As suspicions about Lizzie’s character and the diamonds spread, she becomes increasingly isolated yet continues her extravagant social life at Portray Castle, where she is especially fascinated by the adventurous and mysterious Lord George. At the same time, Mrs Carbuncle pressures Lucinda Roanoke toward marriage with the brutal Sir Griffin despite Lucinda’s intense dislike of him, while Lizzie’s ambiguous intimacy with Frank continues to cause pain for Lucy. During the journey back to London, the conspicuous iron box in which Lizzie supposedly keeps the necklace is stolen from her room at an inn, although she has actually removed the diamonds and hidden them separately. Instead of revealing that the jewels are still safe, Lizzie allows the authorities and her friends to believe that they were stolen with the box, turning another impulsive lie into a potentially serious case of perjury.
