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Of course it was Cressy who had a friend at the British Museum. He had connections to the black market and offered to buy—in secret, of course—any historically significant pieces brought to him. No questions asked.
There were any number of historically significant pieces decorating the homes of England’ston. These pieces had been acquired through travels abroad, and Cressy had argued they no more belonged to the English aristocrats than to the black market swine. She called the nobility grave robbers and thieves. Gabrielle didn’t quite agree. She was no Robin Hood.
But several days after Cressy’s proposal, one particularly nasty creditor had told Gabrielle to either pay or he would take payment in the form he chose. He’d eyed her salaciously, and that very night, Gabrielle had taken a small Egyptian scroll from Marquess Conyngham’s home during a ball and sold it for enough money to satisfy that creditor and mollify several others.
Gabrielle didn’t like stealing, but neither did she wish to be carted off in lieu of payment by some thug. And the Duchess of Beaumont could afford to lose one little necklace if it would placate a thug or two.
Except Sedgwick had the necklace, and Gabrielle was right back where she’d started.
“Well, there’s still Winterbourne’s ball tomorrow night,” Diana said. She had begged Cressy to teach her to pick locks on numerous occasions, but Cressy had refused on principle. Gabrielle didn’t know why principles applied to Diana and not to her, but she didn’t argue. Diana made enough trouble without becoming a criminal. And as they had been best friends since meeting at the convent school in the French countryside, Gabrielle didn’t want Diana in danger because of her. It was bad enough the duke’s daughter insisted on paying some of the expenses for the upkeep of the town house. Gabrielle didn’t want to involve her friend further.
“Does the marquess have any antiquities?” Diana asked of Winterbourne.
“Not that I know of,” Gabrielle said, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
“Well, I don’t need this new dress,” Cressy said, looking down at her blue frock. “I can sell it.”
“And I can always ask my father for money,” Diana said. “He would—“
“No.” Gabrielle shook her head vigorously. “You two have already done far more than you ought. I can’t ask you to repay George’s debt. Oh, would that I’d never married him!”
“I will not sayI told you so,” Diana began. Gabrielle gave her a dark look. “Actually, I will say it. I told you not to marry him.”
“Thank you, Diana. Your advice, three years later, is most helpful.”
“What would be helpful,” Cressy said, “is a plan.”
Gabrielle rubbed her hands over her eyes. She was out of plans.
“Well, I have an idea,” Diana said.
Gabrielle sighed, and Cressy cleared her throat in what sounded suspiciously like a snort.
“It’s actually a rather good idea.” Diana crossed her arms and frowned.
“What is it?” Gabrielle asked. She might as well hear it. She was desperate.
“Why don’t we find Lord Sedgwick and steal the necklace back?”
Gabrielle opened her mouth to object and then promptly shut it again. Whydidn’tthey steal the necklace back?
Gabrielle looked at Cressy, who smiled. “I should have thought of that!” Cressy clapped a hand on Diana’s shoulder.
“I told you it was a good idea.” Diana practically preened.
Gabrielle’s mind was working quickly now. “I know where Sedgwick lives. Undoubtedly he has the necklace there. But where? And how will we gain entrance to search?”
Diana frowned. “I can’t be expected to think of everything.”
Gabrielle tapped her fingers on the table and Cressy paced back and forth.
“We bribe a servant?” Diana offered.
“To steal?” Gabrielle shook her head. It was one thing to ask a servant for information. They were always testifying in criminal conversation cases or spying on her ladyship for his lordship. Covering up adultery could earn a servant a nice extra wage. But asking a servant to do something illegal was going too far. And what if the servant muddled the theft? “Too risky to even ask,” Gabrielle said.
She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of Cressy’s shoes shushing on the carpet. “I suppose we could try to break in…” she began.
Suddenly, the housekeeper stopped pacing. “I know,” Cressy said. “We go on a night when we know he is out. We’ll dress Diana as his mistress and go to his town house.”
