“And I am sorry for that. We have all been grateful for your encouragement and for your determination to push us forward. That has been the greatest help to me.” Offering Joy her arm,Miss Simmons smiled warmly. “Let us continue as we have planned. Thetonshall know that we are here this evening, just as they are.”
Joy nodded and, with a broad smile, took Miss Simmons’ arm and began their promenade around the ballroom. Her friend was right. Even if Lord Yarmouth was not to show her even the slightest interest, that would not make a singular bit of difference to her determination to remain as present as she could be, in amongst theton.Though all the same, said a quiet voice, did she not hope that, in doing so, Lord Yarmouth might take notice of her again?
“I – I do not believe it!”
Without warning, Joy came to an immediate stop, staring at a small, dainty object that lay on the floor only a few steps away from them. Both she and Miss Simmons had walked around the ballroom not once but twice and yet now, as they were about to return to their friends, Joy’s eye had caught on something more unexpected.
“What is it?”
“Look!” Joy nodded with her chin, then dropped Miss Simmons’ arm. “I cannot understand what it is doing here!” Hurrying forward, she bent down quickly and picked up the gold talisman ring with the one single diamond in the center, holding it up for Miss Simmons to see. “That is the very same ring I picked up from the floor that night of the ball, when we first determined to step out together. Do you recall?”
Miss Simmons let out a small exclamation and came hurrying forward, her eyes rounding as she looked at the ring.
“Good gracious, so it is!”
“It must belong to Lord Yarmouth.” A frown pulled at Joy’s forehead. “Though quite what it is doing here, I do not know. How can it have fallen from his hand again?”
“It must be larger than he believes,” Miss Simmons suggested, as Joy shook her head. “No?”
“I have attempted to remove it from his hand during the dancing.” Explaining quickly what had taken place, Joy did not look at her friend for fear that she would see something in her eyes, something which told her that there was more in her heart for Lord Yarmouth than she was willing to express. “It was incredibly difficult and, even though I was successful in the end, the ring fell to the floor. I know for certain that it is not too big, given how much effort I had to put in as I attempted to do what we both suspected might have happened!”
Miss Simmons took the ring from her and looked at it again, her eyes sharpening.
“There is a crest on it. I do wonder if…” Frowning, she looked to Joy. “You believe, then, that someone attempted to take it from Lord Yarmouth’s hand during the dancing?”
“It was one suggestion.” With a pause, Joy shrugged. “I did suggest to Lord Yarmouth that, given how difficult it was for me to do, his ring had perhaps fallen from his hand by accident. Now, however, I begin to believe that there is more to the situation than there first appears. Why would his ring have fallen from his handaccidentally, twice in a row?”
Miss Simmons’ frown grew.
“It would not have done. This must have been a deliberate act.”
“But why? Why would someone seek to steal a ring such as this – and to attempt to do so for a second time?”
“For the diamond and the gold?” A twist of Miss Simmons’ lips told Joy that she was not entirely convinced herself about this. “It would bring in a little coin, certainly.”
“But not a great deal.” Joy rubbed one hand over her eyes, trying to think clearly. “The crest might have some significance, I suppose?”
Miss Simmons nodded.
“Perhaps.” She looked back to Joy. “Are you going to return it to him?”
Joy nodded.
“Of course. I shall simply have to find him first!” Turning, she looked around the ballroom but, in the crowd, could not see him. “I shall have to go walking through the ballroom again, in search of him.”
“Or…” Miss Simmons tilted her head, a fresh light coming into her eyes, “or you could wait.”
When she smiled and giggled, Joy frowned, not understanding.
“What do you mean?”
“Precisely that!” Still smiling, Miss Simmons leaned a little closer. “You shall have to call upon him, tell him that you have found something of significance andthatis your reason to call. He will, no doubt, invite you to take tea and then that will be all the better!”
Joy hesitated, a nervousness beginning to snake around her stomach. While she could see why Miss Simmons had suggested such a thing, she felt herself immediately pulling back from it. To go to call upon a gentleman was not something that was usually done, and certainly not by a wallflower!
But I am telling all of my friends that we are not to cling to such a name,she reminded herself, as her friend waited.Am I now to go against that?
“You have a better acquaintance with him than the rest of us.” Miss Simmons spoke quietly as if she were able to see just how many thoughts were running through Joy’s head and did not want to interrupt them. “I think he would be glad to see you.”
