Brides of Bliss County Series Books 1-3 by Linda Lael Miller

Author:Linda Lael Miller [Miller, Linda Lael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781489212757
Publisher: Mira
Published: 2015-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

OCCASIONALLY THINGS JUST fell into place.

Melody thought the price for this diamond was a little high, but then again...

It was perfect. And, after all, Mrs. A. had requested perfection.

She said to Ronald Keith, “Tell me what you know about this stone.”

Old and spare, he was the canniest antiques dealer in Bliss County, and he knew everyone, so she was able to get the stone’s provenance. Wearing his usual patterned flannel shirt even in mid-summer, he leaned forward with a conspiratorial air, resting his bony elbows on the glass case. There was no one else in the shop, but he kept his voice low. Melody would have found it funny, but she was too entranced with the diamond. Its cut and brilliance were too striking to pass up.

“Well, word has it that it’s the diamond Rochester Pierce gave his wife the day he asked her to marry him.”

She managed to wrench her gaze away from the jewel for a moment. It was really gorgeous, the setting old-fashioned enough to support Ronald’s claim. “The senator?”

“That’s the one.” Ronald straightened. “It’s got good karma, too, since they were happily married for over half a century. The estate sale was pretty brutal. Not all their children are still alive, and the grandchildren bickered so much that all of it went up for auction.”

She was really entranced. The diamond was of rare quality, at least a carat and a half. A little showier than she’d planned, but the setting could be redone, or even kept for a different piece.

She could only hope that Mrs. Arbuckle meant it when she’d said price was no object.

On the other hand, Melody would have bought this, anyway. She could set it and resell it for a small fortune.

She dealt with Ronald quite a lot and knew he was an honest man. She doubted he was asking enough for this ring. He’d certainly recognized its quality. “I’ll take it.”

“Good.” He smiled. “That’s why I called you. I didn’t think anyone else would appreciate it and make it shine again, like you will.”

“Flatterer.”

They always flirted a little; it was part of the negotiation.

He didn’t hide his grin. “What can I say? I like pretty girls.”

She flashed him a smile in return. He was charming in his own way, although old enough to be her father. “I’m light-years away from being a girl, but I thank you for thinking of me. Our usual deal?”

He nodded. She often paid him a percentage of her commission when he brought her special finds.

They frequently did business when he picked up interesting finds like this one—which was perhaps the most interesting yet. She carefully set the ring by the cash register. “Okay, any other hidden treasures I need?”

A bit of dickering later—she hated that part but Ronald loved it, so she couldn’t disappoint him—she had a necklace she could easily disassemble and turn into several pieces. She also bought a couple of silver bracelets missing their settings, but they were solid and worth redoing.

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