After luncheon our guests left us and, after seeing them off, I was able to interview the servants. It went much as I'd expected. I'd thought out beforehand what to say, in hopes of avoiding wounding any delicate sensibilities. A difficult, maybe even impossible, task. 

 'Good afternoon everyone,' I began, in what I hoped was a friendly but authoritative tone. 'Mrs Harper has perhaps told you what this is about. An extremely valuable pearl necklace has gone missing from my bedchamber. You may have seen me wearing it last night. I put it on my dressing table after the ball, this morning it was gone. The room has been thoroughly searched, it's nowhere to be found. It therefore seems that it may have been stolen.'

 A murmur went round the room, signifying what, however...

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