Page 27 of The Stolen Sparkler
I stood, sensing the need to move the conversation to a resolution. "With the necklace returned and the truth revealed, I trust we can move forward in peace," I said. "Eleanor, are you satisfied with this outcome?"
Eleanor nodded, her face flushed with relief. "I am."
"And you, Lord Cumberforth?"
He took Eleanor’s hand, his expression tender. "I could not be more pleased."
The butler, with the seemingly perfect timing only the best staff possessed, knocked and entered once more. "My lord," he announced, "supper is served."
As the group filed out of the study, I caught Lady Burkett’s eye. She offered me the faintest of nods—an acknowledgment of a battle hard-won. It seemed the evening, once poised for disaster, would end on a bright note.
CHAPTER 12
THE CHRISTMAS BALL
THE FESTIVE HUM of the Christmas Ball enveloped the grand hall as I surveyed the scene. The glittering chandeliers bathed the assembled guests in a golden glow as the orchestra’s waltz swelled with a spirited charm. At the heart of the spectacle stood Eleanor, resplendent in her restored diamond necklace. Its brilliance caught the light with every turn of her graceful head, drawing admiring glances and murmurs of approval. She seemed lighter now, the weight of the weekend's turmoil lifted, her joy evident in her radiant smile as she spoke with her fiancé, Lord Cumberforth.
I approached her, my lips curving into a warm smile. “Congratulations, my dear friend. Your engagement is now official.”
Her face lit up with a mixture of joy and relief before offering me a warm embrace. “Thank you, Rosalynd. Thank you for everything. Without you, my necklace would still be missing, and who knows what might have happened?”
I chuckled softly, shaking my head. “You should be thanking Lady Burkett, not me. She’s the one who discovered it.”
Eleanor laughed, the sound bright and unrestrained. “Oh, but if you hadn’t burst into her chambers and unsettled her, she might never have suspected something was amiss. She confessed to me that after your visit, she searched her husband’s room. That’s when she found the necklace.”
I raised a brow, clearly amused. “I suppose a bit of dramatic flair has its uses. Speaking of drama, I couldn’t help but notice Felicity’s conspicuous absence tonight.”
Eleanor leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Uncle Martin forbade her from attending. She’s upstairs right now, packing her bags. He’s threatening to send her to a nunnery.”
My eyes widened in mock astonishment. “A nunnery? Felicity? I can’t quite picture her taking vows of poverty and chastity.”
We both burst into laughter, our mirth drawing a few curious glances from nearby guests.
Eleanor dabbed at her eyes with a lace handkerchief, still chuckling. “Neither can I. I imagine the nuns would be in for quite the shock.”
“And Felicity,” I added with a sly grin, “wouldn’t last a week.”
Our laughter lingered, a shared moment of levity amidst an evening full of new beginnings and restored harmony.
“Lavinia appears somewhat subdued.” I nodded toward Eleanor’s cousin who was sitting on the fringes among the wallflowers.
“I had a quiet word with her.”
“Oh?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.
“I told her if she spread any rumors about anyone in our family, I would see to it that everyone knew what she’d been up to in the orangery.”
“Pray tell,” I urged.
“She accosted one of our footmen. By the time our housekeeper interceded, she almost had his trousers off him.”
I giggled. Oh, my.”
“Poor Phillip was so embarrassed he didn’t know what to do.”
“Which one is Phillip?”
“He’s standing there, by the refreshments table.” She nodded in that direction.
