Page 23 of The Swan Detective (The Swan Syndicate #2)
“I was standing with Elizabeth in the hallway, but I was looking elsewhere when the necklace was taken. A gentleman next to us saw the thief. I knew how precious the necklace was to Elizabeth, and the gentleman pointed which way the thief had gone. It happened so quickly, my instinct was to follow the man. I expected the duke’s men to do something, but by the time I reached the solarium, I’d spotted the thief.
” She pulled out her fan and waved it a few times as she scanned the women.
They were salivating for new information to spin to their liking.
“He was acting suspicious, you know? His head was down, hands in his pockets, not looking at anyone. He just seemed the perfect candidate, so I called out. Unfortunately, the men standing around weren’t able to stop him, so I kept following.
” She fanned herself faster. It was the closest she could get to appearing upset over the ordeal.
She was too irritated with the group to pretend.
“As you can imagine, it was a difficult situation, but the duke’s men didn’t show up until the thief was running off into the bushes.
I’m not sure how I could have been in the way. ”
The women had gathered closer, not caring one iota whether she’d been in the way or not. It had simply been their way to get the conversation started. The questions came, one after another, for several minutes before Stella turned the conversation around.
She placed a hand on her chest and leaned into the group. “Did I hear there had been another theft before the duke’s ball?”
Lady Howard hushed the women, who’d all spoken at once.
“Our poor Eloise was standing in the dining room, choosing between the canapés, when she felt something brush against her shoulder. She assumed it was someone passing by, but when she glanced down, she noticed her brooch was gone.” Lady Howard glanced around as if one of the women would call her out on her story.
“Well, Eloise was beside herself. She immediately called out that someone had stolen her brooch. The staff looked everywhere in case it had come undone and fallen off, but they later discovered that someone had been seen running through the halls and out toward the solarium, just like at the duke’s ball. ”
The other women nodded up and down, seeming to agree with the story.
“This was a brooch that was stolen.” Stella focused on Lady Howard. “I assume this was an expensive piece, or was it more sentimental?”
“It was one of a kind,” someone on her right exclaimed.
“Eloise had commissioned it from a jeweler.” Lady Howard hushed the other women. “I’m told the man only made a handful of items each year.”
“Do you remember the jeweler’s name?” Stella asked.
The other women glanced at each other, probably surprised that her question was about the jeweler rather than the thief.
“He was quite popular a couple of years ago.” Lady Howard lifted her gaze to the sky as if trying to remember the name.
“Louis Pierre Deschanel.” This came from the woman who’d quietly insulted Stella earlier in the conversation. The other women chattered for a bit before nodding in agreement.
“Was there a reason for your question?” Lady Howard asked.
“Not really. I was just wondering. I suppose we all need to be careful what we wear to the next party.” Stella touched her opal, then reopened her fan and waved it as if fighting off the vapors or for whatever else the fan was good for other than hiding behind for idle gossip.
She lowered her head and frowned, her eyes blinking rapidly as if she might tear up. “It’s all so dreadful.”
That started the conversations again, giving Stella time to glance around, looking for an easy way to extricate herself from the group now that she had her answer. Fortunately, Flora strode up and nodded at the women.
“I’m so sorry. I was hoping to borrow Lady Caldway for a moment.”
Stella stood without preamble, more than grateful for Flora’s arrival. Once away from the vultures, Flora guided her to Eloise and begged their early departure, claiming she had another appointment with her husband.
Once they were in the coach driving away, Flora grinned. “I was told Eloise was in the ballroom. She was swaying, listening to the music with her eyes closed, when she felt someone snatch the brooch right off her dress.” Flora sat back, rather proud of what she’d gathered.
Stella clucked. “I heard Eloise had been in the dining room, deciding which canapé looked the best. At least the version I heard was also a brooch.”
Flora shook her head as she leaned back and glanced out the window. “I shouldn’t be surprised that the stories differed.”
“It wasn’t much different than the gossip about me at the duke’s ball.”
Flora looked horrified. “I heard them as well. Are you alright?”
Stella had been watching the landscape go by and was surprised by the question.
“I don’t care what people think of me. Perhaps if I lived here, I’d be more upset, but one thing I learned rather early in life.
People are going to think what they think.
The only thing that matters is what I think about myself.
” She pushed the hurtful words away, more irritated by what they thought of Beckworth than her.
She would take the next invitations more seriously.
She refused to feed the gossipmongers more fodder against Beckworth.
Flora slapped Stella’s knee with her fan. “Aren’t you going to ask if I discovered anything remarkable about the brooch?”
Stella pulled herself out of her thoughts, forgetting all about the jewelry now that she had her answer. “Maybe the comments affected me more than I thought.” She sat straighter. “From what I was told, Eloise commissioned a jeweler to make it.”
Flora’s eyes glittered. “A jeweler by the name of Louis Pierre Deschanel. Apparently, not a coincidence after all.”
Stella grinned. “I think we have a mystery to solve.”