Grace wasn’t so sure about that. After two days of knowing that her friend was in dire trouble, the two of them had discussed it ad nauseum and had reached precisely the same conclusion at the end of it all. They had no idea how to get the Woodward necklace back. ‘You could tell Porter.’ ‘I cannot tell Porter. He would… He would leave me.’ ‘Of course he wouldn’t leave you.’ ‘Well at the very least he would be furious and probably never trust me again. Besides, he’d probably challenge Lovington to a duel and the man is a wicked shot!’ Which certainly suggested that it would be better if Porter remained in ignorance. An angry husband was infinitely better than a deceased one (as Grace could attest to). Half a day later… ‘Perhaps we could appeal to Lord Lovington’s better nature? If you told him you would pay him the three hundred guineas back over a period of time, he might agree to give you the necklace.’ ‘Silas does not have a better nature. And it isn’t the money.
