Page 92 of The Duke and Lady Scandal
“The post has come,” Lottie announced when she entered the dining room ten minutes later.
She usually left it on the table in the foyer or brought it up to the desk in Allie’s bedroom, but Allie understood that Lottie was kindly attempting to offer her a productive distraction.
So she scooped up the post and headed to the drawing room. A few pieces were invitations for Eve, one was a suspiciously perfumed letter for Dom, and one large envelope was addressed to her.
The return address listed their insurance company, Lloyd’s of London. She’d begun the claims process by sending a note on the day of the break-in and returning a form the next day.
Allie pressed a hand to her middle and sent up a prayer before opening the envelope.
Their coverage would only provide five hundred pounds, which would not be enough to cover the loss of the diamond.
She pressed a hand to her mouth, willing her breakfast to stay down.
What on earth were they going to do?
She had to see Holcroft immediately, inform him of the loss, and determine his valuation of the stone.
A knock at the front door made her heart leap into her throat. Her foolish, hopeful heart.
It wouldn’t be Ben, though that was the first thought when she heard the sound.
Lottie stepped into the room. “Lady Josephine Wellingdon to see you, miss.”
Jo hadn’t waited and stood behind Lottie, already pulling off her gloves. She wore an eager smile. Nothing at all like the forced one Allie returned.
“Thank you, Lottie.”
Jo swept in and closed the door behind her with a soft snick.
“You look better than I expected you to,” she said as she sat in the chair catty-corner to the settee Allie sat on.
“Do I? I suspect I feel precisely as you expected though.”
Jo abandoned the chair and slumped down onto the settee next to her. “Oh, my dear. Do you want to cry?”
“No,” Allie told her honestly. “I’ve cried enough.”
“Quite right too.”
Allie loved that Jo was prepared to support her, whatever her mood.
“Thank you for coming.”
“Of course.” She reached out and patted Allie’s cheek. “Now, what’s all this, then?” Jo tipped her head to scan the papers in her lap. “Oh dear. This is about the break-in, isn’t it? Look at your poor safe.”
Allie hadn’t noticed that there were photographs included in the envelope. And underneath the letter, she also found a document marked “duplicate.” It was Detective Constable Baker’s report on the theft.
She pulled out the photographs and held them out so Jo could see too.
“Does anything seem odd to you?”
Jo narrowed her eyes and studied the image. “Other than the safe being broken into and still filled with jewelry?”
“Yes, other than that.”
Jo squinted again. “No.”
“How about those bits of paper?” Allie handedthe photographs over to Jo and went to the secretaire that Eve used. In the first drawer, she found what she sought and came back to the settee.
