Chương 7 - Những Viên Ngọc Quý và Những Bí Mật

I Samuel’s original design.

The first time I it, I felt guilty.

angry myself feeling guilty.

He left a sketch.

a commandment.

His version heavy symmetry.

Mine opened one side.

I shifted the smaller stones so the pink center it was moving out a line white light.

The crescent engraving stayed.

But I interrupted it.

Every seventh curve broke direction.

Samuel never .

I .

Six weeks into the project, Avery came by.

stood over the prototype.

“You his drawing.”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

I her.

“’s all?”

“What you think I was going say?”

“I don’t know.”

smiled.

“ showed the original. It your grandfather.”

pointed mine.

“This looks you argument with won.”

I laughed so hard I put down tool.

Avery’s smile faded a little.

“ I are ending the engagement.”

stopped .

“What?”

“We should have done it the party.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

sat on the stool beside bench.

“We’ve known each other since college. Our families love each other. We look perfect photographs.”

“ sounds a terrible reason marry someone.”

“Exactly.”

“Does Margaret know?”

“ cried forty minutes, asked if could keep the caterer deposit future wedding.”

“ sounds Margaret.”

Avery .

“We’re fine. I are fine. We were basically excellent business partners pretending chemistry might eventually appear.”

I ask anything else.

Neither .

Two months later, Afterglow was finished.

The center was ’s pink diamond.

The rest was white diamonds, pale pink sapphires, platinum, a thin line rose gold hidden beneath the setting.

The back carried the engraving.

Samuel’s curves.

interruptions.

Inside the ring, I engraved five words:

Follow the light, the fear.

I no idea whether Samuel would have liked it.

the first time, I was okay with .

the finished suite the secure viewing room.

He stood there a minute without speaking.

:

“You it.”

“Yes.”

“Thank God.”

I .

“You too?”

“If you’d copied Samuel, this would have been a memorial.”

He the necklace again.

“This is alive.”

I look away.

The original plan was Afterglow remain ’s collection.

after Ruth it.

a curator it.

another.

Eventually, the Harrington Museum Decorative Arts asked exhibit the suite as part a show on independent American jewelry traditions.

proposed something bigger.

A long-term donation.

I repeat it.

“You’re giving away a diamond worth much?”

“I’m putting it somewhere people can see it.”

“ is extremely rich-person sentence.”

He laughed.

“You’re the one who the case.”

“I jewelry.”

“You argument inheritance.”

“I definitely .”

“You . You just used platinum.”

The opening night the museum was packed.

I hated every second it started.

Cameras.

Collectors.

People I only seen trade magazines.

old manager came.

Megan came too.

Margaret arrived wearing the $42,000 bracelet from the first day I met her.

Avery noticed looking it.

“ wears it constantly.”

Margaret heard her.

“I stole it. I’m getting money’s worth.”

Brooke’s father walked .

Alone.

I he reached .

He stopped three feet away.

“Ms. Parker.”

“Mr. Lawson.”

He older than he the last time I .

More tired.

“The auction dispute was resolved.”

“I heard.”

“We recovered the purchase amount.”

“I’m glad.”

He nodded.

uncomfortable.

“I was wrong you.”

I said nothing.

He continued.

“I used relationship with your employer pressure them.”

“Yes.”

“I shouldn’t have.”

“No.”

He glanced toward the display room, where Afterglow was behind glass.

“I owe you apology.”

I studied a second.

asked the question I wanted ask since the day I was suspended.

“If I still worked behind counter, would you be standing here?”

He opened his mouth.

Stopped.

I waited.

Finally, he said, “Probably .”

answer surprised .

It also respect the apology more.

I nodded.

“ remember the next time somebody with a name badge tells you something you don’t .”

“I will.”

Maybe he meant it.

Maybe he didn’t.

It was no longer job teach .

Ruth opened the exhibition.

talked Samuel.

hand engraving.

the difference between reproducing a tradition continuing one.

introduced .

I prepared remarks.

I forgot all them.

I stood front a room full people said:

“ grandfather taught everything I knew I was old enough understand how rare was.”

I toward the case.