‘This Florian, how were he and his family connected to yours?’
‘My great-grandfather, Andreas, was Florian’s godfather, so when he was accused of stealing the tiara, you can imagine how well that was received.’ Luca stared at the piece of newsprint again, as if he’d seen a ghost. ‘Florian has to be the reason your grandmother was given that sapphire, her connection to him.’
‘Let me get this straight,’ Georgia said, taking an oyster and using a little fork to scoop it into her mouth. She sat relishing the taste as she thought over what Luca had just told her. ‘Your great-grandfather somehow had the sapphire in his possession,despite the fact that it may or may not have belonged to Florian Lengacher, who happened to be his godson. But while he was custodian of it, one of the stones went missing.’
‘Correct. Although my family believe the stone went missing before it was under our care,’ he said. ‘Another fact that was disputed at the time.’
‘So this Florian,’ she said, pointing to the paper, ‘is the link between my mystery and yours.’
He reached forward to take an oyster. ‘The question now,’ Luca said, ‘is who was he to your great-grandmother? And how did she end up with a stone from one of the most iconic European tiaras in history?’
10
GENEVA, JULY 1951
‘Come on, children, we’re going to have lunch and then ice cream,’ Delphine said, trying to sound bright for their sake. Giovanni had gone that morning, and although he hadn’t told the children what was happening, they seemed to sense that something was wrong. Which was why she’d decided to take them out for a day of fun, and to show them how beautiful the lake was. It might be just the three of them from now on, but she was determined not to stay at home and mope. Perhaps it would be better just the three of them, anyway, or at least that’s what she’d decided to tell herself. Her only regret was that her sister hadn’t been there to join them—they’d gone away for an extended summer holiday to Greece, where her husband was from.
Tommaso stayed close to her, but Isabella ran ahead, skipping between the strangers despite Delphine’s constant pleas to keep near. As usual, she was in her own little world, not caring that she was no longer within eyesight of her mother and brother.
‘Isabella,’ she called, when she disappeared from sight. ‘Isabella!’ Delphine tugged on Tommaso’s hand and hurried through a small crowd of people near an ice cream stand whenshe realised she could no longer see Isabella, furious with her daughter for disobeying her. But when she spied her, she couldn’t give her the sharp telling-off she deserved, because it seemed that the little girl had found someone to talk to.
‘I’m terribly sorry,’ Delphine said, grabbing hold of Isabella’s hand. ‘One second she was just ahead of me, and the next she’d disappeared completely.’
‘You have nothing at all to be sorry about,’ said a tall man with warm dark eyes and a wide, even warmer smile. He was wearing a suit, but the top button of his shirt was undone and his tie was pulled down slightly lower than it should have been, as if he’d just arrived home from work at the end of the day. ‘The young lady has been telling me which ice cream she’d like to order.’
Delphine could feel her cheeks turning what she imagined would be a very dark shade of pink. ‘I can’t apologise enough, she?—’
‘Would like the strawberry flavour, it seems,’ he said, his mouth turning up slightly at one corner as if he was terribly amused. ‘I made it very clear that we would have to ask her mother first though, because she did declare that she hadn’t yet had lunch.’
Isabella turned to her then, with a devilish smile, somehow having wrapped this stranger around her little finger. Tommaso leaned into Delphine and kept hold of her hand, reminding her just how different her children were.
‘I think my daughter needs a lesson in manners,’ Delphine said, gesturing to Isabella that it was time to leave and that she should come and stand beside her. ‘Thank you for your kindness, but?—’
‘Can I not buy you all ice cream?’ he asked. ‘I have to confess that I think ice cream before lunch sounds like a fantastic idea. I don’t know why I haven’t thought to do it before.’
Delphine hesitated, but even Tommaso was looking at her with pleading eyes now. ‘Well…’
‘I’m Florian,’ he said, stepping closer and holding out his hand. ‘Now it’s me who’s the one forgetting their manners. Florian Lengacher.’
‘Delphine,’ she replied, as he held her hand firmly, yet gently. ‘And this is my son Tommaso and?—’
‘Your daughter Bella, short for Isabella.’
Her cheeks heated again. Isabella had managed to tell this stranger her nameandher favourite ice cream all within the few minutes she’d been missing. They were definitely going to have words.
‘Favourite flavours?’ Florian asked, with a twinkle in his eye that told her he was enjoying every moment of their exchange.
She was able to observe him as he bent to speak to her son, and she found herself drawn to the easy way he conversed with her children.
‘Banana, please,’ Tommaso said from beside her, before walking over to join his sister.
‘And for you?’ Florian asked.
‘Oh, I don’t need one, just the children, but I can’t let you?—’
‘Please, let me treat you all,’ he said. ‘And I can highly recommend the strawberry, your daughter was very smart with her choice. If I can twist your arm to try something, that is.’
She laughed. Despite how ridiculous it was that she was standing talking to a very handsome gentleman outside an ice cream stand, she laughed. ‘Well, then, strawberry it is.’
