Naughty In Nice (A Royal Spyness Mystery)

with pictures of shepherds and shepherdesses all over it. But inside the lid is a miniature of Marie Antoinette, in a frame of perfect diamonds.”
    “It sounds charming.”
    “It is. I was most fond of it.” A wistful look came over her face. “Of course I may be quite wrong. I may be maligning the poor man. But I pride myself on being an excellent judge of character and I formed the opinion that Sir Toby is the kind of man who will do what it takes to achieve any objective.”
    “So what exactly do you want me to do, ma’am?”
    The queen looked surprised. “Go to his villa and retrieve the snuffbox for me.”

 
    Chapter 5
     
    Buckingham Palace
Still January 17, 1933
     
    I think my jaw might have dropped open a little, which is not permissible for ladies of my standing. I don’t think I could be blamed for being somewhat surprised, however.
    “You want me to steal it?”
    “Retrieve it, Georgiana. Sir Toby is the one who has stolen it.”
    “And if I’m caught?”
    “You will tell Sir Toby that the queen wanted her property back without causing any kind of public scandal. I don’t think he’d want to make a fuss. And if he did—well, I have good documentation in my possession that the snuffbox was in the Buckingham Palace collection until recently. He’d look an awful fool, and I don’t think he’s the kind of man who would like to be ridiculed.”
    My heart was racing. “But I don’t know Sir Toby. How am I supposed to gain access to his villa?”
    You can tell how rattled I was. I had forgotten to add “ma’am.”
    “Everyone knows everyone else on the Riviera, so I’m told. You said your family is going there. Well, Sir Toby has a villa in Nice, so I’m sure you’ll all attend the same parties. You’re a pretty young girl and you have royal connections. You’ll be invited everywhere.”
    I didn’t say that I thought it unlikely anyone would invite Fig and her unsociable sister, Ducky, unless they were really desperate. I felt a great weight of doom descending on me. For a moment I thought that I’d rather take up the offer of becoming Princess Louise’s companion, but then my sense of adventure took over. It was exciting, after all. Better than serving soup in dreary London. Much better than sitting alone at Castle Rannoch.
    I’d go to the Riviera. I’d do my best to carry out the queen’s request, and if I didn’t succeed, then that was too bad. At least I could ascertain whether Sir Toby had the snuffbox or not.
    I could sense the queen looking at me. “So can I count on you, Georgiana?”
    “I’ll do my best, ma’am.”
    She smiled then. “Splendid. You are a good girl, Georgiana. A credit to the family. I can’t understand why you’re not married yet. I had rather hoped that you’d find yourself a husband at Princess Maria Theresa’s wedding. So many eligible young princes there.” When I said nothing she added, “We are expected to do our duty, Georgiana. You need a place of your own in society. It’s not good to be dependent on others.”
    “I would like to marry, ma’am. It’s just that nobody suitable has asked me.”
    She patted my knee, which was an uncharacteristically familiar gesture for her. “I’m sure it will all work out in the end. And speaking of marriage, there’s one other small task you can carry out for me while you’re on the Riviera. My son David is shirking his duties again and is cruising the Med on a friend’s yacht. I understand that dreadful American woman was seen leaving London the other day on the boat train.”
    “Mrs. Simpson, you mean?”
    “Mrs. Simpson indeed. And one gathers that her husband was with her. She drags him around for respectability’s sake. The woman has no shame.”
    “I suppose we should be glad that she stays married to him. At least she can’t think of marrying the Prince of Wales if she already has a husband.”
    “Marrying my son? You surely don’t think that David is considering—preposterous. Quite out of the question. The nation would never stand for a divorced woman as our future queen! The church would not condone it. His family would certainly never stand for it.” She paused, as if considering. “So, Georgiana, there may be another little thing I’d like you to do for me while you’re there. . . .”
    “You’d like me to keep an eye on Mrs. Simpson, would you, ma’am?”
    She hesitated, then said firmly, “Yes, that’s it. Keep an eye on Mrs. Simpson. The king has always