They both stared at the package on Sarah’s lap, and then Julia set down her glass of claret and scooted closer.
“A gift maybe?” she guessed. “FromyourLord Denbigh.” She wiggled her eyebrows, teasing her.
Even if the man truly was a Bow Street hound as Lord Marshfield had indicated, if he made her sister happy, then Julia would simply figure out how to steer clear of him.
In any case, ever since Sarah’s evening alone with Lord Denbigh, she’d been behaving strangely. Melancholy one moment, then devil-may-care the next.
Her sister merely shrugged, ignoring Julia’s guess, as she undid the string and unwrapped the brown paper.
Julia gasped at the sight of her lost reticule, particularly when Sarah was suddenly holding it in her hands.
“I haven’t used this purse in ages.” Then her sister cocked her head. “Didn’t I lend it to you last year?”
“Yes,” Julia whispered, her heart pounding as Sarah began to open the drawstring.
Chapter Ten
“Today at the new Lord’s Cricket Ground, Marylebone Cricket Club played St. John’s Wood Club. Quality folk were rubbing elbows with the commoners. Lord M__ escorted two well-known females of his acquaintance, and Lady Ch__ was there with friends of both sexes. Marylebone handed St. John’s a defeat!”
-The Times
“How strange.” Sarahmurmured, examining the purse. “It’s empty, except for this.”
Julia held her breath, but the only thing her sister drew out of the reticule was the handkerchief Julia had tucked inside before attending the Chandrons’ ball.
“No, not so strange,” Julia said, as soon as she could breathe again. “I left the bag by mistake in the ladies’ retiring room at the ball last night.”
“You should be more careful,” Sarah said, handing it to her. “What if you’d had something valuable in there?”
Julia tried to laugh, but it sounded to her ears like wheezing.
“What would I possibly take to a ball that was valuable?” She glanced at the ruby ring on her right hand and shook it before her sister’s nose. “You know this is the only thing I own of any value, and I never take it off.”
They both had a single piece of jewelry from their long-deceased mother. Even then, Sarah wore her ruby pendant on a silver chain around her neck.
“Nothing, I suppose. Maybe you might take an ivory comb.”
