The Last Eligible Bachelor - Ashtyn Newbold Page 0,65
would hold this against me.
There was only one safe option. I had to put it back before morning.
Before I could lose my nerve, I slid the necklace inside my glove on the underside of my hand. The ruby left a large bump beneath the fabric on my wrist, but I bunched the fabric around it to make it less noticeable. The ladies would likely still be in the drawing room for a few more hours, especially after Mr. Hill joined them.
My stomach clenched. The cold metal of the necklace dug into my skin, reminding me just how much more suspicious I would appear for having fled the room. What if Miss Downsfield was, at that very moment, convincing Mrs. Ollerton to search for her pendant tonight rather than in the morning? My worries continued their course through my head as I sat on the edge of my bed.
If I were to venture back to the drawing room, it would be unwise to leave the necklace anywhere near my room, on the chance Mrs. Ollerton did send servants in search of it. But approaching Mrs. Ollerton about where I had found it was not a safe option, nor was trying to sneak it back onto the bust in the drawing room while everyone else was gathered there. I would have to wait until late in the evening, after everyone else had gone to sleep. And for now, I would have to do all I could to evade any suspicion. Keeping it under my glove felt like the safest choice at the moment. It was undetectable, and I would ensure it didn’t get lost.
With my mind made up, I stood and made my way quietly down the stairs. A lively melody streamed through the house from the drawing room, where one of the ladies must have been playing the pianoforte. I stopped several feet away from the door in the dimness, fisting my hand to keep the necklace from sliding around inside my glove. How would I explain my abrupt departure? I didn’t regret what I had said to Miss Downsfield—especially now that I knew that she had attempted to frame me.
“What have you done now?”
I jumped at the sound of Mr. Hill’s voice. He walked toward me from the direction of the dining room, brow quirking upward in curiosity. I put a finger to my lips, backing away from the door. He followed, and I eyed the nearby footman suspiciously.
“This way,” I said, waving Mr. Hill toward me as I walked with quick steps toward the library.
He didn’t question it, but followed me as I slipped behind the heavy library doors. They closed with a thud behind us, and the large windows let in just enough light from the sunset to show the curiosity on his face. “If you wished to be alone with me, you could have simply asked.” A slow smile spread over his lips.
Drat. I hadn’t thought of how it would appear if we were seen alone in the dim library. The necklace inside my glove, however, was a reminder that my sneaking that evening had only just begun.
He seemed to notice the worry on my brow. His expression softened, and he took a step closer. “What is the matter?”
“The missing pendant,” I said, swallowing. “It was in my room. I think one of the other ladies put it there in the hopes that it would be discovered and I would be blamed.”
Mr. Hill’s jaw tightened. “You cannot be serious.”
“I don’t know how else it could have gotten there.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, the spark of anger in his eyes growing hotter. “Do you know who did it? I can speak with Mrs. Ollerton and have her held responsible.”
“I don’t know for certain.” I wrung my hands together. “And there is no need for that.”
He eyed me carefully, the anger instantly fading from his gaze. “How can they be so cruel to someone so kind? I don’t understand.”
I looked down at my shoes, a sudden surge of emotion gripping my throat. How was it he could make me so vulnerable, all with one look and a few sweet words? My emotions would have never been allowed so close to the surface before, but he somehow managed to untether all my defenses.
“I am not entirely kind,” I said, still staring at the floor. “In fact, what I said to Miss Downsfield before leaving the drawing room this evening was not kind at all.” My voice turned into