‘I thought you didn’t believe in that?’
‘I don’t,’ she said with far less certainty than she had before.
‘They can’t hurt you. Only life and people can do that.’
‘I know,’ she agreed. ‘It’s just that I’ve never seen so many valuable gemstones lumped together like this. I can’t even imagine their combined value, or how long it’s going to take me to identify each one—did your father keep any records?’
‘I doubt it.’
‘This is going to take longer than I expected.’
‘Around six months?’ Luca suggested.
‘I didn’t imagine I’d be here so long.’
‘But you’ve finished your college course?’
‘Yes, I have, but still...’
‘I’ll get you all the help you need. I doubt my father even looked at these gems more than once before he tossed them into the sacks.’
Like penny sweets, Jen thought, refusing to think about value, or the good that could be done with such a sum. ‘This collection is unique.’
‘And you must be eager to start work?’
‘I am,’ she confirmed, but as she stared into Luca’s eyes, she wondered how she would bear to be on the island if he distanced himself.
Get over it, Jen told herself firmly. She was here to do a job, though she couldn’t deny that the amount of jewels to be catalogued and displayed had shocked her.
‘A summer in Sicily,’ Luca said in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere, she guessed. ‘What’s so bad about that?. What would you do if you weren’t here on the island—work in the club, and at the auction house? Why do that when you can be here enjoying a paid holiday?’
‘Hardly that,’ she said, glancing at the mountain of jewels.
‘You can do the work you love at your own pace., And living here has to be better than living in a bedsit?’
She couldn’t argue with that, so why didn’t she feel good about this? Why was there still something nagging at the back of her mind? She should be thrilled. Luca was right. This was a wonderful opportunity.
But not once had he mentioned them spending time together, Jen realised, and, though she hated herself for the weakness, she couldn’t help wondering if, once she got to work, she would see him again.
* * *
Reassurance was needed, Luca concluded as he took a shower. He’d got it in hand. Jen had been thrown by the extent of his father’s collection, and more especially by the realisation that it would take her months, rather than days or weeks, to complete the work she had been engaged to do. He had left her at the gate of the guest house to give her some time to get used to the idea. If she pulled out now it would put an end to his investigations and that wasn’t going to happen. He had suggested dinner at the big house with him and, after a few moments of contemplation, she’d agreed.
He pulled on his jeans and snapped his belt through the loops. He parked the shave. It could wait until morning. He was impatient to see her again. He glanced in the mirror. Running his fingers through his hair had only succeeded in making it more unruly. His eyes beneath upswept brows glittered darkly.
Because he wanted Jen.
And that couldn’t wait until the morning.
She was waiting for him in the library, leafing through one of his favourite books, when he came downstairs. She looked exquisite with her red-gold hair cascading down her back in a waterfall of waves, and with her apparently innocent, make-up-free face. The power of her beauty shocked him. He was transfixed and.stopped just inside the door to take her in. She had picked one of the dresses from her new collection, a simple shift in aquamarine silk; a colour that framed her fiery Celtic looks to perfection. The dress was knee-length, and moulded her shapely figure with loving attention to detail.
‘Master and Commander?’ she commented, breaking the spell as she replaced the book on the shelf.
‘That’s my Sunday name.’
‘The book,’ she countered with an amused look. ‘I love your library. You’re a very lucky man.’
‘I love it too,’ he said as he crossed the room to join her. ‘It was here that I learned the Emperor’s Diamond was said to be the most significant stone in Emperor Napoleon’s coronation crown—hence the curse. Napoleon’s life didn’t exactly end on a high point, as I’m sure you know?’ He smiled and shrugged. ‘I’ve always been fascinated by the Napoleonic wars.’
‘Are you sure it isn’t the tactics of warfare that fascinate you?’ she challenged, and within seconds they were back to verbal jousting.
‘Can we agree to lay aside our weapons for one night?’ he suggested.
‘In the interest of...?’
‘Getting to know each other better?’
‘I thought we already did that?’ Her mouth slanted in a teasing line.
He pointed to one of the sofas.
Raising a brow at the implied instruction, she moved to put the library table between them.
‘Battle tactics?’ he suggested.
‘Common sense avoidance tactics,’ she countered.
‘I hope you haven’t been put off by the scale of the work here?’
‘Do I look overwhelmed?’
No. She looked beautiful. ‘Please...sit down...’
‘Is that an invitation or an instruction?’
He shrugged. ‘It’s a suggestion you can take up or not.’
‘What do you want to know about Raoul?’ she said as she sat down.
She c
aught him by surprise. ‘Are you a mind reader?’
‘I use a crystal ball,’ she assured him dryly. ‘Seriously? I’d want to know, if I were you.’
‘You’re right,’ he confirmed. ‘Anything you can tell me about my brother—everything you can remember,’ he said.
‘I might not be able to tell you everything.’
‘What do you mean?’ he asked.
‘Just that.’ Her emerald-green eyes held his stare steadily.
‘Am I being unreasonable?’ he suggested.
‘No.’ But her lips had tightened as if Jen had to be careful what she said. ‘I’ll tell you what I can,’ she confirmed. ‘But only on one condition.’
‘And that is?’
‘You have to answer my questions too.’
‘It’s a deal,’ he agreed, coming to sit across from her with a low table in between them. ‘Let’s start with how well you knew Raoul.’
‘I didn’t sleep with him, if that’s what you mean.’
‘I’m not asking if you slept with him. I’m asking you how well you knew him.’
‘Hardly at all,’ she admitted.
Which didn’t make sense. Either she was lying through her teeth, or Raoul had suffered some form of brainstorm that had prompted him to act so rashly in her favour.
‘It’s my turn to ask the next question,’ she said when he was about to press her on this point.
He sat back and indicated that she should get on with it, while he mulled over the question of whether it was possible to trust a woman who had just told him that she hardly knew his brother when Raoul had left her a fortune with no strings attached.
‘Is your business legitimate, Luca?’
That was quite an interesting start to her line of questioning. ‘Of course it’s legitimate.’ He prided himself on the absolute legitimacy of every one of his business dealings. ‘What are you implying?’
‘I’m just curious,’ she admitted. ‘The people here hold you in such high esteem.’
‘Is that so wrong?’
‘They kiss your hand as if you ruled over them.’
‘I love them,’ he said simply. ‘My family has protected this island for generations. If you’re asking if the islanders regard me as some sort of king, then, no, of course they don’t. They come to me for advice, as they came to my father before me, and my grandfather before that. If I can help them, I will. And that’s it,’ he assured her. ‘And now it’s my turn to ask the question. How long have you known my brother?’