“Yes, I recall the hubbub,” Mrs. Kent said. “A stunning array, I must say.”
She examined the jewels, Billings hovering beside her as if he expected her to make away with the lot. A muscle ticked in Kent’s jaw.
“Well, if everything’s here, then perhaps Monique didn’t manage to take anything?” Her Grace suggested. “Maybe her lock picking skills weren’t up to par.”
“I don’t think that’s the case.” Mrs. Kent was perusing a sapphire necklace intently—the one, Richard recalled, that Miss Billings had worn at supper that first night. “Something’s amiss here.”
“I beg your pardon?” Billings said.
“May I?” Mrs. Kent arched her fair brows.
The banker gave a nod, and she lifted the necklace from its box. Everyone crowded in to have a closer look. The large, faceted blue stones flashed, their depths clear. The web of diamonds that connected them was similarly bright. Richard was no connoisseur of jewels, but, to him, the necklace appeared flawless.
The duchess canted her head. “What’s wrong with the necklace? The sapphires have a nice, clear sparkle, don’t they?”
“Aye, pet, and that’s the problem,” the duke replied. To Mrs. Kent, he said, “May I?”
She passed him the necklace, and he turned it this way and that, inspecting it. “No inclusions to the naked eye. The depths are far too clear. The color is straightforward, bland, with little richness.”
“So you’re saying… it’s a fake?” his wife said.
“Yes. Though an excellent copy,” he replied. “That is your opinion as well, Mrs. Kent?”
“Indeed,” the blonde said. “Quite convincing to the casual observer.”
“Thank heavens you’re the one who buys my jewelry, Strathaven,” the duchess exclaimed. “How I should hate to be taken by cut glass, no matter how prettily made.”
His Grace’s lips twitched. He chucked his wife under the chin. “I know how you like a bargain, sweeting.”
“Now wait just a minute.” Billings’ voice shook with outrage. “I had these pieces authenticated by a top jeweler. He assured me these pieces, including the necklace, were the genuine articles.”
“They are. As was the necklace I saw your daughter wearing at supper that first night,” Mrs. Kent replied. “But the necklace before us now is a copy made of glass.”
The explanation was clear.
“Monique made a switch, by God.” Kent’s irises blazed. “This was all part of a premeditated plan. She comes to the party with a map of the house, a replica of the necklace, and means to break into the safe box.”
“But something unexpected happens,” Mrs. Kent murmured. “After stealing the necklace, Monique returns to the library, only to encounter the murderer. Is he or she an accomplice in the theft—or is this a meeting of chance?”
“We don’t know,” her husband replied, “but let’s say he or she pushes Monique into the mantel. She hits her head but does not die. So the villain has to finish the job, smothering her with a pillow and dragging her body into the shelves. He or she takes the necklace and leaves.”
Frowning, Richard said, “That sounds logical, but what I don’t understand is why Monique stole only the necklace. Why didn’t she take all the jewelry?”
“Perhaps she was being cautious,” Mrs. Kent said. “Replacing one piece with a forgery is one thing; taking the entire collection increases the risk of getting caught exponentially. And let’s not overlook the fact that the necklace is the most expensive piece by far.”
“How much is it worth?” Violet asked.
“By my estimation, at least nine thousand pounds,” the blonde replied.
“Over ten thousand,” Billings said in a brittle voice, “according to the appraiser.”
Violet let out a low whistle. “By Golly, thatisa haul, isn’t it? But why would Monique risk everything to steal this necklace?”
“From the little Garrity was willing to disclose, she was making her payments to him in a timely fashion,” Richard said. “He implied that she was a prime customer, one in good standing. But who knows what other debts she might have had.”
“Jeanne, her maid, might know,” the duchess suggested. “Now that we have evidence of Monique’s plot, we ought to question Jeanne again.”
“My thinking precisely.” Kent summoned in a footman and gave orders to fetch the maid.
