A Study in Chicanery

Chapter 5 The Race to be unnoticed

We made our way back to the others, Brian had a smug look on his bearded face, I knew he was up to something. As I sat down, he whispered double it or nothing mate, that she notices it's missing before we leave. I nodded, taking him up on it.

So, the game was still on, and for the last two hours that we stayed at the reception poor Ginny became the unknowing centre of our somewhat devious game1

Brain, eagerly waiting for Ginny to notice her missing necklace, tried, for the most part, to remain mute. I sweated it a bit, but his saboteur's tactics failed.

I'll admit I hadn't thought it out before agreeing, but what probably should have been a suckers bet, with a million ways for Ginny to notice her necklace was playing hooky, apparently was going with the long odds for me to win.

I sweated it a bit, but no-one else amongst the crowd pointed out, or even seemed to care that Ginny was no longer wearing her necklace! Even the bloke in the open-collared re shirt, who managed to steal Ginny away for another dance, failed to say anything. Which made me a mite curious as to where his attention span had been focused.

Even when me sister tried to help Brian out by playing with her own jeweled necklace while she held Ginny's attention during the conversation, and then again in the ladies' powder room flashing her necklace in the mirror, she failed to cause a reaction!

Through all this, the poor creature never quite caught on that her necklace had been lifted from her throat! Unscrupulously nicked away on a whimsical bet while innocently dancing!

And continued danced with me she did, all of us thoroughly enjoying the rest of the evening's attractions, along with the bit of fun we were having at poor Ginny's expense.! But I made damn sure that our poor victim had the time of her life for my repentance.

Then during our last slow dance, I did start to harbour the prickling thought of trying for another of Ginny's baubles. But the thought of winning 2 quid from Brian, who in his time has won a bit more from me than I from him, kept my thoughts of further thievery in check! I knew my spirit was weakening. Fortunately, we left soon afterwards....

Next up

Chapter 6

Innocents Abroad