I used the telephone in Sebastian’s study. After waiting an extremely long time on the line, I was finally connected with Inspector Longly. We exchanged greetings, then I said, “I think you should see a photograph here at Archly Manor. It’s a picture of Lady Pamela wearing a pearl bracelet. They could be the strings of pearls that were in Alfred’s pocket.”
“You can tell that from a photograph?”
“I know it sounds unbelievable, but bear with me for a moment. The bracelet has two square-cut jewels that link the strands of pearls. I can’t tell exactly what color the stones are in the photograph, of course, but they’re obviously darker stones, not diamonds. Mr. Blakely took the photograph, and he says the stones were emeralds. On the night of the Silver and Gold party, Lady Pamela forgot her handbag. It was on a table near me, and when she came back for it, several things spilled out, including two square-cut emeralds surrounded by smaller diamonds. At the time, I thought they were dress clips, but they look exactly like the stones in the photograph.”
“So you think the pearls were detached from these jewels that linked the two strands of the bracelet together?
“Four strands,” I said. “They’re double strands of pearls. Two strands connect the jewels. Yes, I think the pearls and the jewels were separated.”
“Why?”
“Well, the mostly likely possibility is that Lady Pamela cut off the strands of pearls and gave them to Alfred.”
“Instead of cash for a blackmail payment?” Inspector Longly asked. I’d expected that he’d sneer at the idea, but his voice was thoughtful. The line was silent for a few moments, then he said, “Is Lady Pamela at Archly Manor?”
“Yes. Sebastian is giving a small dinner party, and she’s attending.”
“And you returned?”
“The dinner party is in honor of Alfred. Violet was determined to be here, so Gwen and I came with her.”
“I’ll see you shortly.”
The dressing bell had already rung by the time I hung up the telephone. I dressed quickly with Milly’s help, changing into a gown of turquoise chiffon with glass beads in a geometric design on the dropped-waist bodice. Gwen had given it to me when she cleared out her wardrobe last season, and I’d hemmed up the skirt so it didn’t brush the floor. I rushed downstairs and managed to enter the drawing room shortly before Babcock announced dinner.
Monty, who was near the door when I walked in, cocked an eyebrow. “And what have you been up to?”
“Running late, I’m afraid.”
“No, it’s more than that. You have an air of excitement fairly shimmering around you.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” I drew a breath to calm my racing heart. “It’s only because I had to rush down.”
“I trust you’ll tell me later. I do want to hear all about it.”
We went in to dinner, and it was fairly subdued, at least according to the standards of Archly Manor. Violet wore a black silk dress with floaty chiffon sleeves and a black feather in her hair. Gwen wore a lavender gown with a lace overdress. We drank a toast to Alfred, and the whole thing was rather well done, which surprised me. Except for a few cutting remarks from Lady Pamela, the tone of the evening was one of reminiscing, and no mention was made of the way Alfred had died. I was tense, listening for Longly’s arrival, wondering if he would interrupt dinner.
But the pudding was served and the tablecloth was removed without an appearance from Scotland Yard. The men opted to skip their port and cigars and joined the ladies directly in the drawing room. We were discussing whether or not we should play bridge, when Babcock glided into the room, whispered something in Sebastian’s ear, and then came to me and murmured, “Inspector Longly has arrived and wishes to speak to you in the reception hall.” I excused myself and followed Sebastian out the door.
Inspector Longly’s suit looked a bit out of place compared with my opulent gown and Sebastian’s tuxedo. Sebastian drew a set of keys out of his pocket as he greeted the inspector. “I understand you need to see a photograph in my studio.”
“Yes, let’s start there.”
I led the way up the stairs with Sebastian, Longly, and a constable trailing behind me. Sebastian unlocked the studio, and I showed Longly the photograph. He examined it with his one arm behind his back, then he stepped closer and traced a finger above the strings of pearls, counting under his breath. “Twenty on each strand,” he said to the constable, who made a note. Longly turned to me. “Describe these stones again that you thought were dress clips.”
I went over everything, describing how they had fallen out of Lady Pamela’s handbag. “I didn’t look at them closely, just scooped them up and put them back, but they were square cut like the ones in the photograph, and they had a surrounding line of small diamonds.”
Longly nodded, then said to Sebastian, “Do you have a copy of this photograph?”
Sebastian picked up a folder from a worktable. “I made one this afternoon. I thought you might need it.”
Longly glanced inside. “Thank you. You both can return to the drawing room. Mr. Blakely, I need to use your study again.”
Sebastian took Longly and the constable to his study while I slipped back into the drawing room and was immediately recruited to play bridge. Sebastian returned shortly after I did and whispered in Lady Pamela’s ear. She’d been jittery during dinner, constantly shifting position in her seat, adjusting the flatware of her place setting, or fidgeting with her jewelry. Her eyebrows lowered into a frown, but she followed him from the room, the beads on her pink dress clacking against her long necklaces.
I had a terrible time concentrating on the game and apologized to James when I put my cards down. “I’m sorry, my mind’s not on the game.”
“It’s fine. Happens to everyone,” James murmured in his even-tempered way, but he didn’t leap at the idea of another game with me as his partner. The evening ended early without Lady Pamela returning to the drawing room.
I went up to my room and rang for Milly. “Did Lady Pamela retire early?” I asked as she unbuttoned the row of small buttons on the back of my dress.
“No, she was with Inspector Longly.” Milly put my shoes away. “Apparently, he spoke to her ever so nicely, trying to convince her to talk to him, but she wouldn’t say one word more.”
“How do you know this?”
A flush stained her cheeks. “George, one of the footmen, was in the hall.”
“I see. So what happened?”
“Lady Pamela told the inspector he could wait on her in the morning at Harlan House in London, then she had everything packed and left.”