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Back The Dazzle of the Light Save as PDF
Chapters (55)
  1. Praise for Georgina Clarke
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. 8
  10. 9
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12
  14. 13
  15. 14
  16. 15
  17. 16
  18. 17
  19. 18
  20. 19
  21. 20
  22. 21
  23. 22
  24. 23
  25. 24
  26. 25
  27. 26
  28. 27
  29. 28
  30. 29
  31. 30
  32. 31
  33. 32
  34. 33
  35. 34
  36. 35
  37. 36
  38. 37
  39. 38
  40. 39
  41. 40
  42. 41
  43. 42
  44. 43
  45. 44
  46. 45
  47. 46
  48. 47
  49. 48
  50. 49
  51. Historical Note
  52. Acknowledgements
  53. Also by Georgina Clarke
  54. About the Author
  55. Copyright

‘Harriet wouldn’t take tuppence worth of tea that she didn’t pay for, let alone diamonds,’ Gerald concludes, his moustache twitching as he chews his cake.

‘I would not,’ Harriet says, with feeling. The heat rises at her neck as she remembers the tortoiseshell manicure case in her bedroom. ‘Certainly not.’

41

41

Thursday morning

She must warn Ruby. The thought burns in Harriet’s mind as she walks towards Oxford Street.

It had been growing dark when Arthur MacKenzie had left the house yesterday, and she could manufacture no pretence for escaping and travelling to Soho. Besides, not long after the inspector had gone, Ralph had arrived, for no reason other than to bring her a bouquet of flowers and to apologise for leaving her so hastily that morning. So sweet of him. And then she had quite forgotten about Ruby. Her mother had persuaded Ralph to stay for dinner and fussed about the meagreness of the lamb chops the kitchen had prepared, and Ralph had made them all laugh with impressions of various men of note that he knew.

When she woke this morning, however, it was Ruby – not Ralph – who was the focus of Harriet’s first thought. Ruby had pretended to be her, to be Harriet Littlemore, as she studied Mr Carrington’s very fine diamonds. She had lain in bed for a while, imagining Ruby standing just a little taller, copying her own mannerisms as her slim fingers stroked the bracelets and brooches so that the jewels caught the light. Ruby becoming Harriet, just as Harriet, when she had taken the manicure case, had pretended to be Ruby. She then found the case at the back of the dressing table drawer where she had hidden it and ran her thumb over the tortoiseshell.

Ruby was a clever thief – a brilliant one – but the inspector was certain that she was planning to raid Mr Carrington’s shop, and he would be watching and waiting for her.

Harriet had abandoned all thoughts of the office and decided to spend the day searching the larger department stores in the hope of finding her friend.

She walked every floor of Debenham and Freebody, traipsing up and down the marble staircase to wander around coats, fabrics, furs and cosmetics. It was possibly the first time she had ever been into the store without intending to make a purchase. She barely glanced at the new gowns.