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“ I do not much like Lady Melford.”

Theodore rolled his eyes and picked up his glass of port. “There is no need for you to attend their soiree this evening, then.”

“Do not be so ridiculous,” his mother answered, sharply. “You know as well as I that I cannot be absent.”

Given that, as yet, he had not decided what he ought to do as regarded his mother’s presence in his home, Theodore found every moment with her near enough unbearable. He had spoken to Lord Castleton about the heirlooms and his mother’s lack of respect for his decision but his friend had been very careful indeed, choosing not to offer any sort of advice but instead, listening and asking questions so that Theodore might unburden himself a little.

“I saw you in the company of her daughter,” the lady continued, as Theodore took another swig of his port. “You were talking together in the park a few days ago.”

Theodore shrugged.

“I do not think highly of her either,” his mother continued in a superior voice, sniffing disdainfully. “I have heard that she is a bluestocking! Can you imagine the shame of that?”

“If you do not like the lady, then why did you insist that we call?” Theodore asked, angrily, even though he already knew the answer. “You wanted to impress her, did you not? To show that you are all the better than she, no doubt because you know – as I do now – that her husband is very wealthy indeed!”

His mother’s eyes sharpened. “That matter not.”

“Then why did you try to prove to her just how much wealth and standing you had? Why throw a ridiculously ostentatious ball if it was not in an attempt to have the ton – Lady Melford included – think better of you? You want them to look up to you, to admire you and the like, do you not? Whilst you, at the very same time, pretend to be eager for their friendship and companionship when that is not at all what you want.” Now that he had begun to speak, Theodore could not seem to stop. Sitting up straight, he pointed one finger at his mother. “You think that they will be overcome with admiration at the jewels you wear and mayhap some of them are, but the truth is, those jewels do not belong to you. You should never have sent for them, as you did. You should never have undermined me, for in doing so, you have gained nothing but my frustration, my anger, and my utter disinclination towards you.”

There came a slow flush of heat rushing through his mother’s face as she looked at him, her eyes flashing but her lips thin. Theodore did not even think to apologize for what he had said, feeling almost a sense of relief that he had spoken as he had done.

“As I think I made very clear before, my son,” she said, icily, “I care nothing for your thoughts and feelings when it comes to these heirlooms. To my mind, I have every right to them for your father gave me permission to wear them when he was alive. My sister feels the same way as I do.”

“I care not for what my aunt thinks! I know very well that my father permitted you to wear those jewels on occasion and I now do the same. I have chosen to keep them safe and secure, so that I might place them upon my bride on the day we wed, just as I ought,” Theodore answered, his hands clasping tightly, his jaw working as he fought to control his fury. “You did not think about my reasons for doing such a thing, nor did you willingly acquiesce to what I had said, knowing full well that you had more than enough jewels and precious things to keep you contented. You are selfish, Mother. Selfish to the core.”

This did not strike at her with any sort of fierceness, however, for the lady only shrugged and looked away.

“Excuse me.” Rising quickly from his chair, Theodore made his way from the room, more than ready to be free from her company. “I must go to prepare for the soiree.”

Being away from her made the tightness in his chest fade and, taking in a deep breath, Theodore paused for a moment and then closed his eyes. When he opened them, he caught the butler stepping out of the drawing room and into the hallway, going about his business as he ought. “Smithers, wait a moment.”

The butler inclined his head. “Yes, my lord?”

“The heirlooms that my mother wore to the ball some days ago,” Theodore continued, frowning. “At present, they are stored safely in my study desk. However, I should like you to move them from the locked drawer to the safety box in the wall.”

The butler did not so much as blink. “Of course, my lord. Will I leave it open for you so that you might see them there yourself before you lock and close it?”

Thinking for a moment, Theodore nodded. “Yes. Do that. I will go to change for the soiree and then return to the study to make certain all is well before I lock it.”

The gentleman nodded. “At once, Lord Albury.”

With a nod, Theodore turned away and made his way towards his bedchamber, already feeling a good deal more at ease. He would have to think about what he was to do with his mother’s lack of respect but at least reclaiming the heirlooms for himself was a good thing. With another deep breath, he settled himself a little more and then called for his valet. He was going to enjoy this soiree, he told himself, whether his mother was present or not.

And I will see Miss Trentworth again.

That gave Theodore pause. He had not responded well when she had told him that she was a bluestocking, for he had been mostly astonished that she had spoken as she did. It had been clear and determined and without any hint of shame, so clearly she had no embarrassment in being known as such a thing. He had not come across a bluestocking before, though he had known full well what society thought of them and what he too, apparently, ought to think. When he had been faced with a learned lady, however, he had not felt any sort of repulsion or the like but rather a grudging respect that she would not only be such a thing but be willing to state it without shame.

I think that I ought to state clearly to her that I do not feel any sort of dislike towards her because she is a bluestocking, he thought, as the valet came to help him dress. I want her to know that I am not at all turned away because of that. He had seen the way her eyes had lit up when Lord Castleton had spoken as he had done, how glad she had been to find someone sympathetic and understanding – and he had grown angry at himself that he had not responded in the same way. This evening, though, he would have a chance to make amends. This evening, he could speak with her and mayhap, she might smile at him in the same way she had done towards Lord Castleton.

And, as strangely as it seemed, that was one thing that Theodore knew he wanted.

The soiree was, Theodore had to admit, an enjoyable one. He had stepped into the room without his mother, for she had not been ready to depart when he had sent for her given that her sister had come to call unexpectedly. Thus, he had come to the house and then sent the carriage back to fetch her. The company was excellent, the conversations diverting and the entertainment, delightful. Soon, there would be cards set up for anyone who wished to play, whilst others would go to the music room for songs or to perform on the pianoforte. Theodore was, at this moment, struggling to know which he would prefer to do!

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the arrival of Miss Trentworth in the drawing room, arm in arm with a friend. He had greeted her as he had come into the house, of course, but he had not had an opportunity yet to speak with her. Grasping the opportunity, he excused himself and came towards her, inclining his head quickly.

“Good evening, Miss Trentworth, Lady Rosalyn.”

The two ladies glanced at each other but smiled their welcome. “Good evening, Lord Albury,” Lady Rosalyn said, as Miss Trentworth murmured a greeting. “I do hope you are well?”

“I am.” Getting directly to the point, Theodore looked straight into Miss Trentworth’s face. “Miss Trentworth, when we spoke in the park a few days ago, I do not feel as though I responded well to your… statement.”

A slight rounding of her eyes told Theodore of her surprise at his statement, though she said nothing.

“I should like to take this opportunity to clarify that my response to that information is not a negative one,” he said quickly, seeing how her eyes rounded all the more. “I apologize if that is the impression I gave, for it was not intentional. I was surprised, that is all.”

Miss Trentworth blinked and then, after a few moments, sent a warm smile in his direction. “Lord Albury, I must say that I am somewhat astonished to hear you speak so though, at the very same time, I am very grateful to you for not only your willingness to come and speak to me about this, but also for your response towards me. I am sure that it is not a commonplace happening for you to be presented with a young lady declaring to you that they are a bluestocking!”

Theodore chuckled, feeling as though a wall between them had suddenly broken into smithereens between them. “If I am to be entirely truthful, Miss Trentworth, I will admit that it was the first time that has ever taken place!”

“Then I am not surprised that you found yourself a touch confused,” Lady Rosalyn said, gently. “Though I know that we all are grateful indeed for gentlemen such as yourself, who have such a good opinion of bluestockings.”

This shamed Theodore a little, for he was not entirely certain that he did have as good an opinion as the lady suggested. “I thank you,” was all he said, however, unwilling to say anything more than that.

“I do value your willingness to come and talk to us,” Miss Trentworth echoed, as Lady Rosalyn was greeted by another acquaintance, pulling her a little away from Theodore and Miss Trentworth. “It is not every gentleman who would do such a thing.”

Theodore opened his mouth to say that he did not mind in the least, only to catch sight of his mother walking into the drawing room. The words he was going to say died on his lips as he saw not only the earrings flashing in her ears but also the emerald necklace that now adorned her neck. His heart began to hammer furiously, anger burning through his veins as he fought his instant response, aware that Miss Trentworth was speaking but struggling to comprehend what she was saying.

How? How did she find them?

Closing his eyes, Theodore could not help the groan which broke from his lips, realizing that he had quite forgotten to go and close the safe, as he had told the butler he would do. No doubt his mother had gone in search of the heirlooms, expecting them to be in the locked drawer of his study but had found them, instead, in the open safe. Quite what she had intended to do if they had still been in the locked drawer of his study, Theodore did not know, but he had every expectation that she would have found a way to gain access to them. That was why he had wanted them in the safe, knowing that there was no possible way for her to gain access to them that way. Was that why she had not been ready to leave when he had sent for her? Had her intention always been to go in search of the heirlooms?

“Lord Albury? Are you quite all right?”

Theodore swallowed hard and looked back at Miss Trentworth with an effort, aware that his gaze wanted to do nothing more than to fix itself furiously upon his mother. “Miss Trentworth, forgive me. I have only just now seen my mother’s arrival at the soiree and I was not certain she would be attending.”

“Oh.” Miss Trentworth frowned. “The invitation did extend to her also, I am sure.”

“I mean only that she was feeling a little… fatigued. But,” Theodore continued, gritting his teeth for a moment in an attempt to contain all that he felt, “it seems as though she has rallied and will now be able to join us all.”

Miss Trentworth smiled. “That is good.” Her smile dimmed a little as Theodore glanced at his mother again, his jaw set tight. “Are you quite certain all is well?”

Theodore cleared his throat, clasped his hands behind his back, and tried to smile, a warning in his mind that he was on the verge of behaving poorly in front of the lady again. “Yes, of course. You must forgive me, Miss Trentworth, for becoming so distracted.”

Her smile was warm and, for the first time, Theodore noticed how there were hints of blue in her green eyes. This, in turn, pulled his thoughts away from his mother, a sense of appreciation in her gentle expression. An explosion of warmth in his chest made his heart quicken and he swallowed hard, not certain what it was that he was feeling.

“I should go to speak with some of the other guests.” Miss Trentworth’s smile lingered, as though she knew what it was that he was feeling. “Thank you again for coming to speak with me about this, Lord Albury. You have made me very happy this evening, truly.”

“Thank you, Miss Trentworth.” Theodore was not certain what precisely it was he was thanking her for but it appeared to be the only thing that he could think to say. With another smile, the lady turned away and walked from him, and Theodore’s eyes followed after her… only for them to catch sight of the flashing emeralds.

Fury descended upon him in a cloud, his hands curling into tight fists as he saw his mother throw her head back and laugh, all the while flickering her fingers towards the necklace as if to draw as much attention toward them as she could.

“My friend.”

Theodore felt a hand on his arm, a familiar voice in his ear.

“Your anger is obvious for everyone to see. Please, take a moment.”

Closing his eyes so he did not see his mother’s face, Theodore clenched his jaw tight.

“I know this must be more than a little infuriating but there is nothing that can be done this evening,” Lord Castleton continued, speaking in a low voice. “You must speak of it to her once you are alone.”

“I am going to do more than speak,” Theodore answered, his voice a hoarse whisper. “I am going to demand that she leaves London.” Opening his eyes, he saw his friend’s startled expression but shook his head. “What else is it that I am to do, Castleton? Again and again, she defies me and pours shame upon my head.”

Lord Castleton opened his mouth and then shut it again, looking towards Lady Albury for a moment. “I cannot tell you what to do. The truth is, I have very little thought as to what would be the right thing to do. My only advice is to be cautious.” He held Theodore’s gaze firmly. “You do not know what she will do if you try to bring any consequences down upon her. She is good at garnering sympathy from others and, no doubt, you will be the one who appears to be in error if you go about this the wrong way.”

His friend’s words made sense and, with a slow breath, Theodore nodded and then closed his eyes to get himself back under control. Yes, it was now time for him to consider what he had to do about his mother’s continual disrespect towards him but this was not the time nor the place. He had to make certain that, for the time being, he showed none of his true emotion and, if he could, try to enjoy the remainder of the evening.

“Thank you for your help, my friend,” he murmured, as Lord Castleton nodded. “I have regained my composure.”

“That is good,” Lord Castleton said, slapping Theodore on his shoulder. “I am sure that this evening will be –”

A scream broke through his response, making Theodore’s heart thump wildly. Silence fell across the room as another sound – a cry of seeming desperation – now flooded through the room. Theodore and Lord Castleton stepped forward as one, only for Lady Albury’s voice to break through the room.

“My necklace! My necklace has been stolen!”