The Donna Luna, located on St. James Street, was bustling with activity. Gentlemen of nobility and great wealth were engrossed in either drinking, gambling, or watching a young lady perform for them. The exterior of the building was composed of dark gray marble with red trim.
The interior of the club was composed of cream colored walls with gray trim along the borders. Several round mahogany tables were placed along every inch of the room, all of which were occupied. Dark red plush velvet chairs surrounded each table. A matching dark red plush velvet settee was beside a blazing fireplace.
The lighting was magnificent. Numerous tall glowing candles surrounded the room, along with a pair of brilliant chandeliers. The atmosphere was cheerful, yet filled with seduction and mystery.
Sitting alone on the dark red settee by the fireplace, Eliza Watson stared at the necklace in her hands. The chain was gold, the circular pendant composed of diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. The gemstones glittered brilliantly beneath the chandelier light, a bit too brilliantly.
Eliza examined the piece of paper that accompanied the necklace. The beautiful piece of jewelry belong to THE dowager Duchess of Devonshire. It had been stolen earlier that evening. The person responsible for the theft had yet to be found.
Removing her hand glass from the pocket of her dark blue skirt, Eliza examined the necklace more closely. She immediately recognized that the piece of jewelry was fake. The gemstones were much too vibrant, perfectly flawless.
Eliza shook her head. Whoever the thief was, they knew how to perform a jewelry switch properly. Sliding her hand glass back into her pocket, she began reading the piece of paper that came with the necklace more closely.
Item stolen. Necklace belonging to the dowager Duchess of Devonshire
Time of theft. Shortly after 5 o'clock this evening
Description. A gold chain with a round pendant composed of diamonds rubies and emeralds. A gold butterfly inscription rests on the back.
Turning the necklace over, Eliza nodded to herself. There was no butterfly inscription, further proving that the necklace was fake. She sighed.
A male voice was suddenly beside her. "Excuse me, but is that the necklace that has been swirling around in the papers this evening?"
Raising her head from the document, Eliza found herself face-to-face with a gentlemen. He was tall, possessing dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. He was quite handsome. He was wearing a white button up shirt under a black waist coat cravat black trousers and black boots. She cleared her throat. "Yes it is. Why, do you recognize it?"
The gentleman took a seat next to her. "I do. It looks quite similar to the necklace that belongs to my mother."
Eliza felt her heart stop. The gentleman before her was the Duke of Devonshire. She swallowed hard before shaking her head. "I'm sure it does your grace, but unfortunately it isn't your mother's actual necklace."
The gentleman raised when eyebrow. "What do you mean? It looks identical to the one that was stolen."
Eliza showed him the back of the necklace. "This is in fact a fake replica. For one matter, it does not have the butterfly inscription. Also, the gemstones are completely flawless."
The gentleman nodded slowly. "I see. How can you tell?"
Retrieving her hand glass once more, Eliza turned the necklace over and placed it beneath the Magnifier. "As you can see, these gemstones do not have any imperfections. Not one crack, feather, or crystal."
The gentleman's eyes widened. "My word, they seemed very real to me."
Eliza nodded. "If not looked at closely, they certainly would. However, these gemstones are made out of glass, not minerals found in mines."
The gentleman examined the necklace beneath Eliza's hand glass. "My goodness, this hand glass reveals everything."
Eliza chuckled softly. "It certainly does."
The gentleman raised his eyes to hers. "I have not behaved as a gentleman should. We have not been properly introduced." he extended his hand. "Lord James Dalton, the Duke of Devonshire."
Eliza smiled softly, placing her small hand into his. "It's a pleasure to meet you your grace. Detective Eliza Watson at your service."
James smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Watson. Tell me, what sort of detective are you? By that I mean do you work for Scotland Yard?"
Eliza shook her head. "No, I do not. I am a private detective."
James. "Really?"
Eliza nodded. "Yes, I inherited my father's cases, and office, nearly 2 months ago."
James nodded. "And is this your first case?"
Eliza shook her head. "My second actually. There was a disappearance of a prized broach that belonged to Mrs. Augusta Fielding. Like your mother's necklace, the brooch had been a jewelry switch. I was able to locate the real brooch and return it to her."
James. "How long did it take you to find it?"
Eliza. "About five days."
James smiled, his eyes sparkling. "I must say I am impressed Miss Watson. Now tell me, how do you plan to catch the thief that stole my mother's necklace?"
Eliza was about to answer, but then noticed a fellow inspector from Scotland Yard approaching her. She swallowed hard. "George."
Inspector George Crawford stared pointedly at Eliza. "I assume you have not yet found the culprit."
Eliza rolled her eyes. "No I haven't. Although, if I must be blunt, I don't see you scoping the area for the thief."
George rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "Sadly I have not. I was wondering if I could collect the evidence from you and take the case from here."
Eliza kept her cool, but her blood was simmering. She didn't like George one bit. The man was rude and arrogant. She raised her chin. "Thank you for your assistance George, but I would much rather see this case through myself."