“Well, it has happened again!”
Lord Falconer’s frown was so real, his confusion appearing so apparent, Henry would have found it difficult to believe it was all entirely false, had he not known it to be so.
“What has happened?”
“The ring has been taken from me.”
His friend immediately threw up his hands.
“How can that be?” he exclaimed, sounding so utterly astonished, Henry began to wonder if he might have made a mistake in thinking that he was responsible. “You were wearing it on a chain around your neck, were you not?”
“I was. But the chain itself was a little visible around the back of my neck, though I did not think that anyone would think anything of it.”
Lord Falconer rolled his eyes.
“And yet someone has pulled the chain – and the ring, I presume – from you? When did you first become aware of it?”
“Only a few minutes ago.” Henry sniffed and shrugged. “It matters not.”
At this, Lord Falconer’s eyes opened wide.
“I beg your pardon?”
“It is as I have said,” Henry continued, still doing his best to appear as entirely nonchalant as he could. “It does not particularly matter.”
There came a silence between them which Henry made no effort to fill. Instead, he only smiled.
“I do not understand.” Lord Falconer tilted his head, a frown on his face. “You do not care that your father’s talisman ring has been taken?”
“I would care, had it been genuine.” Seeing his friend’s mouth fall open, Henry chuckled, forcing the sound out of his mouth. “I told a few people about what I was doing this evening as regards the ring and the chain. However, rather than place my father’s genuine ring on the chain, I placed the paste ring there instead.”
Lord Falconer blinked rapidly, his eyes now fixed on Henry.
“You have a paste version of your father’s ring?”
“I do.”
“And how long have you had it?”
Henry shrugged.
“I have had it for many a year, though I did not like to wear it.” With a small sigh, Henry looked away. “To be truthful, the ring is such a pale imitation of the genuine talisman ring that it was an embarrassment to me to wear it. Of course, to the untrained eye, it would look like the real ring, but I would know that it was not. In that regard, I do not care that the ring has been taken, though I confess that it is still frustrating.”
There was nothing but silence as Lord Falconer looked into Henry’s face and said nothing. Henry shrugged and then smiled, though inwardly, his stomach was busy tying itself into lots of tiny little knots. Was his friend going to believe him? Or would he realize that Henry had learned the truth about him?
“Goodness, what a disappointment that will be for whoever has taken your ring!” Lord Falconer cleared his throat gruffly and looked away, though Henry took in the little red dots in his friend’s cheeks. “That is good, however. Good that you have not lost it.”
“Yes, it is.” Letting out what he hoped was a self-satisfied sigh, Henry grinned broadly. “The real ring is still in my study desk, though it is in a drawer which I have locked to be quite safe. I think that, once I return home, I will have it placed in the safe!”
Lord Falconer nodded.
“It sounds like a good idea.” Clearing his throat for the second time, he looked around the room and shrugged. “I do not know if I will stay at this ball for much longer. I confess that I am a little bored.”
“To White’s, then?”
His friend shrugged.
“Mayhap. Do you intend to stay here a little longer?”
