Christmas Ever After (Puffin Island 3)

He was spared having to answer because at that moment Liv came back into the room and the rest of the family piled in behind her.

His father had several newspapers tucked under his arm and was carrying a tray with glasses. His mother was carrying two bottles of champagne and Alec stood up to help her.

“Two?”

“One to welcome you home and one to congratulate Skylar. You should read what the papers are saying about her. We had no idea this was so big! It’s like having royalty in the house.”

Liv curled up on the sofa. “It would be horrid having royalty in the house. There would be cameras outside and it would be impossible to get Church to curtsey. He never does as he’s told.”

Alec noticed that his sister hadn’t stopped playing with the bangle on her wrist.

“I bought two copies of everything.” His father put the tray down and passed Sky the newspapers. “One for you, one for your parents.”

Alec winced inwardly, but Sky’s smile didn’t slip.

“That was kind. Thank you.” She took the newspapers and put them on the table next to her.

“The piece is toward the back in all of them. Aren’t you going to take a look?”

“I’ll take a look later.”

Alec drew attention away from the newspapers. “That bracelet you gave Liv is pretty. How long does it take you to make something like that?”

“That particular piece?” She talked a little about the creative process and Alec realized that, far from being dreamy, she was sharp and focused. He was surprised to discover that all of her work now was bespoke. He wondered why her parents weren’t more supportive. From the little he’d seen, she’d managed to channel her vivid imagination into a lucrative business.

Liv was fascinated. “So someone tells you what they want and you make it? Cool. Do you use diamonds?”

“Yes, but I use other precious stones, too—emeralds, rubies and sapphires—they can be as rare and expensive. And I love working with silver.”

Liv touched the bangle on her wrist. “How do you make different shapes?”

“Hammering, soldering—”

“Soldering?” Alec stared at her. “You solder?”

“For making hot connections, although technically it’s called silver brazing. You’re joining metals using an alloy that has been heated to melting point. The molten solder interacts with the metal and when it’s cooled you have an invisible seam. It’s basic physics.”

“Hot connections aren’t confined to jewelry,” Liv murmured, and Alec sent his sister a look that should have welded her to the chair without the use of a blowtorch.

“So people come to you and ask for something specific?” His mother picked up a plate of canapés. “It must be very satisfying making something personal.”

“And a little scary. All I have is the brief from the person buying it. My fear is always that they won’t like the end result.”

“Has that ever happened?”

“No,” she admitted. “But that doesn’t stop me being afraid that it might. I do what I can to avoid that happening. Get as much information as possible about the person. Their likes and dislikes. How they wear their jewelry.”

Alec raised his eyebrows. “There is a way to wear jewelry?” It was news to him.

“Of course.” She took a glass of champagne from his father with a smile of thanks. “Some people keep it in a drawer and bring it out for special occasions. Other people like something they can wear all the time. And jewelry can evoke different feelings depending on the sentiment with which it was given. It can make you feel warm and loved, it can make you smile, it can make you feel glamorous. Either way, I make sure it’s individual. I never make the same piece twice.”

Liv touched her bracelet reverentially. “So there isn’t another one like this anywhere in the world?”

“Actually, that’s an exception. There’s another one exactly like that upstairs in my suitcase. It’s one of a pair. One for each wrist.”

“So now we have one each. I love that. You didn’t make this for anyone special?”

“I originally intended it to be part of the collection showing in London, but I liked it so I kept it.”