Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

AN UNWELCOME SURPRISE

“ R OSALYND!” Lady Eleanor Needham called out as she descended the front steps, her rich burgundy gown swirling in the cool breeze. A beaming smile lit her features, but the moment she grasped my hands, the slight tremor in Eleanor’s fingers and the tightness around her eyes informed me something was not quite right.

I’d known Eleanor since childhood, and the bond we shared was one of deep friendship. She’d always been the picture of poise, but today she was troubled.

I didn’t let on, however, that something seemed amiss. If it were particularly troublesome, she would share it with me soon enough. In the meantime, I could praise her efforts. “I’ve been so looking forward to this weekend, Eleanor,” I said warmly. “Needham Hall looks perfectly splendid. It’s clear you’ve worked hard on making it just so.” Eleanor’s father, Lord Needham, was a widower who depended on Eleanor for the running of the household. Although they had an excellent housekeeper and staff, it fell on Eleanor to prepare the manor for the Christmas festivities. Maybe this year, it had proven too much for her.

Lady Eleanor’s smile faltered as she ushered me inside. “Thank you, dear friend. I’m so glad you’re here.” Her voice held a note of panic.

As we ascended the grand staircase, passing servants who bustled about, putting finishing touches on the lavish decorations in the great hall, the tension in the air grew more palpable with each step we took. My mind raced as I wondered what might be troubling my friend.

Once we reached her bedroom and Eleanor closed the door behind us, the facade crumbled. Her face contorted with sudden anguish as she threw herself into my arms with a sob.

My instincts had been right. Something was seriously wrong. “Eleanor, sweetheart, whatever is the matter?” I asked, guiding my distraught friend to the edge of her bed.

For a moment, Eleanor struggled to speak, her voice trembling with emotion. “Rosalynd, it’s—it’s gone. The necklace is gone.”

My brow furrowed in confusion. “What necklace?”

Eleanor wiped away her tears and inhaled deeply, steadying herself. “My great-great—oh, I can’t remember how many—great-grandmother’s diamond necklace. The one gifted to her by King Charles II. It’s the most valuable thing our family owns, Rosalynd. And now, it’s vanished.”

Oh, dear heaven! My mind began to race. The diamond necklace was a piece of history, a priceless heirloom that carried the legacy of the Needham family. Its loss wasn’t just a matter of sentimental value—it was a disaster.

“How long has it been missing?” I asked, slipping into my familiar role as a problem solver.

“I—I discovered it was gone this morning,” Eleanor confessed, her voice still shaky. “I went to check on it, just to ensure everything was perfect for the Christmas Ball. You know how important the necklace is—it’s tradition to wear it on special occasions. The ball will be in three days and. . . well, you see . . .”

I pressed her hands. “Please, Eleanor. Tell me.”

Eleanor’s hesitation was brief, but it was enough to make me sit up straighter. Eleanor glanced toward the window, her expression one of pained uncertainty, before finally continuing.

“My engagement to Stephen, Lord Cumberforth, is to be announced at the ball.”

I blinked in surprise. “Engagement?” I had known Eleanor and Cumberforth were growing closer, but an engagement was a far more serious development.

Eleanor nodded, wringing her hands nervously. “Yes, but it’s . . . complicated. Stephen’s father, the Marquis of Burkett, is against the match.”

My thoughts immediately shifted, piecing together the tension I had sensed from the moment I arrived. “Because he wants his son to marry someone else,” I guessed, lacing my voice with understanding.

Eleanor’s eyes widened slightly, impressed but not surprised by my quick intuition. “Yes, precisely. The marquis had arranged for Stephen to marry Lady Annabel Bingham, a wealthy heiress. Apparently, the Cumberforth estate is in dire need of funds, and a marriage to Lady Annabel would provide a much-needed infusion of cash.”

“And without the necklace,” I continued, my mind already processing the implications, “you fear Lord Burkett will use its disappearance as proof that you would bring nothing of value to the marriage.”

Eleanor’s breath hitched as she nodded. “I do have a dowry, but it pales in comparison to Lady Annabel’s. If I don’t wear the necklace at the ball, Lord Burkett will see it as a sign of weakness. He’s already looking for reasons to dissolve the engagement before it’s officially announced. I’ve tried to explain to Stephen that we can face this together, but he’s under so much pressure from his father. I fear if we don’t find the necklace in time, he might”—she gulped—“he might reconsider the engagement.”

“Who knows about the engagement?”

“Other than Lord and Lady Burkett? Father, of course, and now you.”

“What about the rest of your family?” I knew she had several cousins as well as one aunt and two uncles.

“I kept it from them as I wanted the announcement to be a surprise at the ball.”

Feeling the depth of her distress, I placed a comforting hand on Eleanor’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll find the necklace before the ball begins.” I didn’t know how I would make good on my promise given we only had three days. But I would do my best to make it so. “But first, I need to know more. When was the last time you saw it?”

Eleanor took a moment to gather her thoughts. “Yesterday. I asked my maid to fetch it from my father’s safe as I wanted to make sure the clasp was secured and see how it looked with my ball gown. Unfortunately, she had just slipped it around my neck when Lavinia and Felicity barged in unannounced.”

“So, your cousins saw it.”

“Yes. They fell into raptures over its beauty. They’d never seen it, as the necklace is only worn at weddings and engagements. I was mortified, to say the least, but tried to put on a pleasant face. After a few minutes, I asked Martha to tuck it back in the jewelry box in my dressing room, which I locked after my cousins left. This morning, when I asked Martha to return the necklace to the safe . . . it was gone.” Covering her face, she dissolved into tears.

I couldn’t blame her. I’d feel the same way myself. “Was there any sign of tampering?” I asked in as soft a tone as I could manage.

Eleanor shook her head. “None. The jewelry box was locked, and the key was in its usual place. I don’t understand how the necklace was taken.”

One obvious suspect clearly stood out. “Does your maid know where you keep the key?”

“No. I ask Martha to leave the room whenever I open and lock the jewelry box.” She pointed toward a nearby shelf. “I keep the key inside that vase.”

Not a safe place. The maid could have easily figured it out. Even as I pondered that thought, my mind raced with possibilities. “Who else knew about the necklace?”

Eleanor bit her lip. “Besides my cousins? The servants. It’s common knowledge as it’s part of the family lore. But none of the staff would have taken it,” she asserted. “They are loyal to the core!”

Even a loyal servant could be tempted to steal a valuable piece of jewelry. But it wouldn’t do to suspect any of them until I had more facts. “Who else arrived before I did?”

She blushed. “Stephen. He arrived shortly after my cousins.”

“What about your aunt and uncles?”

“Uncle Martin won’t be here until Saturday. Uncle Wilford has a chest complaint, so neither he nor my aunt will be attending.” She didn’t seem particularly upset about their absence. I, on the other hand, rejoiced. It meant there would be fewer suspects.

I paused to consider her words. Stephen could be a possible suspect. Maybe the pressure from his father had become too much for him, and he’d settled on this strategy to cry off from his engagement. It had not been made public after all. Only Eleanor, her father, and now I, knew. It would be an easy thing to end an engagement that, in the eyes of the world, had never begun. It was an interesting theory I would need to explore.

“What about the staff?” I asked. “Has anyone new been hired recently?”

Eleanor nodded slowly. “We took on a new housemaid last month. Her name is Lucy. But . . . I can’t believe she would be involved. She’s been so diligent and sweet.”

I filed that information away for later. “I’ll need to speak to her, just to be thorough.” Indeed, I would need to talk to the entire staff. The idea seemed daunting given the short time frame we had.

“I don’t want to accuse anyone unfairly,” Eleanor whispered, wringing her hands.

I squeezed her shoulder gently. “We won’t. But we must be methodical if we’re to solve this.”

I came to my feet as my mind whirled with potential leads, possibilities, and questions. The missing necklace, the looming engagement announcement, the Marquis of Burkett’s disapproval, the new housemaid—it was all connected somehow. And time was of the essence. The ball was but a few days away.

Eleanor nodded, her hope returning with the certainty in my voice. “Thank you, Rosalynd. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

I smiled softly, my mind already calculating the next steps. “We’ll find it. And you will wear that necklace on Saturday. Mark my words.”

Needham Hall, with all its festive cheer, was now a stage for a growing intrigue. I had little time, but I would uncover the truth. The necklace was the key to Eleanor’s future—and I would not allow it to slip away without a fight.