“So actually, anyone in that room would have known that royal jewels were going to be worn with the outfits?” Mummy insisted.

“If you put it like that, yes,” Coco agreed.

“So we’re back to square one.” Vera sighed.

“Do you have a guest list of everybody who attended?” I asked.

“We have a list of people to whom invitations were sent,” Coco said.

“And there was a guest book at the door,” Vera added. “But how does that help? I don’t suppose anyone signed in with ‘jewel thief’ next to his name.”

“No, but we can eliminate quite a few people right away. Elderly colonels and their wives. Those old princesses. None of them are likely to have taken a necklace,” I said.

“I don’t know,” Mummy said thoughtfully. “Some of those old Russian princesses are frightfully hard up these days. Perhaps the necklace did fall into that old woman’s cleavage and she decided to say nothing about it.”

“Oh, surely not,” I said. “Princesses have honor drummed down their throats from the day they are born. They’d rather starve than do anything to let the side down.”

“Try starving one day,” Mummy said. “I noticed that the old French princess was rather taken with you, Georgie. You could pay them a visit.”

“What, and search their house while I’m there?”

“No, but you could let them know how terrible Vera and Coco feel about letting the Queen of England down. Play the old honor card. You’ll notice their reactions.”

“I could do that, I suppose,” I said. I paused before saying my thoughts out loud. “The one we should really look into is Bobby Groper.”

“Who is that? A relation of Sir Toby?” Vera asked sharply.

“His son. He was the young man who helped me to my feet and then disappeared.”

“And you found him again? How clever,” Coco said.

“It wasn’t particularly clever,” I said. “We were hiding out in the same alcove.”

“I didn’t know his son was staying at the villa,” Mummy said.

“He’s not. He’s supposed to be up at Oxford, but he’s been sent down in disgrace. He’s sleeping on a friend’s couch and hiding out until he thinks the time is right to tell his father.”

“And just how did he manage to disappear from the room?” Coco asked.

“He claims he was standing next to the door and slipped out behind the gendarme when the latter came in. He says he’s quite good at doing things like that.”

“A slippery young man, then?” Mummy suggested. “And certainly the one with the best opportunity apart from the princess’s cleavage. Again, you’d be the person to deal with him, Georgie. Try out your feminine charms on him and get him to confess all.”