“I am not calling in the usual way,” said Harnett, with considerable reserve. “Your cousin, the Chevalier de Vienne, dined with myself and General Leye this evening, hoping to enlist the General’s assistance in the search for the Newington Emerald. Your Emerald, Lady Truthful.”

“Oh yes?” replied Truthful, pointing one dove-grey slipper and looking at it as if it displeased her. “I hope it was an enjoyable evening.”

“It was a productive one,” said the Major, bristling. “The General deduced that the Emerald was stolen by your maid, Agatha.”

“La!” cried Truthful, in a show of languid surprise. “The disloyal creature! Father shall have her whipped. I am sure Hetherington knows how to lay on a cat-o-nine-tails!”

This sally met with silence, and Truthful, looking at Harnett through the corner of one half-lidded eye, felt both unholy glee at playing the spoilt young lady, and a strong tinge of guilt that had shades of something else. Did she really want Harnett to detest her, just because he had formed an opinion of her from what he had heard?

“I’m afraid, Lady Truthful, that you will not be able to have Agatha whipped unless you can catch her,” said Harnett coldly. “The commotion that has kept us up to this hour, and led to your own disturbed rest, was caused by the sudden decamping of your maid. She could be halfway to Dover and a ship by now. With your Emerald.”

“Oh,” said Truthful, more realistically. She hadn’t thought beyond her immediate pleasure in playing the Lady Truthful Harnett expected.

“You suspect she will flee to France?” asked Lady Badgery.

“I believe it is a strong possibility,” replied the Major. “Certainly, it would be in the best interests of such a criminal to sell the gem in some far corner of the Continent, where its provenance would not be known.”

“What can we do?” asked Truthful, almost beseechingly, before she remembered her chosen role. “I presume that you will assist a lady in distress, sir?”

Harnett looked at her coldly. “As I am now involved in this matter, Lady Truthful, I could not withdraw even should I wish to do so.”

“That was an ungallant speech, Major,” interrupted Lady Badgery, before he could continue. She moved slightly in between the straight-backed Major and the stiff-legged Truthful, like someone intervening between a dog and a cat. “However, my niece and I will be very grateful for your help. What is our first step, may I ask?”

The Major turned away from Truthful, and bowed to Lady Badgery. “A gallant speech from you, milady, only heightens my lack of courtesy. I apologise to you both.”

He turned back to incline his head at Truthful, and for a second, their eyes met. She saw a glint of anger there, as if he didn’t really want to apologise to her, and she felt her own eyes sparking anger back. With the fleeting thought that she might regret it, she cast herself even more into her play-acting.

“Oh, I regard such things as words little, Major,” she replied archly. “I judge a man by his actions. One always hears so much mere talk, don’t you agree?”

“As you say, Lady Truthful,” said Harnett, neatly turning her insult. “We must begin with words, however. For instance, can you tell me who employed Agatha before she came to be your maid?”

“Oh no,” laughed Truthful. “I have much more important things to do than enquire where servants come from, why—”

“Parkins will know,” interrupted Lady Badgery, casting a daunting glance at Truthful. “She always knows everything there is to know about anyone who comes to this house, family, servants or visitors.”

“Thank you, milady,” said Harnett. He coughed, and pulled a watch from his waistcoat, the silver chain tinkling slightly. “I think it might after all be best if I return later in the morning to speak to Parkins. I shall then make myself available for the whole day, if any concrete evidence should come forward.”

“That is most kind,” replied Lady Badgery. “I am sure that the chevalier will be delighted to assist you.”

Major Harnett nodded without enthusiasm, bowed again to Lady Badgery, and then, rather perfunctorily, to Truthful. As he straightened up, she felt a twinge of remorse, and held out her hand, saying in her normal tones, “I . . . I do thank you, Major.”

He merely touched her fingers, and his reply seemed to be directed at someone rather taller than her who was standing several feet behind.

“I look upon it as a necessary duty, Lady Truthful. I shall recover the Emerald for you. Good night.”

With that, he turned on his heel and left. Through the parlour door, Truthful saw him storm down the stair to the front door, snatching his hat and gloves from Dworkin who was coming up to meet him.

“You were very rude, child,” said Lady Badgery. “He is helping you, you know.”

“I know,” said Truthful despondently. “But he said that I was haughty and icy, and cut poor Mr Trellingsworth on purpose . . .”

“And now you have confirmed his opinion,” sighed Lady Badgery. “With a dose of silliness added to the haughtiness and ice. Fortunately, he is not someone of the first rank. I have never heard of the Harnetts of Yorkshire. It is odd, for his manners and bearing . . . it is not important.”

She looked around, to make sure they were alone, then bent down to Truthful’s ear. “You had best go to bed, Truthful. For Henri will doubtless be called early, if this Harnett is the sort of man I suspect.”

“Good night, Aunt,” sighed Truthful, kissing Lady Badgery lightly on the cheek. “And I thank you, at least, for your efforts on my behalf. Oh . . . I wish Father had never shown me the Emerald!”

The morning did begin early, as Lady Badgery had predicted. Major Harnett was at the house soon after eight, and Truthful had to stick on her moustache and appear as the Chevalier de Vienne while Harnett waited to question Parkins as Lady Badger had decided to question Parkins herself first. What she heard resulted in a screech of outrage from the old lady that brought Truthful rushing to her bedroom.

“Lady Amelia Plathenden!” she was hissing after another series of anger-venting shrieks. “That viper! Vixen! I see it now, a long plot and one worthy of that poisonous woman. Why, I’ll—”

Seeing her niece staring at her from the doorway, she calmed herself and took several deep breaths. “I must be growing old, not to think of Amelia Plathenden! Where is Major Harnett?”

“The Major is waiting in the library milady,” replied Parkins, “Perhaps I should fetch you a cordial . . . something calming?”

“No, no,” said Lady Badgery testily. “Fetch the major, or I’ll have to explain this whole thing twice. Don’t look startled, Chevalier, I’m an old woman, and this is a sick room at the moment, not a bedchamber. Besides, I’m sure Major Harnett has seen many a lady’s bedroom in his time.”

“Aunt!” cried Truthful, genuinely shocked and then she raised her hands to her face and blushed as she realised she’d said “Aunt” and not “Cousin”. Parkins, half way out the door, turned, and seeing Truthful’s look of despair, smiled and laid a finger alongside her nose, before closing the door behind her.

“Vulgar baggage,” remarked Lady Badgery. “Close your mouth, Truthful, and stop looking surprised. I told you Parkins always knows what’s going on. Besides, she might not be a trained sorceress, but she comes from a long line of witches. I daresay she could see through any glamour of mine.”

“Oh,” said Truthful. She sat down on the chair next to the bed, then stood up again to spread her coat-tails for a second attempt. “I thought I was doing rather well.”

“You are, dear,” said Lady Badgery. “But even the best glamour can only work for a short time in a house such as this, when you are under close inspection. Dworkin, for example, almost certainly knows. Perhaps Agatha did too. But none of my people will talk . . . or if they do . . .”

A knock on the door interrupted her, and Truthful got up to let Harnett in. As he passed, she couldn’t help running her eyes over him, taking in his sober blue coat, fawn pantaloons and shining top-boots. These, while highly-polished, lacked the glow that rumour said could only be gained by a mixture of champagne and polish applied by a master valet. His hair too, was only lightly brushed back, a sad remnant of the style he’d affected the night before, and his face was set in fairly grim lines. Despite all this, Truthful found that she would rather look at him than any dandy, and realising this, she denied it to herself, and looked away. Before the Major could say good morning, Lady Badgery spoke.

“Good morning, Major Harnett. Please be seated. You too, Chevalier. As you can see, I find myself confined to my sick-bed by the rigours of last night’s incident. I apologise. However, it is fortunate I was lying down, otherwise I suspect I would have suffered a fit of apoplexy when Parkins told me Agatha was once the personal maid of . . . of Lady Amelia Plathenden.”

A lack of recognition greeted these words, and the old lady looked somewhat miffed that Truthful and Harnett hadn’t suffered from a fit of apoplexy as well.

“Who is Lady Plathenden?” asked Truthful. “And why would . . .”

“I’m coming to that! Don’t be impatient, young man. The theft of the Emerald has obviously been a long-planned plot of the vilest nature, Major Harnett. This became apparent to me as soon as I heard that Agatha used to be Lady Plathenden’s maid. You see, Amelia Plathenden was very nearly Amelia Newington.”

“What?” cried Truthful, jerking forward in her chair.

“Oh, stop interrupting, Chevalier!” cried Lady Badgery. “Twenty-two years ago, Tancred Newington, the Admiral’s oldest brother, was heir to the title and the Emerald. He became engaged to Amelia Corbere, as she then was. However, she was caught in some indiscretion, and Tancred broke the engagement. They argued in public, and Amelia was heard to say that she only wanted to marry him for the Emerald.