Part 16 (2/2)
”Not to worry, my pet. You are talented. The right role will come along, and when it does, you'll be glad to have walked away from this clown when you did.” He walked over to his briefcase, opened it, and pulled out a wrapped rectangular box. ”I've got something for you. It was supposed to be for your birthday, but given the circ.u.mstances, I'm thinking there's no harm in opening it a few days early.”
She took the package, looking up at his smiling face when she did. ”What is it?”
”Open it and find out.” He tapped the top of the box. ”Every time you wear it, I want you to remember that you are somebody special, and that you are completely and fully worthy of anybody or anything in this entire world.”
She'd unwrapped the package and been stunned by the beauty inside. It was the most gorgeous necklace she'd ever seen. Huge sapphires surrounded by diamonds encircling each individual stone.
”I've always liked you in blue. It brings out your eyes.”
”It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.”
”You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.” He'd hugged her then and stood. ”I've got to run. One thing, though, the insurance fellow made me promise to keep this locked up. You're not allowed to wear it anywhere or anytime when there is not adequate security.”
”When can I wear it, then?”
”We're in the process of having a copy made for you to wear whenever you feel like it. The jeweler is fabricating it now, but I'll be out of town when it's ready. Can you remind your mother to go pick it up next week?”
”Yes, sir.”
”That's my girl.” He walked from the house, smiling as he closed the door. She'd had no idea it would be the last time she'd ever see him. Two days later, he was dead, and she and her mother found out exactly how many of their friends were true. The answer was . . . none.
thirty-three.
This is absurd.” Willow turned her face away.
Mr. Winston handed the photo to Lauren. It showed Willow and a young stick-thin Asian woman exchanging a paper bag between the two of them. It made no sense, so she looked back up at him, waiting for an explanation.
”Yes, it is.” Miss Montgomery's voice was calm, firm. ”Completely absurd.” She paused for just a moment, then said, ”Now, what was it you were saying-the reason you were here was to heal the family rift? Did you believe somehow that selling this necklace would be beneficial to that? And then, when you realized it wasn't the real thing, you decided it could be lucrative in a couple of other ways.”
”I don't know what you are talking about. Mr. Edwards found that necklace in his cottage. Ask him if you don't believe me.”
”First of all, you retrieved the necklace, apparently believing that returning it to me would be more beneficial to you than selling off the copy. Then you attempted to make Lauren look as though she'd had something to do with it. The problem is, that's not even the worst part of your betrayal.”
Neil Winston pulled out a copy of the LA Times article from that morning. It showed a picture of the necklace with the engraving from Randall Edgar Blake. New Evidence Arises in the Decades-Old Randall Edgar Blake Murder, the headline read.
”You really should learn the facts of what you possess before you go selling information to the newspapers,” Miss Montgomery said.
”There is engraving on that necklace. I don't know how you can be much more factual than that.” Willow frowned toward her aunt, the hint of a dare on her face.
”Keep in mind, this was the copy necklace. We had a fake engraving added to it, for reasons that I will not go into. Needless to say, the original has a much different engraving. It was from my father. Would you like to see it?” Miss Montgomery reached behind her for the clasp.
Willow's face had gone deathly pale. ”I . . . well, I . . .”
Miss Montgomery set the necklace upside down beside her niece. Willow refused to look at it.
Finally, Miss Montgomery picked the necklace back up and handed it to Lauren. ”Since my niece seems to be suddenly unable, or unwilling, to even look at my jewelry, perhaps, Miss Summers, you would do us all the courtesy of reading the inscription aloud to us?”
Lauren reached down to pick up the necklace, surprised that the original seemed even heavier than the copy. She held the clasp up to the light and read, in the tiniest script, ”'To my daughter, the one who has my heart. You are worthy, beautiful, and honorable.'”
”Truth was, I was none of those things and never have been, but my father saw me that way. Being born to a single mother back in those days . . . well, let's just say that there was no shortage of reminders that I was not worthy or honorable. As for beautiful, you don't have to be in Hollywood long to begin to understand your shortcomings in that particular area. I wear this necklace now to remind myself that there was once someone who did think these things of me. Even if he was the only one.” She extended her hand toward Lauren. ”If you don't mind.”
Lauren handed her the necklace. ”Do you need help with the clasp?”
”I've worn this piece every single day of my life for the past sixty years. I think I can manage it.” She fastened the clasp in the front, then turned the necklace around on her neck, before directing her attention back to Willow. ”People like you are the very reason I chose to live out here in the middle of nowhere, spend time with no one, and care about no one. All my life growing up, there were people who pretended to like me, to be my friend, to love me. All they actually loved were my money and my father's power. When that power was taken away, guess what? They ran as fast as they could toward the next person who they thought could help them.”
Lauren's heart ached for Miss Montgomery and for the years she'd spent here, essentially alone and miserable. How awful it must be to not be able to trust anyone. In spite of her unusual childhood, Lauren at least had Chloe and Rhonda and Aunt Nell. She felt a tear slide down her cheek. She reached up with the napkin and pretended to wipe her mouth while dabbing at her cheek. When she glanced toward Miss Montgomery, she found her watching her closely, having seen the whole thing.
”Now, you are a more confusing piece of the story, I'll admit that. You don't seem to have anything to gain here, yet you keep coming back. I still don't understand what motivates you.”
”Miss Montgomery, it breaks my heart that your life has been such that you disbelieve the sincerity of even the smallest act of kindness. Most people would accept it for what it is, I think, but then again, most people have not come from your unusual background. I simply wanted to be a small reflection of G.o.d's love toward you, because people in my past have been that to me. I'm sorry if my attempts at kindness actually had the opposite effect on you. Believe me, that was never my intention.”
”Truth is, I think I do believe you, strange as that is for me to say.”
”Oh, come on, Aunt Charlotte, anybody can see that she is just after your money.”
”That's what you see because that's how you feel. Perhaps people who think differently feel differently and see things differently, too. I'm only sorry that it has taken me almost sixty wasted years to finally understand this.” She looked toward Lauren. ”I'd like to start by asking your forgiveness.” She turned to the side wall to study an oil painting of a young girl in a party dress, as if she suddenly found it fascinating. She rubbed her hand across the neckline of her dress, then looked back at Lauren. ”Forgiveness for doubting your intentions, when they apparently were n.o.ble.”
”Of course I forgive you.” Lauren looked from Miss Montgomery to Willow, who was still glaring at her, to Mr. Winston, who was fidgeting in his seat as if there was more to be said. ”I hope I'll get the chance to make another dress for you sometime.”
”There's nothing I would love more. Thank you.” Miss Montgomery rose from her chair. ”Please, stay seated, enjoy your dinner and desserts. I find myself needing to lie down.” She swept out of the room, her blue gown glowing in the light as she left.
Mr. Winston waited until the door had closed behind Miss Montgomery before he turned his attention toward Willow. ”I've been asked to notify you that, as of right now, you are no longer welcome in this house. Miss Montgomery asks that you kindly not return, as you will not be allowed inside this house ever again.”
”But I . . . she can't . . .”
”Of course she can. In fact, I'll see you to your car.”
Lauren pushed back her chair and prepared to leave, also. It seemed this evening had drawn to its conclusion, however weird that conclusion had been.
Neil Winston motioned toward her seat. ”Miss Summers, could you please stay for just a little longer? I do have a few more things to discuss with you.”
Lauren sank back into her chair, completely perplexed about what else was left to discuss, especially now that Miss Montgomery had left the room. She nodded toward Mr. Winston. ”Okay.”
Willow cast a backward glare toward Lauren as she walked out of the room, then turned up her nose and disappeared out the door.
thirty-four.
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