The Attenbury Emeralds by Jill Paton Walsh Page A

what you say. I think we will find them all at home.”
    ‘“Is that really necessary?” he said. He was beginning to falter.
    ‘“Either that or the police. As you wish.”
    ‘He blustered a bit more, and made as if to leave, but he found Bunter standing in the drawing-room door, arms folded, legs planted firmly apart. So he caved in, and we all got our coats on and toddled round to Attenbury’s.
    ‘And there, Harriet, quite a charade was played out. We got there around six, and the family were assembled in the drawing-room. Northerby did not so much as glance at his lordship or her ladyship, he advanced straight to Charlotte, took her two hands in his, looked her straight in the eyes, and said, “Dearest, I’m afraid there has been a serious muddle. I must ask you to tell Wimsey here that you know all about the supposedly missing emerald. That you gave it to me. Otherwise I am in trouble.”
    ‘That girl rose to the occasion magnificently. She turned to me wide-eyed, advanced a pace or two towards me, looked me straight in the eyes, and said, “Yes, Peter, of course I know about the emerald.”
    ‘Attenbury positively roared at his daughter: “Charlotte! What do you know about the emerald?”
    ‘“I was going to tell you very soon, Father,” she said.
    ‘Northerby had regained his composure. “This can be sorted out quickly,” he said. “Charlotte, if you will just tell everybody that you knew I was going to pawn it.”
    ‘“Yes, Reggie, I knew,” she said, and then she burst into tears.
    ‘Well then, as you can imagine, Harriet, the fur flew. Attenbury went pale as ashes, and said in a strangulated sort of voice, “Charlotte! Let me understand you. You gave the king-stone to your fiancé, knowing he was going to pawn it? I suppose he gave you some sob-raiser about being short of cash?”
    ‘“Yes, Father,” she said. She was shaking like a leaf.
    ‘“Oh, Charlotte!” cried Lady Attenbury. “What about Jeannette? You were going to lay the blame on Jeannette?”
    ‘“Only for a while, Mother,” she said. “When we got married we would have sorted it out.”
    ‘“Because the fellow would then have flogged the whole lot!” cried Attenbury. “Leave us at once, Mr Northerby, if you please, and come and see me first thing tomorrow morning.”
    ‘“I think I ought to go too,” I said.
    ‘“Stay, please, Wimsey,” said Attenbury. Northerby took himself off at once. It was horribly embarrassing. Charlotte was now standing in the middle of the room, weeping her eyes out. But perhaps just because I wasn’t family, it was me she spoke to.
    ‘“Oh, Peter!” she said. “I promised to marry Reggie, and everybody knows I did, and now I don’t want to, and what am I going to do?”
    ‘“Stop crying if you can, Charlotte,” said Lady Attenbury, “and sit down. And tell us the truth. Did you really give the king-stone to Reggie to take to the pawnshop?”
    ‘“Yes; no…not exactly…”
    ‘“Not exactly!” cried her father. “Well, do you mind telling us what, inexactly, you did do? And take a care what you say, my girl, because I won’t have any footling about on a matter like this!”
    ‘“Attenbury,” said Lady Attenbury, “it really won’t help to shout at her. She’s beside herself already.”
    ‘“Bloody women!” cried his lordship. “You get it out of her, and come and tell me when you have. Come along, Wimsey, come and have a drink.”
    ‘So I missed some of the best bit. Lady Attenbury joined us in the smoking-room about half an hour later. It seemed that Charlotte really had known that Reggie was short of money. She had agreed that the emeralds could be pawned, or discreetly sold. She didn’t like them much anyway.
    ‘“ Discreetly sold? The whole of London would have been talking!” cried Attenbury.
    ‘“She seems not to realise that, Arthur. She hasn’t much idea of an important jewel.”
    ‘“She shan’t have them, then.”
    ‘“The main thing