He placed his palm to hers and shook her hand, and she liked that he didn’t squash her fingers. Her pet hate was men who seemed to think a handshake was an excuse to show how strong they were.
‘I’m so pleased you were able to travel here so promptly. Please, come in.’
Luca stepped around her and held open the door, and she realised then that he had a coffee in hand. She must have eyed it because he smiled as if he knew precisely what she was thinking.
‘You’re in need of caffeine?’
Georgia laughed. ‘I am. I didn’t have a coffee before my flight as I’m a nervous flyer.’
‘Ah, I see.’ Once they were inside, Luca called a younger man over, before turning back to her. ‘Your order?’
‘Oh no, please don’t go to any trouble.’
‘It’s no trouble at all. Espresso?’
She nodded. ‘Double espresso with one sugar, please.’
‘Get two of their Aprikosenwähe, too,’ he said to the man whom she presumed was his assistant.
‘Aprikosenwähe?’
‘Swiss apricot tart,’ Luca said, gesturing for her to follow him. ‘We have a coffee machine here, but the place just across the road has the best coffee and even better pastries. Trust me, you’ll love it.’
Georgia’s stomach growled in response. She wasn’t going to say no to a delicious sweet treat, given that she hadn’t eaten breakfast before she left home either.
Her head turned right, then left, as they walked through the shop. The diamonds were dazzling, and the size of some of the rings and earrings on display were so large, she almost thought they couldn’t be real. But, of course, this was one of the mostprestigious jewellery stores in Geneva, so she didn’t doubt their authenticity for a second.
She found herself being ushered into a private room, with a table in the middle and four chairs around it. There was something on the table with a lens that she presumed was used for looking at diamonds and stones up close.
She turned as Luca moved to close the door behind her.
‘Do you mind, or would you rather I left it open?’
‘Ah, no, it’s fine closed.’Or at least she thought it was.
‘When we look at something that has this kind of value, we usually keep the door shut,’ Luca said, pulling out a chair for her, before going around to the other side and sitting across from her. ‘But if you feel uncomfortable at any stage, I can open the door or ask one of my female staff members to join us.’
Georgia appreciated the gesture. ‘Thank you, but I’m fine. If I look nervous, it’s only because I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the stone.’
Luca was waiting patiently, but she imagined that he was very keen to see what she had with her, so she reached into her bag and took out the box.
‘I understand that you will be able to recognise the sapphire when you see it,’ she said. ‘If it is indeed the sapphire you think it is.’
‘Yes,’ he replied, placing the strange instrument on his head, the little magnifying lenses turned up so they appeared to be attached to his forehead. ‘I’ve studied the tiara more times than I could count, and it’s been in my care for years now, so I’m confident I’ll recognise it if it’s the missing sapphire.’
She opened the box and reached for the stone, placing it in his hand. Luca’s sharp intake of breath was impossible not to hear, and she found herself leaning forward as he studied it, the lenses down over his eyes as he turned it left and then right, and then left again.
‘What do you think?’ she asked.
‘I think,’ Luca said, as he held it up to the light, a broad smile taking over his face as he set the stone down between them and took the contraption off his head. ‘That after many decades of searching for answers, the mystery has finally been solved.’
‘You’re certain?’ Georgia asked, as he lifted one hand to his face, his knuckles against his lips as he leaned forward to look at it once more. ‘You truly believe this is the missing sapphire?’
‘Georgia,’ he said, as his eyes slowly met hers. ‘I have never been so certain of anything in my life.’
She reached for the sapphire herself, holding it up and looking at the way the colour caught the light. ‘Your mystery might have been solved, Luca, but my search has only just begun.’
Right then, the assistant from earlier appeared, a coffee in his hand, as well as two brown paper bags. He apologised for the interruption, and as he bustled in, Georgia couldn’t help but notice the way Luca casually placed his hand over the sapphire, as if he didn’t want it to be seen.
