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“ M y necklace! My necklace has been stolen!”

Shock reverberated through the room and hit Joceline right between the eyes. Catching her breath, she moved quickly forward, seeing her mother’s white face as their eyes met.

“What do you mean, stolen?” It was Lord Albury who now took control of the situation, striding forward and grasping his mother’s hand. “What are you talking about?”

Lady Albury let out a half-gasp, half-sob as Joceline came to stand beside her mother, aware that she would need her support. This would now ruin her mother’s soiree, Joceline was sure, for the rumors and whispers would start almost immediately. Whether Lady Albury’s necklace truly had been stolen, then the twisting words would already be wreathed around this soiree for the days and weeks to come.

“Oh, Albury!” As Joceline watched, Lady Albury practically collapsed into her son’s arms. “The necklace! The heirloom! It has been stolen!”

“How can it have been stolen, Mother?” he asked, as Joceline felt her mother’s hand settle on hers, gripping it tightly as a small shudder ran through them both. “It does not make sense for it was clasped about your neck, was it not?”

“I am sure that no one here would have stolen your necklace, Lady Albury.” Aware now that her mother was in too much of a shock to speak clearly, Joceline kept her tone steady but gentle. “Would there be any possibility of it slipping accidentally from your neck? Mayhap it has fallen somewhere and can be found.”

“No, no, you foolish girl!” the lady exclaimed, sending another wave of shock – followed swiftly by embarrassment – through Joceline. “The necklace was an heirloom! It was made to the highest standards and certainly cannot have simply fallen from my neck! You are ridiculous indeed to suggest such a thing.”

Joceline blinked, swallowed, and looked away, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks. Everyone in the room was rapt with attention, listening to every word spoken which meant that every guest had heard her being called a ‘foolish girl’.

“Mother, you might well be upset but there is no reason for you to speak in such a way to Miss Trentworth.” Lord Albury cast Joceline a very quick glance but there was a glittering in his eyes that Joceline could not fully comprehend. Was it that he thought her suggestion foolish, just as his mother did, though he had not said that aloud to her? Or was it fear… or some other emotion? Her throat grew tight but she kept her head held high, doing her best to continue as best she could.

“Might I suggest that we search regardless?” she asked, trying to smile. “I am certain we can find it.”

Lady Albury opened her mouth to retort, a sharpness in her eyes that spoke of pure anger but Lord Albury quickly caught her hand and then spoke. “Thank you, Miss Trentworth. That is certainly a wise suggestion and should be undertaken with the greatest of speed, before any other conclusion is reached.”

Joceline glanced to her mother who quickly came to stand beside her, a tiny touch of red on each cheek though, Joceline hoped, that came from a growing strength. “I think my mother will be able to arrange that.”

“I shall.” With a nod to Joceline, Lady Melford continued. “Might I suggest that the guests all remain in either the drawing room or the music room for the next few minutes? The staff will need to be summoned and a thorough search conducted.”

“I can do that, Mama,” Joceline murmured, as Lady Melford glanced at her. “Lady Albury will need to rest.”

A tiny nod told Joceline that she was free to do so and, with a quick look towards Lord Albury himself, Joceline made her way from the room. There came a few footsteps behind her and, with a breath of relief, Joceline took Miss Sherwood’s hand for a moment.

“Thank you, Eugenia.”

“I thought you might need a little help.” Miss Sherwood clicked her tongue. “This is most extraordinary. I am so very sorry that it has happened.”

“I must find the necklace,” Joceline answered, aware of the swirling in her stomach. “That is the only solution.” Snapping her fingers, she beckoned the butler to her once she had caught his attention. “The servants must search all the rooms the guests have been in.”

Miss Sherwood touched her arm. “They must search every room, no?”

A little confused, Joceline turned to her friend. “ All of the rooms? Do you mean the entire house? Why should l do such a thing?”

After a pause, Miss Sherwood explained herself. “We do not know what has happened to the necklace. We believe that it has fallen from her neck but what if… what if there was something untoward?”

Joceline said nothing, a little upset over what her friend was suggesting.

Miss Sherwood hesitated, then continued. “Do you understand what I am saying?” She looked long at Joceline but still, she did not respond. “It may be that this necklace has been stolen and we do not know by whom. Therefore, if someone has taken it, they may have hidden it within the house.”

A nudge of relief pushed against Joceline’s heart. She means one of the guests, not one of the servants here.

As though she knew all of Joceline’s thoughts, Miss Sherwood spoke on with her explanation. “I do not mean to suggest that your servants are at all guilty, however. I know that you expect their loyalty, as do we all!”

Joceline winced, aware of her own bias. “But there is still a chance that one might have done so.”

“I would be surprised if a servant attempted to do such a thing. My suggestion is that, if it truly has been stolen, then another guest has found a way to take it and, in their jealousy, placed it somewhere in the house in the hope of fetching it later in the evening.”

Understanding her friend perfectly now, Joceline nodded slowly, her nerves beginning to jangle. “Yes, I see exactly what you mean and you are quite right. I should conduct a search of the entire house, though how long that will take I do not know.” She bit her lip. “I cannot keep the guests here for hours.”

Miss Sherwood considered this, then light came into her eyes. “Then why do you not continue the entertainment? Allow the evening to progress as it should whilst you search the house – along with the servants and myself, of course.”

Appreciating her friend’s clear thinking, Joceline’s determination centered and she spoke directly and firmly to the butler. Within a few minutes, she had organized the servants to search the house, sending three at a time to search different rooms – including her own, though that felt a little shameful. She certainly had not taken the necklace, had no knowledge as to where it was, but all the same, she had to be fair. When it came to it, she would have to be honest and say that every room of her house had been searched, and that included her own bedchamber.

The moment she had finished directing the servants, however, her mother came out of the room, hurrying to her. Her eyes were wide with concern and she was wringing her hands, her cheeks flushed hot now. “Joceline, whatever shall we do? Lady Albury is telling everyone that there is a thief in our house! She is suggesting that one of our servants has taken the necklace.”

At that moment, Joceline felt herself aligned with her mother, no longer an adversary as they had been for the last few weeks. Her father was not present and therefore it was down to her to come alongside her mother and find a solution to this difficulty. Their family’s reputation was at stake and that held great seriousness. “With Eugenia’s help, I have organized a search of the house. I am quite sure that nobody has stolen the necklace and that we will be able to prove it to Lady Albury once it is found.” Joceline spoke with more determination than she truly felt, for she feared the consequences if the necklace could not be found. Yet, as she looked back into her mother's fearful eyes. Joceline told herself that she had to trust that all would be well, even if only for her mother's sake. To show worry and fear now would only alarm Lady Melford further.

“Did you say that you have sent the servants to search the house in its entirety?” Lady Melford frowned. “Even our own rooms? What purpose is there in that?”

“Because I think it best to say we have conducted a thorough search.” Seeing her mother's displeasure, Joceline spread out her hands. “I am not suggesting for a moment that I agree with Lady Albury that one of our servants has taken her necklace. But all the same, I think it's right that we make sure every room has been looked at. If it has been taken, then it might have been hidden somewhere to be taken up later – and that could even have been by one of our guests, though I dare not suggest who it might be.”

At this, Lady Melford’s face grew dark with clear anger, though to Joceline’s relief, it was not directed towards her. “Now that I think of it, it may very well be that Lady Albury herself has deliberately lost the necklace to bring shame upon us and to ruin our soirée!” Flushing and heedless to Miss Sherwood’s presence, Lady Melford continued with sharp, angry words. “That would be just the sort of thing she would do for it is precisely the sort of character she possessed. She is determined to prove herself greater than I, even though my husband was wealthier than hers ever was!” She threw up her hands. “This is something she would do to push herself to the fore again. You are quite right, Joceline. We must search every room of the house for she could easily have hidden it somewhere to then discover it again. That way she can claim that you or I or some other in our household has stolen the necklace from her and in that way, destroy our reputation.”

Joceline sent a quick glance to Miss Sherwood, but her friend was staring wide-eyed at Lady Melford. A little embarrassed that her mother had spoken with such ferocity and yet all the same understanding where it came from, Joceline could only nod.

Lady Melford lifted her chin. “What you have done is very good, Joceline. Continue with the search and inform me the moment you have discovered anything.”

Joceline nodded. “I shall. Might I suggest, Mama, that the evening entertainment continues regardless of the search? That way the guests will, I hope, forget a little bit about the seriousness of this necklace being missing and might continue to enjoy themselves. And it would be a shame for all the money you have spent on the entertainments to be wasted! Once the necklace is discovered and returned to Lady Albury, all will be well.”

“An excellent suggestion.” Seemingly now a good deal surer of herself, perhaps fuelled by the anger directed towards Lady Albury, Lady Melford gave Joceline a firm nod. “I shall return to the guests and make sure that they all understand that nothing is amiss. Let us pray that the search is successful.”

Watching her mother leave, Joceline let out a long slow breath, helping to calm her quickening heart. Although she had not shown it to her mother, her fear still lingered, clawing up at her chest and into her throat. Something her mother had said brought with it a fresh understanding of the consequences that could follow if their search was unsuccessful.

If the necklace is not found, then I am ruined forever. Lady Albury will make sure of it.

“We will find it.” With a gentle squeeze of her hand to Joceline’s arm, Miss Sherwood gave her a small smile as if she knew her thoughts. “Come, let us help with the search.”

“Joceline.”

Joceline turned to see Miss Sherwood beckoning her from the doorway of the parlor. “What is it, Eugenia?”

“I think we have found it.”

Relief billowed in Joceline’s chest and she hurried towards Miss Sherwood, only for her friend to hold up one hand, palm out towards her, stopping her at her steps. A little confused, Joceline frowned. “Is something wrong?”

Miss Sherwood hesitated, the light in her eyes flickering. “There is one thing I must tell you. Yes, we have found the necklace, but… it was found in your bedchamber, Joceline.”

It was not relief that spread through her this time, but shock and then worry. Worry that this would soon be spread all through the house, the servants whispering that the emerald necklace had been found within her room. Worry that her reputation, even with the necklace found, would be shattered once the truth was out. “I... I did not take it.”

“Of course you did not!” Miss Sherwood grasped her hand. “I know you had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with it, but all the same, the necklace has been found in your room.”

“Who found it?”

Miss Sherwood stepped to one side and indicated a maid standing just to her right. The girl was standing with her hands clasped in front of her, though her eyes were wide and her face pale, as though she feared that she might get into difficulty, even though she had done nothing wrong.

“You found it, Bessie?” Joceline stepped closer to the girl, who quickly nodded. “Where? Where was it in my room?”

The girl blinked rapidly. “It was sitting on your bed, my lady, as though someone had just placed it there.”

Joceline trembled with a sudden confusion, mingled with fear. This had been done deliberately, she was sure. There was no reason for that necklace to be in her room, no reason for it to be placed just so. Perhaps it was as her mother had suggested, perhaps Lady Albury had done such a thing to discredit Joceline and her family name, pushing herself to the fore as she did so.

“The maid came straight to me with the necklace.” Miss Sherwood smiled tightly. “She has not told anyone else.”

“And you will not tell anyone else.” Joceline's heart hammered furiously as the maid nodded quickly. This was her only chance to save her reputation. Perhaps Lady Albury - or whoever had planted the necklace on her bed- intended for the search to go about in an entirely different way. Perhaps they had hoped that it would be discovered by another guest, and therefore, Joceline would be ruined utterly. At least Joceline recognized that now, she had the opportunity to save herself! All that was required was the maid's silence.

“Bessie, if I hear even a whisper of rumor about this, then I shall know it was you who has spoken of it. Understand that if I hear such a thing, the consequences will be your dismissal with no suitable references given.” It was not that she wished to speak harshly, more that she did so with such great firmness so that there could be no misunderstanding. The servants were often inclined to gossip, but Joceline could not have that. Not now. There was too much at stake.

“I understand” The maid nodded fervently. “I won't say a word, my lady, I swear it.”

“Where is the necklace?”

At this, Miss Sherwood brought out the necklace from where she had kept it behind her back, Handing it to Joceline. Joceline gazed down at it, amazed at its beauty, taking in the colors of the emeralds and seeing how they sparkled in the light. Her heart was still beating madly, but at least now there was a safe conclusion to this entire drama. Lady Albury would receive her necklace back and the evening could continue just as it ought. There would be no loss of reputation, no rumors whispered about her, her mother, or her family name, which meant there was, therefore nothing to concern herself with any longer. With a brief smile to Miss Sherwood, Joycelyn looked down at the necklace again. “I will return it at once.” Reaching out, she took Miss Sherwood's hand and pressed it. “Thank you for your help. This could not have been recovered without you.”

“I am glad that it has been found, though it remains a mystery as to why it was placed in your bed chamber.” Miss Sherwood frowned and then shook her head. “Though that must be something for another time I think.”

“Indeed,” Joceline murmured, still gazing down at the necklace. “Come then, let us bring this entire drama to its happy conclusion.”

Walking into the drawing room with the necklace in her hands, Joceline kept her head held high and allowed a smile to spread across her face. Lady Albury, however, did not appear to be so delighted. In fact, she practically snatched the necklace out of Joceline's hands without so much as a word of thanks. There was thinness about her lips with a sharpness in her eyes, that, to Joceline’s mind, confirmed her own mother's suspicions.

“You found it, then.” It was Lord Albury who came close to his mother and, much to Joceline’s surprise, took the necklace from his mother’s fingers without so much as a glance in her direction. Instead, he kept his eyes pinned to Joceline's, as if there was something he wanted to see in her face but could not quite make out. “My grateful thanks, Miss Trentworth. This necklace is an heirloom, and alas, I think that this will be the last time it will be seen in society for a time. Evidently, I must have the clasp repaired, given that it fell from my mother's neck and was lost.”

Lady Albury drew herself up. “I still think that...” She trailed off as her son sent her a hard look. Clearing her throat lightly instead, she gave Joceline a thin-lipped smile. “I am grateful it has been returned to me, Miss Trentworth.” Tipping her head, a gleam entered her eyes as Lady Melford came to stand beside Joceline. “Might I ask where it was discovered?”

Joceline's heart beat hard, but she put a smile on her face. “It was found in the parlor Lady Albury, near to the door.”

Rather than bring any smile to Lady Albury’s face, there came instead a darkness, casting shadows into her eyes. “That is very strange, for I did not set foot in the parlor this evening.”

A few murmurs from around the room made Joceline's face grow hot. She had not thought what she would say to Lady Albury should such a question be asked. Her relief on finding the necklace had been so great, it had not even come into her mind.

“My daughter has told you it was found near to the door, Lady Albury.” It was Joceline's mother who spoke now, a briskness to her tone that told everyone listening she was not about to have anything untoward implied about her daughter. “No doubt the necklace slipped from your neck when you were walking in the hallway and mayhap it was inadvertently kicked towards the door. These long gowns of ours can hide so much, can they not?” With what Joseline knew to be a false smile on her face, Lady Melford turned and spread her arms wide to the watching crowd of guests. “Now that the necklace has been discovered and all is well, might I suggest that we continue with the evening? There are still some performers to join us within the hour and I am sure you will all wish to see their entertainments. In the meantime, there are plenty of refreshments and I think the card tables might be opened now. What say you all to that?”

This brought few exclamations of delight and Joceline smiled in relief, linking arms with her mother in a show of solidarity. For a moment, her eyes caught upon Lord Albury’s, a little surprised to see that he was frowning heavily. Did he not believe her? Her foolish mistake about where she had found the necklace had, mayhap, brought him too much doubt. Keeping her smile fixed in place, though she did not truly feel it any longer, Joceline turned alongside her mother and made her way out of the drawing room. She would need to speak with her about the necklace and where it had been found later on in the evening, but for the moment, everything had fallen back into place.

Glancing around the room, however, Joceline’s worry remained. Someone in this room had placed Lady Albury’s necklace in Joceline’s bed chamber, in full view so that it would clearly and easily be discovered. She had no clear knowledge as to who it might have been, though her only suspicion lingered solely on Lady Albury. Could the rivalry between Lady Albury and her mother be enough to push Lady Albury into doing something so awful? Would she really seek to ruin Joceline's reputation?

And if she would, Joceline realized how careful she would have to be around her and her son from now on.