Lady Ellingham and the Theft of the Stansfield Necklace: A Regency Romance Read Online Free PDF

that,
the two friends linked arms and sauntered off down the street.
    ******
          On reaching home
and entering the hallway, Felicity almost collapsed with relief.  She had
always yearned for adventure but certainly not an adventure of this sort. 
Still she needed to reach the safety of her own room.  It would not do for
Richard to return home to find her loitering in the hallway dressed in Harry’s
clothes.  She reached into the jacket pocket; thank goodness, the necklace was
still there.  The footpad had been so surprised with the discovery that a
female was wrestling in his grip; that he had forgot almost everything else.  It
was a good thing that Charles and Henry had arrived on the scene when they did.
 If Felicity had lost the necklace it would have been a disaster and it did not
escape her that, it was not all that could have been lost this night.  She had
a very lucky escape indeed.
          Felicity crept to
her room without incidence, took the black velvet pouch containing the necklace
out of her pocket and placed in carefully in a small secret recess in her
bedside table.  She could not wait to tell Emily that she had retrieved her
family heirloom and that she could rest and be happy again. She would pay her a
visit tomorrow. Felicity undressed and hid Harry’s clothes under her bed until
she had time to return them to his wardrobe.  She regretted having lost one of
his gloves but hopefully he would not miss them when he returned home.
          Only two streets
away in Green Street, Alex Sheraton stepped from the balcony back into his bedchamber. 
He looked around and everything seemed to be in order. He had caught the
intruder standing next to the dresser and he certainly did not look as if he
had had any time to take anything. He had not carried a bag and he did not
appear to have anything stashed on his person.
          Thorndale walked
over to the dresser and opened the drawer where he had thrown his winnings from
the previous evening; to his relief they were still there.  He reached into his
pockets to remove this evening’s spoils so that he could place it with the
rest. He picked up the bundle, added his winnings and was just about to throw
it back, when he noticed that something was wrong.   The little black velvet
pouch containing the Stansfield necklace was missing. Thorndale put his hand
towards the back of the drawer to check if the pouch had been jostled to the
rear but found nothing.  He knew he should have put it in the safe the night
before, but when he had arrived home, he had been tired and just placed it into
the drawer beside the bundle of cash.  The realisation came to him and he stood
furious.  It was gone. The Stansfield necklace was gone.  The Duke of
Stansfield would be furious and if there was one person for whom he held a
great respect, it was his father.
          Thorndale stood
there mystified.  What kind of thief would steal a necklace but leave nearly
£2000 in cash just lying in a roll.  He was mystified and it only served to
strengthen his suspicion that this was no ordinary thief.  He cursed and made a
resolve to ensure that no stone was left unturned in bringing the fellow to
book.
    ******
             Felicity arose
late the following morning.  Despite the excitement of the night before, she
had slept well.  She could only put it down to nervous exhaustion.  With the
assistance of Sarah, she dressed and made her way to the drawing room where she
found her mother putting the finishing touches to a beautiful embroidered
cushion cover and admiring her handiwork.
          The Countess
looked up as she entered the room. ‘So there you are Felicity.  I was just
about to send out a search party for you.  I need to go to Madam Fournier’s for
the final fitting for my new ball gown.  Would you like to accompany me?’
          Felicity gave her
mother an apologetic smile. ‘I would have been happy to mama but I was hoping
to