Chapter 5 – THE WOMAN WHO BOUGHT HER RING

“The buyer is collecting my mother’s ring tomorrow?”

Luca took the paperwork from Daniel.

He read the final page twice.

Then looked toward Celia.

“You said you planned to buy both rings back.”

Celia nodded.

“I did.”

“Then why did you approve the sale?”

She swallowed.

“Because the collector offered more than Eastgate’s original estimate.”

Teresa’s shoulders sagged.

Luca stared at Celia.

“You knew the ring was being sold.”

“Yes.”

“And you said nothing.”

“I thought I could replace it before anyone noticed.”

Vanessa turned away.

“Mom, that’s exactly what I kept telling myself about the wedding.”

Celia lowered her eyes.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Then Teresa said softly, “That’s the trouble with replacing things.”

Everyone turned.

She looked toward the jewelry box.

“Sometimes you can make a new one look almost exactly the same.”

Her fingers trembled.

“But it isn’t the one you lived with.”

Luca knelt beside her again.

“I know, Mom.”

She touched his face.

“Your father used to turn my ring around whenever we danced.”

A faint smile crossed her lips.

“He’d hold my hand and play with it while we waited for the music.”

Her voice broke.

“I could always tell when he was nervous because he’d turn it faster.”

Luca smiled through his tears.

“Dad was nervous?”

“Terribly.”

She laughed softly.

“Especially the day he asked me to marry him.”

Then she looked toward Celia.

“I don’t suppose the woman who bought it knows any of that.”

Celia shook her head.

Teresa nodded.

“Of course she doesn’t.”

The next morning, I found Luca already seated in the dining room.

He hadn’t changed out of his black shirt.

A cup of untouched coffee stood beside him.

Teresa had finally slept for a few hours.

Her hands were less swollen, but she’d asked me three times whether Daniel had found the rings.

I wished I had better news.

At nine thirty, Daniel returned with a woman named Nora Pierce.

She was in her late fifties, with short gray hair and a navy coat.

She managed Eastgate Estate Buyers.

Unlike Celia, she didn’t attempt to sound reassuring.

She looked uncomfortable.

“Mr. Moretti, I understand there’s been a serious misunderstanding.”

Luca stood.

“Five pieces of my mother’s jewelry were taken without her permission. Two ended up at your business.”

Nora nodded.

“Yes.”

“Can we have them back?”

“I’ve stopped all further transactions.”

“That wasn’t my question.”

Nora took a breath.

“One ring is still in our possession.”

Luca’s expression changed.

“My father’s?”

“Yes.”

She opened a small padded case.

Inside lay a plain gold wedding band.

It was worn.

Slightly misshapen.

And flattened along one edge.

Luca stared at it.

Then slowly reached toward the case.

“That’s his.”

Nora nodded.

“It had already been placed with other gold intended for refining. We removed it before the collection.”

Luca closed his eyes.

For a moment, he couldn’t speak.

Then he whispered, “Thank you.”

Nora handed him the case.

He held it carefully.

I had seen Luca Moretti hold expensive watches, luxury car keys, and business agreements worth more money than I could imagine.

But I’d never seen him hold anything the way he held that ring.

As though it might break if he breathed too hard.

Teresa entered a few minutes later.

I helped her into her chair.

Luca immediately knelt.

“Mom.”

She looked at him.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

He opened the case.

Her face changed.

She reached toward the ring.

Then stopped.

“May I?”

Luca’s eyes filled.

“Of course, Mom.”

She lifted it with trembling fingers.

For several seconds, she simply stared.

Then she found the flattened place.

Her expression crumpled.

“Oh, Antonio.”

She pressed the band against her lips.

And began crying.

Luca wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“I found one, Mom.”

She nodded.

“I know.”

Then she looked at Nora.

“Thank you for bringing my husband’s ring home.”

Nora’s eyes filled.

“I’m very sorry it was taken from you.”

Teresa nodded.

“I know you didn’t understand what it meant.”

Nora lowered her head.

“No, ma’am. I didn’t.”

Then Luca asked the question we’d all been avoiding.

“Where is my mother’s ring?”

Nora looked toward Daniel.

“The private buyer completed payment yesterday.”

Luca’s expression hardened.

“Can the sale be reversed?”

“I’m trying.”

“Who bought it?”

“A woman named Evelyn Hart.”

Teresa looked up.

“Do we know her?”

Nora shook her head.

“She’s a regular collector. She buys older pieces with unusual engraving.”

Luca frowned.

“My mother’s ring has an engraving?”

Teresa smiled sadly.

“Your father had our initials put inside.”

She looked toward me.

“A and T.”

Then she laughed softly.

“He wanted the jeweler to put a whole sentence in there, but there wasn’t enough room.”

Luca squeezed her shoulder.

“What sentence?”

Teresa’s eyes filled.

“Home is wherever you are.”

The room went quiet.

Nora looked down.

“Mrs. Hart is especially interested in sentimental jewelry.”

Luca stared at her.

“Then she should understand why we need it back.”

“I hope so.”

“What did she pay?”

Nora told him.

The amount was less than what Luca had spent on the dinner flowers.

He didn’t react.

“Offer her the full purchase price and any reasonable expenses.”

Nora hesitated.

“She’s already declined an initial request to cancel the transaction.”

Luca went still.

“Why?”

“She says she bought it fairly.”

Teresa lowered her eyes.

Nora continued.

“I explained that there was a question about ownership.”

“What did she say?”

“She asked for proof.”

Luca looked toward his mother.

Then back at Nora.

“She can have proof.”

Nora nodded.

“I’ve asked her to come here tomorrow with the ring. She agreed to hear your mother’s account in person.”

Teresa looked startled.

“Here?”

“If you’d be comfortable with that.”

Teresa hesitated.

Then nodded.

“Yes.”

Luca looked toward her.

“Mom, you don’t have to convince a stranger that you love something you own.”

She smiled sadly.

“I know.”

Then she took his hand.

“But perhaps she doesn’t understand what happened.”

Nora continued.

“There’s one other matter.”

Luca turned.

“What?”

“The private sale paperwork lists Mrs. Moretti as the person who authorized the transaction.”

Teresa frowned.

“But I didn’t.”

Nora nodded.

“That’s the problem.”

She opened her folder.

Inside was a copy of the authorization.

I leaned closer.

The signature looked like Teresa’s.

But something about it bothered me.

The letters were careful.

Too careful.

Teresa’s hands had been shaking for months.

She couldn’t write that smoothly anymore.

Luca noticed my expression.

“Hannah?”

I looked at him.

“Mr. Moretti, Mrs. Moretti hasn’t signed her name like that since before her arthritis got worse.”

Nora glanced at the paper.

“Are you certain?”

“Yes.”

I swallowed.

“I help her address birthday cards.”

Teresa nodded.

“Hannah’s right.”

Luca looked toward Celia, who had been waiting silently near the doorway.

“Mrs. Bellini, who signed this?”

Celia went pale.

“I don’t know.”

Nora hesitated.

“There’s something you should see.”

She turned the page.

Under the signature was a handwritten note.

Client signature supplied by family representative.

Luca looked up.

“Which representative?”

Nora met his eyes.

“Celia Bellini.”

The room fell silent.

Then she added quietly:

“And Mrs. Hart says she won’t release the ring until she knows whether the authorization was forged.”