In fact, Sofia knew the shady places her brother frequented down in London. However, the girl lied to the Scotts to protect him. She wanted to go to those places herself and find him. Recover Katerina's jewels and return them to the Scotts.
Sofia knew where her brother went to sleep in London after playing cards (in which he miserably lost). She knew of a certain Mika, a mulatto woman who worked as a prostitute to survive. She knew the exact street of her house, even the house number. There were, however, two problems in finding her: there was no longer a coachman and no carriage, so it had to be done discreetly, without the Scotts finding out.
Sofia had a solution for the first problem: the carriage and the coachman. She decided to go to the Scotts' neighbors, who surely had one.
The girl didn't know the identity of the neighbors. She had always seen their house from a distance but had never ventured there. You can imagine her surprise when Nancy Bright opened the door after Sofia knocked.
"What are you doing here?" the woman asked without even greeting her.
"Good morning, ma'am, I didn't know you lived here..."
"Now you know. What do you want?"
"Our carriage broke, but I need to go to the city, so I was wondering if I could borrow yours. I can pay you if you want."
"I don't need your money," Nancy replied. "The important thing is that you return it by three. We need to go to the seamstress and we don't want to be late."
"Thank you so much," said Sofia.
"Miriam!" Nancy shouted toward the house. "Prepare a carriage. We need to help this young lady."
Half an hour later, the carriage was ready, and the girl got inside.
"Where are we going, miss?" the coachman asked.
"To London, to Greenshild Street."
"Those places aren't fit for a lady."
"I need to see my brother."
"Oh, if your brother is there, then he's in trouble."
"Alas, we're all in trouble."
The coachman closed the door, and after a while, the carriage began to move.
The girl was teetering between a thousand thoughts. What would she do if her brother refused to return the jewels or what was left of them? What if they had already been sold? Nothing terrified her more than this option. The carriage jolted over the stones. The destination was getting closer. The respectable London neighborhoods were over. Now the air was filled with a faint stench, and the people on the street were all poor. Some were begging for alms.
At some point, the carriage stopped, and the coachman went to open the door for her.
"Are you sure you want to go?" he asked.
The girl nodded.
"I need to find my brother."
"Good luck."
"Wait for me here," she added. "I'll be back soon. It won't take long." Sofia took a small alley, spotted a run-down house, and knocked on the door. A woman, Mika, opened it.
"I recognize you," she said. "I know who you are."
"Who is it?" Johnny's voice was heard from inside the house.
"I need to see him," said Sofia.
Her eyes landed on the woman's neck. Mika was wearing Katerina's necklace, the very one Sofia had worn for a while, on loan from Edgar Scott.
"I'm here for the jewels," Sofia added, now stepping decisively into the house. Mika touched her neck and the necklace but did nothing to give it back.
"Who is it?" Johnny's voice came from the bedroom.
Sofia followed the sound of his voice and entered. Her brother was lying bare-chested on the bed.
"Ah, it's you," he said, disappointed.
"I'm here for what you stole."
"But she told me she won them in a game," Mika said.
"I never win at cards," Johnny laughed, amused. "I lose, actually... This necklace is yours anyway, sweetheart."
"No, it belongs to the Scotts, and I'll take it back," said Sofia, approaching Mika. "Please, take it off."
Mika unhooked the necklace from her neck and, uncertain, handed the jewel to Sofia.
At that point, Johnny became agitated and jumped off the bed.
"Give it back to her now," he said.
"I can't."
"I told you to give it back!"
"Where are the other jewels?" Sofia asked instead.
"It's none of your business."
"It is my business," a voice said from behind Sofia.
Edgar Scott himself was there. But how was that possible? Sofia stared at him, stunned.
"You followed me?" she asked.
"I couldn't leave you alone," Edgar explained. "And besides, this is a matter between me and Johnny... So, where are the other jewels?"
"I lost them at cards," Johnny said.
"You're lying."
"No, I'm not lying. I always lose at cards. I only kept this necklace for Mika."
"This necklace comes with me... Now let's go, Miss Swan."
"And what will happen to me?" Johnny asked.
"I won't report you to the police, don't worry," Edgar assured him. "But I never want to see you again. Now do us a favor, return my carriage to the house as soon as possible."
"It will be done," Johnny said.
"Let's go," Edgar said, taking Sofia's hand spontaneously. "This place is not fit for ladies."
Sofia handed him the necklace, and the two left Mika's house.
Once outside, Edgar mounted his horse while Sofia climbed into the Bright family's carriage. They made their way home safely.