Page 93 of Sleigh Bells and Snowstorms
Who was that woman looking back at me? She was cool and composed, without a hint of fear in her expression.
I liked her.
When I went back to the dining room, I found Julian waiting with slices of chocolate cheesecake at our places. I smiled and took my seat.
“Did you really cook all this?” I asked.
“I did. I told you I wanted to cook for you.”
“You’re very good at it.” I took a bite of the cheesecake. To his credit, the food was delicious, and the rich, smooth dessert was a nice complement to the meal.
I ate a little, debating my next move. I’d done my job. Jensen had a way in. But how was he going to find the necklace? Was it even there? Julian didn’t have it on display, at least not on the ground floor. There was an entire upstairs we hadn’t explored, but the last thing I was going to do was suggest he show me the bedrooms. That would give him the wrong impression and might even put me in danger.
But I still wanted to know if he had it. Was it even worth the risk for Jensen to break in?
I turned my gaze to the brooch. “I’m still so fascinated by that brooch. I was thinking the necklace in the other room tells a story, and this one does too.”
“Careful, darling,” Jensen whispered, as if he knew exactly where I was trying to take the conversation.
He was right. I did need to be careful. If Julian knew who Jensen was, he’d have to suspect why he was in town. And if he caught the slightest whiff of my real reason for being there—became even mildly suspicious that I’d been sent in by Jensen to locate the stolen necklace—I had no idea what he might do.
“That’s exactly why I wanted it. It’s not even important to me what it’s worth. Well, it’s a little bit important.” He winked.
“It must be exciting to get your hands on a treasure with real history behind it.”
“Believe me, it is. There’s nothing like the rush of finally acquiring a rare piece.”
“I can only imagine. Is this one new to you?”
“No. I acquired that a few years ago.”
“What’s your most recent find?” I met his eyes and lifted the corners of my mouth in a subtle smile. “I want to hear about your latest adventure.”
Jensen groaned. “Fuck, you’re good at this.”
Julian watched me for a moment, his mouth curling in a grin. I held his gaze, lifting my eyebrows.
I dare you, Julian.
“All right.” He rose from his chair. “I’ll be right back.”
“Bloody hell, he’s going to show it to you,” Jensen said. “Where’s he going? Can you tell?”
“Upstairs.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.” I paused, listening. “I can hear his footsteps.”
A moment later, Julian returned carrying a square wooden box with hinges on one side. He sat and set it on the table, turning it so the front faced me.
“Are you ready for this?” he asked.
I set down my wineglass. “Yes. What is it?”
“Everything else I showed you? Nothing compared to this.” He slowly raised the lid.
There it was. A crown-like net of gold and diamonds, set with rubies and a large teardrop emerald in the center.
