- The King realizes that this is the second time the Cardinal has mentioned the diamonds and is intrigued by the mystery.
- No matter how much they pretend to be BFFs, the King and the Cardinal are also rivals. The King has been humiliated multiple times because the Cardinal has better spies than the King. He hopes to figure out the "Mystery of the Diamond Studs" and impress the Cardinal.
- He then goes to his wife and requests for her to wear the diamonds.
- She freaks out.
- The King notices and enjoys her reaction.
- Anne finds out that the Cardinal is behind both the date of the ball and the request for her to wear diamonds.
- The Queen begins to pray, believing that her reputation has been completely ruined. She has no friends and nowhere to go.
- Wrong! Madame Bonacieux is there, asking if there is anything she can do.
- Madame Bonacieux pledges her eternal loyalty to the Queen, and then proposes that a messenger be sent to the Duke. The Queen gives her a letter and seals it with her private seal.
- She then points out that Madame Bonacieux will likely need money. She gives the woman an expensive ring.
- Madame Bonacieux goes home, unaware that her husband is now loyal to the Cardinal. She thinks of D’Artagnan on her way home.
- At home, her husband is preoccupied with being friends with the Cardinal.
- Once she gets home, she embraces her husband and says she has an important mission for him.
- Her husband wants to talk about his day and night in the Bastille.
- Finally, it becomes clear to Madame Bonacieux that her husband will be of no help to her—he’s too closely allied to the Cardinal.
- Monsieur Bonacieux shows his wife all his newfound money from the Cardinal and Monsieur de Rochefort. His wife points out that Monsieur de Rochefort was the one who abducted her.
- His wife promises him that if he fulfills the mission, she will forgive him everything and love him again.
- Her husband is conflicted. She is young and pretty. He’s old and not very handsome!
- But he refuses. London is so far away and his memories of the Bastille are still too fresh.
- Madame Bonacieux realizes she may already have said too much, so she gives up.
- Her husband remembers that he was supposed to spy on her, but it’s already too late.
- Madame Bonacieux has to go back to the Louvre (she lives there while she serves the Queen), but her husband leaves first.
- Her husband’s departure gives her time to bemoan her situation and for D’Artagnan to arrive and offer himself as a messenger.