“You mean, you cannot tell us anything regarding its origin?” Edwin inquired as the man put the necklace back into a small pouch then handed it to Edwin.
“I’m afraid I cannot.” Mr. Willoughby shook his head apologetically. “There is no engraving inside or on the pendant. The chain itself is very common. You can purchase it in almost any jewelry store that sells… well, less expensive items.”
The way he said it made it obvious that he was a bit offended that they would bring him such an uninteresting piece of jewelry for assessment when he himself was dealing only with the finest pieces. Lydia looked around and had to stifle her gasp of awe several times at perceiving some of the items he had on display. They were truly masterpieces of gold and of precious stones and diamonds, and any lady would be very fortunate to wear any of these pieces.
However, Lydia was a rational woman. She always considered herself to be one. She had no particular taste for gold. Naturally, she had jewelry of her own, just like her sisters did, most of which had been inherited from their mother, grandmother, and so on. Family heirlooms. Those were what Lydia loved. Jewelry that actually meant something. Jewelry that had been passed down from generation to generation. Jewelry that had the scent, the touch of skin of every woman in their family who had ever worn it. That was what truly made a piece of jewelry worth possessing.
“You could try Nathaniel Emerson,” Mr. Willoughby suddenly seemed to remember. “Down on Wickham Street. I think he sells similar pieces. He might know more about this one as well.”
“Thank you for that information, Mr. Willoughby.” Edwin bowed his head quickly then led Lydia and Susannah out of the store.
Once out in the street, the three continued walking. It was a busy morning, even unusually so. Susannah made sure to give them some privacy as she walked behind them with Edwin and Lydia walking side by side. They didn’t even notice Susannah did this. It simply felt natural to walk in such a manner, almost like a couple that had been courting.
“We should try this Mr. Emerson,” Lydia suggested as they passed by different stores, none of which held any interest for them.
“There are three more jewelers here,” Edwin reminded her, “all of them selling items of the finest quality. Taking into account what Mr. Willoughby just told us, I doubt we’ll have much luck here, but we cannot omit anyone.”
“I suppose you are right,” Lydia agreed.
She turned to look at her reflection in the shop mirror, and he did the same. She could see him smiling at her.
“Perhaps, while we are there, we ought to get you a necklace as well,” he suggested, glancing at her bare neck. “We can’t have a lady walking around without being smothered in pricey jewelry,” he chuckled.
“Who says I don’t have pricy jewelry?” she asked, giving him a mischievous look. “I simply prefer not to wear it.”
“Why?” he asked, sounding surprised. “I thought all women loved jewelry.”
“I do not feel a strong preference for it,” she shrugged, “unless it is something dear, something close to the heart.”
“So… if I purchased something for you now, you would not wear it because it would not be close to the heart?” he asked as they continued walking.
“Why would you purchase something for me in the first place?” she responded, cleverly avoiding answering his question.
“It is merely a hypothetical question,” he explained.
“So, you wouldnotpurchase something for me then?” she turned the question around, playing with him. They both seemed to have a lot of fun, though. That much was obvious.
“Hypothetically?” he asked, unable to resist chuckling.
“Hypothetically,” she nodded.
“I would,” he said, surprising her with his response. Then, before she could ask anything that might clarify this sudden desire to gift her something, he explained himself. “That is solely because you have proven to be of immense help, and I wish to express my gratitude somehow. I have always been taught that a gentleman expresses his gratitude best when purchasing a nice gift for the lady. Seeing we are here in the jeweler’s quarters…” He allowed his sentence to trail off.
“I am in no need of jewelry, I assure you,” she said, taking over control of the situation once more. “As for your gratitude, a spoken word is more than enough. Besides, this is what I always wanted to experience.”
“This?” he wondered, his face suddenly taking on a more serious expression.
“A mystery,” she clarified. “A real mystery.” Then, she realized that he might understand her wrong. “I didn’t mean that I’m glad your sister disappeared, or that I am having fun doing this. I… I simply… oh, goodness. I’m afraid that I have gotten entangled in my own words.”
She said it so endearingly that it immediately made him smile. He could not be upset with her. At least, she hoped he would not be.
“I think I know what you are referring to,” he assured her gently. “There was a time when I believed that I needed more excitement in my life, more of something that would make me feel like I was living on the edge of my seat all the time. Unfortunately, that is exactly what I have received. That is why one should always be careful with what one wishes for — because that wish may actually come true.”
She bit her lower lip, feeling awkward that she worded it so wrongly. That was not what she meant at all. She simply wished to tell him that she felt honored he allowed her to help, even after the mistakes she had made that almost ruined his investigation. Yet, she could not bring herself to tell him this.
At that moment, Edwin stopped in front of the next jewelry store. They entered, and this time, he allowed her to do most of the talking. She was surprised it was so because with Mr. Willoughby, he was the one who explained what they needed and who showed the man the necklace in question. This time, however, she was explaining everything. He merely showed the necklace.
Unfortunately, this yielded the same result. There was nothing extraordinary about that necklace or the pendant. There was nothing that could link it to any buyer or any jeweler. It was the opposite of one in a million.