“Naming the Earl of Norwood,” Verity said softly.
“Yes,” Evelyn replied. “And Norwood learned of it. Before the diamond could be given to the Crown, he killed the two men who knew the truth – Lord Eastclere and the Duke of Ravenscar.”
An audible gasp filled the room – all appearing surprised except Evelyn’s father, who had likely begun to deduce some of this himself, and Lord Eastclere.
“You knew,” Evelyn said.
“I guessed, due to the nature of my father’s death,” Eastclere said. “Then, when the diamond was stolen, I realized that the two incidents must be tied together. I wasn’t sure if the diamond was ill luck for the Eastclere family or if there was more to it, but I was concerned that someone would be coming for me.”
“That was why you appeared in such disarray when we visited you.”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “I also didn’t know whom I could trust. I had heard my father mention the Ravenscar name time and again, knew that he had met with the duke shortly before his death.”
He stared down at his hands, rubbing his eyes. “I had no idea the duke was on our side.”
“No one did,” Evelyn said. “Well, almost no one.”
Thalia shifted sharply. Evelyn turned toward her.
“The diamond was stolen only once, but your gallery was broken into twice, Lord Eastclere. That’s why the mechanisms appeared so tampered with. Before he killed the two noblemen, one of them must have confessed to the note, and Lord Norwood decided to not only destroy it, but also use the diamond to his advantage. Someone in your household – likely Mr. Bloomington – helped Lord Norwood break into the gallery and replace the original note with one of his own, condemning my husband. But he was discovered. There is one other person currently living at the Eastclere residence – Miss Vale, who hasrecently become close with our very own Lady Thalia. She was visiting when Norwood made his change.”
Evelyn looked at Thalia, who was shifting in her seat, her eyes filled with worry. Why? She couldn’t have – Asher’s shoulders tightened as he realized what was happening. He pushed away from the mantel. “Evelyn?—”
“You saw him,” Evelyn said gently, “At Eastclere House. You heard him speak of the diamond—of what it contained—and of his intention to place new evidence inside it.”
Thalia’s jaw tightened as she lifted her chin.
“Thalia, don’t—” Asher pleaded.
“You are right,” his sister said. “He was speaking with Bloomington, and he meant to frame you, Asher.”
Murmuring began around the room as the other occupants began looking at one another and Asher’s stomach dropped as he wished Evelyn had told him this first. He could only hope she had a plan.
“It was exactly as you said. He was going to place a note within the same hiding place where the evidence against him had rested. As the current Lord Eastclere intended to follow his father’s wishes and loan the diamond to the Crown, his fabricated proof would then be discovered.”
A muscle jumped in Asher’s jaw as he tried to breathe calm into his body. There was nothing he could do any longer.
“You broke into the gallery the night of the spring soiree,” Evelyn continued. “Not to steal the diamond for its worth, but to retrieve what Norwood had hidden.”
Thalia nodded once. “All I wanted was to take away the forged note, but then I could not remove the paper,” she said hoarsely. “The compartment jammed and would not open.”
“So, you took the only course left to you,” Evelyn said. “You took the diamond itself.”
Asher closed his eyes briefly, then reopened them. “You should have told me.”
Thalia’s voice broke. “I was afraid of what you would do. That Norwood would be able to place all the blame on you.”
“And then Norwood,” Julian said, speaking for the first time, “became desperate because he needed it back.”
“Yes,” Evelyn said. “Without the diamond, he lost control of the narrative. He could neither accuse Asher nor ensure his own safety. And so, he did what men like Norwood always do when their power slips—he tightened his grip.”
She turned toward Asher again. “The pressure to contain scandal. The sudden insistence that two suspects be married. It was never about propriety. It was about delay.”
Asher nodded, his voice low, hushed. “Marriage would quiet inquiry. Discourage investigation.”
“And keep us both close,” Evelyn added. “Observable. Contained.”
Verity let out a slow breath. “I knew it was too neat.”
