Her friends exchanged a glance and then Miss Millington put one hand on Elizabeth’s arm.
“It is only that… There’s something a little odd in the library.”
“In the library?” Elizabeth repeated, frowning. “Whatever do you mean?”
Miss Millington licked her lips.
“I am at times a little curious, and I confess that in this situation I was very curious indeed! I do very much enjoy seeing the sort of things that other gentlemen and ladies have within their homes, and given that Lord Winterbrook has opened up his drawing room, library, and parlor to us, I did have a prolonged perusal in his rooms.”
“Which is quite understandable.”
Eager to reassure her friend that she did not think ill of her because of this, Elizabeth spoke quickly, but Miss Millington shook her head.
“What I discovered,” Miss Millington continued, her voice so soft that Elizabeth had to strain to hear it, “Was a particular book that caught my attention. It was in the corner of the library on one of the shelves, but it jutted out a little and I could not understand why. This is where I state that you must forgive my curiosity, for I stepped forward and made to push it back into place, but it would not move.” Swallowing, she lifted her gaze to Elizabeth, then turned it away again. “Something was behind it and, upon discovering a small black velvet bag, I could not help but see what was within.” Still confused about what her friend was talking about, Elizabeth merely waited for the final explanation. “I am sure,” Miss Millington finished, her head dropping forward, “I am sure that I found your brooch, Elizabeth."
Shock ran like ice through her veins.
“My brooch?” she repeated, stupidly. “What do you mean?”
“We may very well be wrong,” Lady Sherbourne interjected quickly. “Miss Millington showed it to me, and we do both think it appears very similar to the one you call your own, that is all.”
“And, recall, I did see you wearing it last Season,” Miss Millington added. “I do not think that I would have recognized it otherwise.”
Elizabeth took a breath. Her stomach was churning this way and that, but she shook her head, confident in Lord Winterbrook.
“I am certain that you are mistaken, although I appreciate your concern. I trust Lord Winterbrook. Why ever would he have my brooch?”
“Why indeed?” Lady Sherbourne offered her a quick smile, but it faded soon afterward. “Perhaps we are quite mistaken. It would be very strange indeed if hedidhave your brooch.”
A sudden fear wrapped itself around Elizabeth’s heart.
I cannot know for certain unless I see it.
With a forced smile, she gestured to the door.
“Might we make our way to the library so that I might look at this brooch for myself?”
Miss Millington nodded.
“Of course. I am sure that we are mistaken. It would not make any sense at all for Lord Winterbrook to have it.”
“None whatsoever,” Elizabeth responded with a firmness that she did not feel.
Slowly, pieces were sliding towards each other, beginning to produce a clarity within her heart that she had not seen before.
Her strength beginning to waver, she followed her friends to the library. It was not overly crowded with other guests, for which she was grateful. As she trailed after Miss Millington, her heart began to pound, her breath coming in short snatches, and she was suddenly afraid of what she would see, and what it would mean.
“Here it is.”
It took a few moments to find the book she had been looking for, but once it was found and pulled back, Miss Millington stepped aside to allow Elizabeth to look. Reaching out, her fingers ran lightly over the brooch and, pulling it forth, she gazed down at it.
This cannot be!
She did not have to take more than one glance to know it was her own. This piece was well known to her, for how often had her eyes run over every inch of it, taking in every sparkling piece? Yes. Thiswasher brooch, her heirloom, and the one which had been taken from her by the highwayman.
Lady Sherbourne was biting her lip as Elizabeth looked up. Miss Millington was dancing from one foot to the other.
“Surely it could not be…”
