Page 3 of Elusive Promise

"The curse?" she asked doubtfully.

A gleam entered his eyes. "You're not a believer in curses?"

"No, I'm not."

"Well, apparently neither is Westley. He has been quite eager to give the diamond to his bride-to-be."

"What is the alleged curse?"

"I don't know the details, but the diamond is passed to the bride of the first son of each generation, and some of those brides did not live happy lives."

"Westley's mother seems to be fine."

"Ah, but she never wore the diamond. She was too afraid of the curse."

Vincent paused as Jasmine and Westley stopped in the center of the room. The crowd grew quiet. Westley accepted a hand-held microphone from one of the consulate staff members.

"I want to thank everyone for coming," he said, with a welcoming smile. "Jasmine and I are eager to celebrate the official beginning of our lives together at this lovely engagement party thrown by her generous and wonderful parents, Raj and Kenisha Kumar, and her sister Anika."

The Kumars nodded as the guests gave them an appreciative round of applause.

"I'd also like to thank my parents—Phillip and Grace Larimer—and my siblings: Jonathan and Holly," Westley added, tipping his head toward his family, who were standing quite close to the Kumars. Then he turned his gaze on Jasmine. "I am the luckiest man in the world. The day Jasmine agreed to be my wife will always be the best day of my life. We come from very different worlds, across several continents, but miraculously we found our way to each other. I'd like to make a toast. To my future wife—Jasmine." He raised his glass.

"To Jasmine," the crowd echoed.

Parisa clinked her glass against Vincent's and then with a few other people in the immediate vicinity.

"Now, please," Westley continued, drawing the attention of the crowd back to him. "Enjoy yourselves. Eat, drink, talk. We hope to speak with each and every one of you before the night is over."

Westley finished his statement by giving Jasmine a loving kiss, and then the couple walked over to her parents.

Parisa was a little disappointed that Jasmine hadn't said a word, but Westley clearly had a strong personality, and Jasmine had grown up in a culture that kept women in the background.

"I'm going to speak to the Larimers," Vincent said. "If you'll excuse me."

"Of course." As Vincent left, she smiled in delight at another face from her past. "Mr. Langdon?" The blond-haired British man with the sharply intelligent brown eyes had taught at the school she'd gone to in Bezikstan.

"Parisa Maxwell? I thought that was you," he replied.

"I can't believe you remember me."

"One of my best language students, as I recall, and one who liked to speak her mind."

"Too much sometimes. How are you? Are you still teaching?"

"Yes. I moved to the university in Bezikstan about six years ago. But this year I'm actually a guest professor at Everly College, where my son Ben is a student."

"Ben is old enough to be in college?"

"Yes, he's twenty-one now. He goes to school at Everly, where Jasmine teaches economics. They've become very close. She's like his big sister." Neil tipped his head toward a line by the bar. "That's Ben in the blue suit."

Seeing the skinny male with the dark hair and short beard, she didn't even recognize the child she'd babysat a very long time ago. "He's all grown up."

"Time flies." He gave his son a wave, catching Ben's attention.

Ben got out of line and came over to join them.

"Ben, this is Parisa Maxwell. She used to watch you a long time ago when she lived at the embassy with her parents."

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