Free Lady Ellingham and the Theft of the Stansfield Necklace: A Regency Romance by Miriam Rochester Page A

tied at the crown of
her head and then fell luxuriously over her shoulder.
          Richard met her
in the hallway. ‘You look very fine Felicity,’ he smiled as he took her arm. 
Despite his pleasure, he had his reservations and cursed to himself.  He very
much doubted the wisdom of calling on the Marquis of Thorndale with Felicity
looking as delightful as she did.  He hesitated but there was no time to ask
her to go and change now or they would both be late, besides which he would
only meet with an argument.  Blast it, he would have to make the best of it but
why did the woman have to dress so simply divinely at all the wrong times.  He
could swear that she only lived to exasperate him.
          Richard and
Felicity walked the two blocks to Green Street and in typical Richard style;
they were knocking on the brass knocker at precisely midday.  The butler
escorted them to Thorndale’s study where the Marquis was sitting behind his
desk. Thorndale stood up to greet them, shook Richards hand and invited them both
to take a seat, after which he instructed the butler to bring in some sherry. 
Felicity looked around at her surroundings. They looked different in the
daylight.  She had been in this room before rifling through the Marquis’s desk
and the knowledge made her blush.
          Thorndale made
some small talk until his butler returned with the sherry and then got around
to the main purpose of the visit. Felicity took a fortifying sip of her sherry
waiting for the inevitable question. Alex gave her a dark brooding look. ‘Well Lady
Ellingham, you obviously believe I have a serious flaw in my character and I
would seriously like to know what has brought you to such a conclusion.  I would
like to know who has been spreading such lies and if you have discussed the
matter with anyone else for I need to discover the source of these false
accusations.’
          Richard looked at
her. ‘We need the truth Felicity before this matter gets seriously out of
hand.’ Felicity rolled her eyes. ‘It got seriously out of hand when you two
fools duelled at dawn. Can it get much worse?  Yes I will tell Lord Thorndale
what he wants to know.’
          Richard grimaced
at the fact that she had just called Lord Sheraton a fool but Thorndale only grinned
in humorous appreciation.  Despite his humour however, Alex was not to be
distracted from his purpose and sat waiting patiently for her explanation.
          She heaved a sigh
and began. ‘Emily Entwhistle called on me the morning before last.  She was in
a distressed state and told me that on the evening of Lady Colchester’s ball
you tricked her into the garden where you proceeded to take the Sapphire and
Diamond necklace from off her neck.  I have known Emily for a few weeks now and
I cannot think of one reason why she would not be telling the truth.’ Felicity
gave Alex Sheraton an equally level stare. ‘Well sir, and is it true, did you take
it without her permission?’
          Thorndale was
silent for a moment before giving his reply but then answered blatantly.
‘Indeed it is Lady Ellingham.’
     Felicity gave Richard
a triumphant smile as if to say - I told you so!
          Thorndale however
continued. ‘But if that is all she told you, I am afraid you have been
seriously mislead because the necklace belongs to me.  It is a family heirloom
and belongs to a matching broach and earrings.  I was fond of Emily and told
her she could wear it for a very special occasion but unfortunately she was reluctant
to give it back to me.’
          Felicity looked
shocked but only momentarily. ‘The necklace belongs to you?’  She recovered her
surprise however. ‘But even so, how unchivalrous of you sir to take it back from
her in such a manner.’
          Thorndale sighed.
‘I see that if we are to rid you of this misconception of yours I will have to
explain everything to you.  Listen while I tell you a story.  Last Autumn I