Chapter Twenty-Four
“Lord M__ returned to Lord S__’s home the following day. Perhaps he was looking for Lady V__ whom he left at the party the night before. A singular occurrence, as our favorite rake is known for attracting females, not for losing them.”
-The Sun
“Gracious me!” the baronessexclaimed, putting the back of her hand to her forehead in dramatic fashion usually reserved for the stage. “My ring!”
Julia nearly dove for it, but Lady Violet reached the ring first, bending to retrieve it. Holding the ruby ring between her thumb and forefinger, her gaze swung from Julia, who’d taken a single step forward, to the baroness who held out her pudgy hand.
“A thief!” Lord Stridewell exclaimed.
“I am not,” Julia said. “The ring is mine!”
“Then why were you asking where my husband bought it?” Lady Stridewell demanded. “You said you wanted one exactly like it for your sister.”
With those words, the baroness snatched it from Lady Violet and shoved it onto her own smallest finger.
Julia closed her eyes a moment. She was back where she started, only worse!
With nothing to lose, she turned to the baron. “Won’t you please explain where you got it? It was not from a jewelry shop. I promise I won’t press charges.”
He laughed as did the men around him. “You? Press charges? It is I who shall prosecute you to the full extent of His Majesty’s law. I knew better than to have someone like you to dinner.”
Julia felt her cheeks flame, but she would not be intimidated by the likes of him.
“My sister, the Countess of Worthington, will show you the ring’s match. She wears the necklace that was paired with it. They have the same workmanship, made by the same jeweler.”
At last, Jasper spoke up. “I have seen the ruby ring on Miss Sudbury’s hand before.”
While she appreciated it, all eyes again turned to him standing so close to her, making them both look guilty of one thing or the other.
“You would say such,” the baron sneered. “For all we know, you’ve got a pocket of my wife’s jewels.”
“Whatever can you mean?” Jasper demanded, sounding indignant.
“Word at the club is you’re in a bit of financial trouble. You were seen pawning jewelry at Rundell and Bridge. Then we find you assisting this woman to steal from us.”
Another man, Lord Jeggins if Julia recalled correctly, piped up, “Some overheard him say that he cannot afford a rum horse at present.”
Lady Stridewell clucked her tongue. “I’ve heard from a few people how their jewels have gone missing after they’ve held balls or dinners in their homes, which was why my staff was instructed not to allow anyone onto the upper floors.” She pierced Julia with a hard stare. “I would bet this woman attended those parties as well.”
“Perhaps both of them were,” said Lord Jeggins from the safety of the back row.
“You ought to be more careful,” Jasper warned, his tone calm but firm, “than to throw such accusations around.”
“You’re lucky Parliament is in session,” another man called out.
The insult was clear, as even Julia knew a seated member couldn’t be put in debtor’s prison while Parliament was open.
