A Solitary Romance: Book 1 in the Only Love Series (3 page)

"Golconda?" she asked.

"You've a true eye, Violet.  How did you know?"

"The size and color of the diamonds, and of course, the cuts, suggest the correct period.  I've never seen anything like it."  The piece mesmerized her.

"It's been in private hands for ninety years.  This is a real coup for the Heller."

The Golconda mine in India produced some of the world's most unique diamonds until drained of its treasure.  While most of the jewels in the enormous pin, meant to be worn across a lady's chest, would be classified as white, they gave off unusual fire. Katrina could detect blue, pink, yellow, pastel green, and even purple light emanating from the gemstones.  Again, platinum held together the work of art while allowing it to remain flexible, thus giving the piece movement.  The arms of a large
X,
filled with round and emerald cut diamonds and bordered with countless, small circle cut gems, met at a triangle cut, soft blue stone.  Without many facets, the centerpiece resembled a large aquamarine, although lighter in color.

"That's a rare blue diamond in the middle, thirty-four carats," Barry said.

Below the center stone, the
X
shape collapsed into two legs, made to match the upper portion, but closer together and ending in a cascade of diamond leaves surrounding three pear-shaped drops, each stone larger than the one above.  Back at the top of the piece, she examined a round knob of diamonds at the end of each arm.  They formed a circle of acanthus leaves.  Alone, these designs, centered around emerald-cut diamonds, would make fabulous brooches.  Yet they represented only a fraction of the
devant de corsage. 
From these hung pieces similar to the bottom branches of the
X
, yet only half as long.  The jeweler wasn't finished.  From each side of the piece, a chain of diamonds, connected with stones forming the shape of tulips, reached across the pin.  The top swag dipped slightly, but the bottom hung low, forming a large
U
from side to side.  The matching ear bobs appeared simple by comparison.

The set included a
kokoshnik
, or arched headpiece, with a similar blue diamond in the middle.  The jeweler had cut this stone square and angled its corners, creating a shape similar to that of the Asscher cut.  Large white diamonds that emitted a blue fire took prominent positions on each side of the centerpiece, while more gemstones displaying multiple colors of light filled the surface of the crown.

"Is there foil behind any of these stones?" Kate asked.

The girl's questions impressed Bronson.  She had some knowledge of Russian jewels.

"In the
kokoshnik,
yes.  These photos don't even do the pieces justice.  I flew to the Netherlands to view them in person during our negotiations.  Now, Violet, what do you suggest for this display?"

Katrina closed her eyes but continued to caress the photo.  Barry smiled in amusement at the girl's unabashed reaction to the jewels.  He appreciated her obvious love of beauty.  A knock on the door did not interrupt her concentration, and she kept her eyes closed as Bronson's secretary placed their meals on his desk.  He held his finger to his lips to communicate that his assistant was to remain silent and retreat from the room as soon as possible.  Several minutes passed, the aroma of their meals filling the office.  The director had begun to wonder if the girl were in a trance when she popped open her eyes. 

"These represent a world that will never exist again."

Barry heard the emotion in Kate's voice.

She continued, "They must be shown to the public in a way that conveys that.  Chips of eternal ice that by no means melt."

Bernard thought the girl a poet.  He'd have fallen out of his chair if he discovered she made her living as a bean counter.  He held his breath and waited to hear her idea.  She'd already convinced him with her passion that daisies were the way to go with the other set.

"I think you should display them on ice.  Not just any ice, but that from icebergs, with pools of water forming at the base."

Now, Barry's jaw dropped.  It was genius, but how to implement?  The owners would have to be convinced as well.

"You'll need to find someone to fabricate the ice and make it look like it's melting.  The case should be cold to the touch, as well, to fool the visitors into thinking the jewels sit on chunks from real icebergs."

"Can we meet again with our concept artist for drawings?" the director asked.

"Of course," she replied.

Barry's eyes sparkled.  He folded his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair, satisfied.

"Let's eat!" the director said with enthusiasm.

She enjoyed lunch.  Barry seemed down to earth, and the two even shared the dishes sent up by the café, since both entreés looked so good.  A stroganoff prepared with buffalo meat instead of beef melted in Katrina's mouth while a subtle halibut in white wine sauce satisfied her taste buds.  The pair shared freshly baked cookies and coffee after they'd cleaned their plates.

"Violet, have you ever worked at an auction house?  I can't believe you're completely green to this business," Barry said.

She nodded, sporting a sly smile.

"I wore The Ice Cube," she confessed in a nonchalant manner.

Bronson slapped both palms on his desk.  "You jest!" he exclaimed.  "I wanted to get my hands on that.  I was at Labberts at the time.  You must have been with
The B
."

Labberts, the second largest auction house in Los Angeles, competed with what those in the field referred to as
The B
, the largest on the west coast.  A fierce rivalry existed between the two houses at the time, and Labberts's employees were not welcome at
The B
.  Katrina's firm handled the engagement ring nicknamed The Ice Cube.  It was huge with limited facets, but flawless.

"I only worked part-time, and that was mainly at previews.  But, I did show that ring, and I slipped it on my finger a time or two.  I wanted to know what it felt like to wear the cost of a house on my hand!"  Kate gave Barry a sheepish grin.

"Good show, Violet."  Bronson approved of the girl's moxie.  "Can I call you tomorrow to set up our next meeting?  I'd like to run my other ideas by you.  See if you've any suggestions," he added.

"Of course.  I'll give you my cell number." 

She took the pen and paper offered by the director and wrote her name and phone number, then slid the paper back to Barry.  They said their goodbyes, ending in a hearty handshake.

As the director shook her arm up and down with his usual enthusiasm, she said, "Thank you so much for this opportunity, Barry.  You have no idea what just seeing those photos meant to me."

Bronson nodded with an expression that contradicted her statement.  He seemed to know
exactly
what it had meant to her.

Chapter 3
-Too Much Excitement for One Girl-

Heading back to the world of bean counting held no excitement for Kate after her meeting at the museum.  It was two-thirty by the time she reached her office.  At least it would be a short afternoon.  When the elevators opened on the fifteenth floor, home to Dodd and Company, Chuck Manning met her.

"You in heap o' trouble, Pale Face," he said with his best John Wayne impersonation.  Katrina had gone on several dates with this man over the years, but romance escaped them.  A few years older and fond of his younger co-worker, Chuck always made it clear that he'd be interested in more. 

"What's wrong now?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowed.  Manning joked around a lot.  Hopefully he was jesting.

"Boss man looking for you all afternoon, Miss Crimshaw.  There's a new sheriff in town and you ain't number one no mo'," he said in an accent that reminded her of Stymie from
The Little Rascals
.  Chuck's behavior bordered on inappropriate this afternoon, and he seemed to take a perverse pleasure in worrying her.

"Thanks for the warning, Chuck," she said, and headed for her office.  She wanted to distance herself from him before someone found her guilty by association.  She closed the door behind her, and shook her head.  No sooner did she sit down, than Kiki burst into her refuge.

"Mr. Dodd wants to see you right away."  She sounded short of breath.

"What's going on, Kiki?"

A knock kept her friend from answering.

"Come in," Katrina called.

Her supervisor pushed the door open, and stepped inside her office.

"Kiki just mentioned that you wanted to see me," she stated in a professional tone.

Kate tried to run interference for the receptionist who received a chilly look from William Dodd.

"Please join me in my office in five minutes, Katrina.  Kiki, come with me," the managing partner ordered before leaving.

So much for getting the low down from her friend.  The receptionist did risk a glance over her shoulder as she left the office, mouthing what looked like
He's here
with exaggerated lip movements.

Katrina took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.  This was not common behavior for her boss.  He'd only treated her with kindness in the past.  She drew in another long, slow drink of air, and checked her watch.  She pulled out her compact and applied fresh lipstick and arranged her thick, golden brown hair.  She wiped a bit of smeared liner from under her blue eyes, and powdered her nose.   Ready to face him, she poked her head out of her office.  The floor remained eerily quiet, like a storm brewed somewhere on the horizon, and people had already sought cover.

Outside Mr. Dodd's corner office, Katrina pasted her sweetest smile on, then tapped on his door.

"Come in," a stern voice commanded.

She eased the door open, concentrating on maintaining her smile.  It had worked wonders for her over the years—it got her out of traffic tickets, eased the ire of a man she bumped from behind in an intersection, and even cheered her boss.  She saw her supervisor at his desk, and the receptionist seated in one of three chairs opposite the managing partner.  A man occupied the middle chair, but he didn't turn around to greet her.  Kiki's face remained frozen in neutral.

Mr. Dodd placed his hands on the desk as if about to say a prayer.  Instead, words that Kate had trouble comprehending came from his mouth.

"I've hired Samantha's replacement."

He nodded towards the guy sitting next to Kiki and continued, "It will be necessary for me to step down for a time, and he'll be taking over for me in the interim.  I want you to . . . "

Samantha Jones served as Katrina's former supervisor.  Kate had hoped to keep reporting to the managing partner, and the news that he planned to step down hit her like a ton of bricks.

She interrupted her boss. "Whatever's wrong Mr. Dodd?" Kate cried out, taking a step towards his desk.

Her response shocked even herself.  Whoever the new guy was, it prompted a jerk of his head in her direction, but she didn't bother looking at him.  She studied William's wrinkled face, worried it could be a health issue that forced his departure.  It dawned on her in that moment how much strength she'd drawn from the supportive business relationship she'd had with the silver haired man.

"Katrina, take a seat, please.  We don't need any histrionics."

His harsh words stung.  He'd never spoken to her like that before.  Kate's knees buckled and she slipped into the empty chair, next to Samantha's substitute.  She grabbed its arm for support, grazing the wrist of her new superior as she did.  She experienced a strange sensation run from her hand to her shoulder, and she felt light headed.  Moving her elbow might appear awkward, so she stayed put, an electric shock travelling through her body from where her skin touched his.  She had trouble breathing and a knot formed in her stomach.  She had to face the man who would be her boss.  She turned her head to offer him a meager smile.

There, inches away from her face, she saw the features of Robert LaSalla—up close and personal.  A tingling at the top of her head kept her from speaking.  The next thing she knew, people ran hither and thither past her.  She tried to move, but something hard constrained her.  She tried to squirm free, but the restraint wouldn't budge.  

"Mi . . . Mi . . . Mister Dodd are you all right?" she rasped.

"Of course I'm all right.  It's
you
we're all concerned with, Girl!"

At that point, a paramedic grabbed her wrist, and whatever force held her still, let go. 

The blue-shirted man gave a thumbs-up to William Dodd.

"I think she's dehydrated with a slight fever.  I can take her in for observation, but I doubt it's necessary.  Someone should drive her home, though," the young EMT pronounced.  He continued in a loud voice, "How much water did you drink today?"

"None," Katrina whispered. 

Something shifted under her, and then Kate rose in the air without any effort on her part. 
What is happening?
  Next, someone lowered her into an empty chair. 

"If it wasn't for Mr. LaSalla here, you might have given yourself a concussion, Katrina.  Your new boss grabbed you when you fainted, and kept you from hitting the desk," the older man stated.

Her humiliation complete, she remembered now why she came to Dodd's office, how he'd accused her of being histrionic in front of Robert, and the way she felt light headed.  She also recalled the electric shock that went through her body when she shared the chair's arm with him.   She wondered how long he'd been holding her.

"How long was I out?" she asked.

"Five minutes," Robert answered.  His deep, calm voice made her tremble.  She hoped no one noticed.

"Kiki, can you take Miss Crimshaw home?" the managing partner asked.

"Yes, Sir."

  "Robert, when she's ready, help her down to the garage, will you?" their boss asked.

"Yes."  His monosyllable sent another shiver through Katrina's body.

William Dodd then shooed everyone from the room.  After resting for fifteen minutes, Kate questioned the man again.