Naughty In Nice (A Royal Spyness Mystery)

he is finally developing a conscience, at least about some things,” Darcy said, “although I doubt it. All I can tell you is that you’ll find yourself in even deeper trouble if you stay with him.”
    “I’m a big girl now, Darcy.” I faced him defiantly, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “I can make my own decisions and take care of myself.”
    “Hardly.” He looked at me angrily. “You go out alone on Toby Groper’s yacht? You hitch up with one of the most notorious men in Europe? You’re arrested for murder? That doesn’t sound much like taking care of yourself, Lady Georgiana.” He grabbed my shoulders. “Georgie, what are you doing? What has happened to you?”
    I wished he hadn’t touched me. I fought to stay calm. “Nothing has happened to me, except that I’ve discovered the real reason you’re here.”
    “Oh, you have, have you?” He was staring hard at me.
    I nodded, biting my lip. I waited for him to say something, to apologize for deceiving me. Instead he said, “In that case, all I can say is that you shouldn’t spread it around too much in certain circles. Not if you’re wise, that is.”
    “I don’t know why I’d want to spread it around.” I shook myself free from him, bumped against the bed and sat down heavily.
    “Careful,” Darcy said, grabbing at me. “You don’t want to sit on your pearls.”
    “My what?” I stood up as my hand touched something sharp. There, lying on my bed, was the missing pearl and diamond necklace.
    I stood staring at it as if it had been magically produced by a genie and might vanish again at any moment. “How did it get here?” I asked. “Did you put it there?”
    “Me? Of course not. What would I be doing with a necklace like that? Is it yours?”
    “It belongs to the queen,” I said. “It was stolen when I fell off the stage at the fashion show.”
    “Fell off the stage?” He looked as if he might grin.
    “You didn’t hear about it?”
    “I’ve been rather occupied with—other things,” he said. “So it was stolen and then returned?”
    “It’s amazing,” I said. “Someone at the party must have taken it, then their conscience got the better of them and they returned it.”
    “Really?” He was frowning, staring at the door.
    “I must tell the others. They’ll be thrilled.” I made a move toward the door.
    Darcy grabbed my arm. “Maybe it might be wise to say nothing at this point.”
    “You don’t understand. They’ve been worried sick,” I said. “At least I must tell Vera and Madame Chanel.” I opened the door and stepped out onto the landing. It was unnaturally quiet after the loud noises of the past few hours. I looked around and at that moment Vera walked across the foyer below. Obviously she wasn’t one of those playing naughty games. I ran to the railing and leaned over.
    “Vera. Look! It’s been returned. The necklace has come back!” I shouted. I suppose I had been drinking rather too much champagne all evening because I know a lady never raises her voice. The effect was instantaneous. Bedroom doors opened and people in various stages of undress looked out.
    I waved the necklace. “It’s come back. It was on my bed.”
    Vera’s face lit up. “Thank God,” she said. “It’s a bloody miracle.”
    “Yes, isn’t it?”
    “How on earth did it get there?” she demanded.
    “Someone must have deliberately put it there, knowing I’d find it when I went to bed.” As I said this it did cross my mind that Darcy might somehow have been involved. Had he in fact known about the stolen necklace and managed to recover it for us from the thief? Had he done this for me—as a peace offering? I glanced back at my bedroom, expecting him to come out and reveal himself, but there was no sign of him.
    I started to come down the stairs toward the small crowd that was now gathering in the foyer. Halfway down I caught my heel somehow and grabbed at the banister to stop myself from falling. The pearls slid from my hand and fell to the marble floor below. Vera and several others darted forward to grab them. But they were too late. The necklace hit the ground with a light, high, tinkling crash.
    “I’m so sorry. Are they all right?” I asked.
    Vera was on her knees, staring down at the floor where the largest of the diamonds had shattered into a hundred pieces.
    “Oh, no.” I joined her on my knees. “Vera. I’m so awfully sorry. I know I’m clumsy. I’ve ruined it.”
    She looked up at