A Very Ruby Christmas: A Bound and Determined Novel

Author:Lavinia Kent [Kent, Lavinia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2016-11-14T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

“The man you sent came today,” Jasmine said as Ruby entered her sister’s chamber. It was strange how over the last several days she’d come to think of it as Jasmine’s room and the great bedchamber she shared with Derek as her own.

“The man?” Ruby answered, her mind still on her conversation with Madame Noir.

“About the jewels.”

“Oh.” Ruby turned to look at her directly. “And what did he say?”

“It was mostly disappointing, but not quite.”

“Tell me.”

Jasmine gestured to a low table and Ruby saw the glitter of jewels. “He said that all of the pieces together were worth about a thousand pounds, perhaps a little more, perhaps a little less. Only…” Her voice trailed off.

“Only?”

Jasmine squared her shoulders as if coming to a sudden decision. “Only my grandmother’s diamonds are worth far more. He said I might be able to trade them for a small estate or, with the right buyer, even a small kingdom. But I never meant to sell them. I always thought they were something I would pass down to my baby”—her gaze dropped to her belly—“if it is a girl.”

Ruby thought of her own sapphire drops. She’d never intended to pass them down, but somehow she’d never truly considered selling them either. “A thousand pounds is a lot of money.”

“But not to live on for the rest of my life with my child.” Jasmine turned and walked to stare out at the busy street. “I do know that there are plenty of people who could survive on that, but we both know that I am not one. I do not require luxury, I can certainly survive on far less than I had in my father’s house, but I cannot see myself in a single room, always worried about heat and food and if there is enough money to send for the physician if needed. And what of my child? What kind of life can I provide if I can barely keep myself?”

Ruby didn’t know what to say. Jasmine’s words were true. A thousand pounds might provide what Jasmine needed for a decade if she was very, very careful, but beyond that…Although perhaps in that time she would find a husband, someone to help carry her burdens.

Jasmine looked back over her shoulder, her smile bitter. “You don’t need to answer. I do understand my situation. I had just hoped it was different.”

“You can sell the diamonds. I know it is not what you want, but your daughter will not need diamonds if she is worried about food. And it is far easier to sell them now than later, when you are more likely to be taken advantage of in your great need.”

Jasmine exhaled, and Ruby could see her body curve forward as every bit of air was forced from her lungs. Both her hands came to rest upon the swollen belly. “I know, and I will do anything for my child, but there is another consideration: The diamonds will not be easy to sell. They are very recognizable.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.