19
PRESENT DAY
Georgia met Luca at the lawyer’s office. He’d offered to collect her, but she’d decided to walk down to the café they’d passed the previous day, and she’d had a Swiss croissant and a strong coffee to prepare for the meeting ahead. She couldn’t stop thinking about the afternoon they’d had the day before. After the museum, Luca hadn’t taken her straight back to the hotel, but had instead driven them to the lake, where a boat had been waiting to take them for a romantic ride. He’d initially suggested a winery, but then told her he’d changed his mind and wanted her to experience an outing on the water. She blushed as she thought of the way he’d kissed her as they’d toured the lake, the way he’d looked at her. She didn’t ever recall any man looking at her with the same kind of heat in his gaze that Luca had, or the way his hands skimming against her arms and hips had made her feel. She needed to fan her face just thinking about their time together.
When Georgia saw him already waiting in the lobby, she announced herself to the receptionist at the front desk and made her way over to him, wondering if he was as consumed with thoughts about their time together as she was.
‘Georgia!’ He stood and kissed both of her cheeks, and she kissed him back, her hand on his shoulder as she leaned in.
‘Is it strange that I’m nervous?’ she asked.
He indicated for her to sit first, and he pulled his chair slightly closer as he sat. ‘It’s not strange. I’m hoping the lawyer has some of the answers. That way, perhaps we’ll both have some closure.’
‘Luca, about the sapphire,’ she began, before being interrupted by a well-dressed older gentleman with a full head of grey hair.
‘Luca, Ms Montano,’ he said, coming over to shake their hands. ‘Please come with me.’
They both fell into step behind the lawyer, but as they walked Luca’s fingers brushed against hers and he whispered in her ear, ‘Everything will make sense after this,’ he said. ‘I’m certain of it.’
She squeezed his fingers in reply, before stepping into the office and sitting across from the lawyer. He asked them both if they’d like coffee, sending his assistant out to get their orders, before placing a file in front of him and looking first at her, and then to Luca. She couldn’t help but think that he looked relieved, and she wondered how long he’d been waiting to meet someone with a connection to the missing sapphire.
‘It’s good to see that you’ve made each other’s acquaintance,’ he said. ‘I’m not sure what Luca has already told you, but my law firm was instructed many years ago by a Mr Andreas Kaufmann to preserve the sapphire tiara, and manage any claims in regard to it. Over the years, we’ve dealt with some challenges to ownership, however, in recent decades, we’ve had no clue as to whom we are preserving the tiara for. We were starting to think there was no possibility of ever solving that particular mystery, as was the Kaufmann family. Until now, that is.’
Georgia swallowed and glanced at Luca before continuing. ‘You believe that it’s been held for me?’ she asked.
‘I believe it was being held for a woman in your family, of whom you are a descendant. So, yes, in answer to your question, I believe it is, in fact, being held for you.’
‘I just…I have no idea why it was left for my grandmother, so please excuse me if I don’t seem to comprehend any of this,’ Georgia said.
‘You’ve determined the authenticity of the missing sapphire?’ the lawyer asked Luca.
‘I have. It is, without a doubt, the missing stone,’ Luca said. ‘And it’s being held for safekeeping at our premises.’
‘Good,’ the lawyer said. ‘Now, in the absence of adoption records that show your family lineage, I’ve discussed with my colleagues and we’ve determined that, subject to confirming with the lawyer for Hope Berenson, you are indeed the intended recipient of the box that contained the sapphire. We will be attesting your ownership of the tiara, as well as presenting you with a key to a safety deposit box here in Geneva, where we believe a letter is being kept.’
‘I’m sorry, a key?’ she asked, trying to comprehend what he was telling her. ‘And the tiara, doesn’t that belong in a museum, or?—’
‘We can discuss the tiara, Georgia,’ Luca said. ‘There is no rush for you to decide what to do with it.’
‘I agree with Luca,’ the lawyer counselled. ‘It would be imprudent to make a rash decision on the fate of the tiara without considering all your options. It’s worth a great deal of money, so it would be wise to receive advice first.’
Georgia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How could a priceless Italian tiara have been left to her grandmother? It simply didn’t make sense.
‘Are you able to tell me more, about who left the key? About how you became involved?’ she asked.
‘Unfortunately, I cannot. I’ve inherited this file from my predecessor, and having not known Andreas personally, all I know is what’s been left for me. The primary purpose of which was to give you the key.’
Georgia took a deep breath. ‘And there’s no possible way this is all a misunderstanding?’
‘This is most definitely not a misunderstanding. Let me make a call to the late Ms Berenson’s lawyer, and if everything is confirmed, I’ll have the key for you within the hour. Are you free to wait? The coffee shouldn’t be far away.’
Georgia nodded, shifting in her chair as she glanced over at Luca.
‘Such a shame this didn’t all happen in your father’s lifetime,’ the lawyer said, clapping Luca on the shoulder as he passed. ‘I can only imagine the look on his face when he saw the sapphire after all those years.’
If she hadn’t been watching carefully, she might have missed the way Luca’s smile faded, the sadness that haunted his eyes, because by the time he looked over at her, his usual expression had returned.
‘Luca, about the tiara,’ she said, once they were alone again.
