak with the male cousins, and she with the females. As time was not on our side—the Christmas Ball was a day away—we’d need to conduct our interviews thismorning. Lady Eleanor’s engagement announcement to Lord Cumberforth hung by a fraying thread.
“Will they speak freely, you think?” Lady Rosalynd asked, her brow furrowed.
“If we do our job well,” I replied, “they won’t even realize we’re asking questions.” She gave a nod, and we made our way out of the study, our plan firmly in place.
I’d decided to speak with the first cousin on my list—Alistair, Needham’s heir and an avid sportsman. He tended not only to ride to hounds but also to wager on horse races and pugilistic endeavors. Whether he had the funds to do so was unknown to me. Something I would need to find out. I found him in the library, lounging with a cup of coffee and leafing through a newspaper that I knew had been delivered this morning.
“Good morning, Alistair,” I said. Since all the cousins shared the same surname, during supper we’d agreed to greet them by their first one to avoid confusion.. “I trust you slept well?”
“Well enough, Steele,” he replied with a lazy grin. “Eleanor certainly knows how to entertain.”
“Indeed, she does,” I agreed, taking a seat across from him. I steered the conversation toward generalities, speaking of London society, the latest gossip, and eventually—casually—of the costs of maintaining prime horseflesh.
Alistair, who was not shy about airing his opinions, spoke freely of the outrageous expenses he had incurred over the past year. A few minutes in, he was well into a tirade about the indignity of creditors. “It's a devil's game, I tell you,” he complained, setting down his coffee with a thud. “Only last month, I was forced to part with my carriage. Imagine! A gentleman of my standing, reduced to hiring one like a commoner.”
I murmured sympathetically, but my thoughts were racing. Alistair’s betting debts were clearly a source of stress. Could desperation have driven him to theft?
I left him to his newspaper and sought out the second male cousin, Edwin. In many ways, the antithesis to his cousin, Edwin was an aspiring lawyer who brought a logical, somewhat skeptical approach to family matters. During yesterday’s luncheon, he’d expressed a wish to set up his own practice in London. A venture his father approved of. While he did not appear to be overly social, like his cousin, he was attentive and observant, particularly when it came to matters involving the family fortune. Last night in the drawing room, he’d suggested a business scheme to his uncle that had proven lucrative to other investors. Needham had said he’d look into it.
I found Edwin in the drawing room seemingly immersed in reading a letter over a desk. As soon as I entered the room, he tucked the correspondence underneath the desk blotter which made me suspicious of what it contained.
“Good morning, Edwin,” I said, once more feigning light-heartedness. “Lady Eleanor’s household is certainly alive with the spirit of Christmas. The greenery is quite impressive.”
