Parisian Affair (18 page)

She took one more look, then handed the ring
back to the guard. '
Merci
, monsieur,' she said.

'You're welcome,' he responded in
English.

Allegra went back to the catalogue on the
display case. She found the page with the emerald and looked at the
picture. Then she looked at the copy, which mentioned the flaw. She
saw that no provenance beyond that of Princess Karima was provided.
Absolutely nothing.

It was as if the stone didn't exist until
Princess Karima bought it. But that wasn't so odd. After all,
catalogue copy often read like that, ignoring any previous owners
who weren't famous, or rich, or both.

Before registering to bid at the auction,
Allegra was tempted to ask to speak to one of Dufour's jewelry
experts for more information about the ring's provenance. Surely
they knew more than they'd published in the catalogue. But after
considering such a move, she decided against it. Her mission was to
bid on the emerald. That was all. And she didn't want to draw undue
attention to herself by asking about the ring, either.

She could imagine the news spreading like
wildfire throughout the auction house.
A young woman is asking
about Princess Karima's emerald
.
Watch out for her
. One
expert would tell another, word would inevitably spread to
potential buyers, and all eyes would be upon her tomorrow.

She went to one of the ladies behind a
display case. Another blonde. Another Hermes scarf perfectly
knotted about a neck. But a scowl on her face.

'
S'il vous plait
,' Allegra began.

'I speak English,' the woman said,
interrupting her.

'Where do I register to bid?' Allegra
asked.

'On the ground floor,' the woman said. 'You
will see it near the information desk.'

'
Merci
,' Allegra said cheerfully,
despite the woman's disagreeableness, and turned and walked to the
elevators. On the ground floor, she looked around and spotted the
registration desk. She went to it, got the appropriate forms, and
filled them out. The perfectly groomed blonde behind this desk took
them, filled in some blanks, then told her,
'
Vingt-neuf
.'

'
Excusez-moi?
' Allegra said.

'You will have paddle number twenty-nine,'
the young lady said irritably.

'
Merci
,' Allegra said, ignoring her
tone. She turned and left the auction house.

She stood outside on the rue de Richelieu,
breathing in the fresh air. Something still niggled at the back of
her mind. Something about the flaw in the emerald. But she could
not for the life of her put her finger on what it was.

She began walking down the rue de Richelieu
with no destination in mind. Despite the gray skies and the brisk,
chill wind, she enjoyed the splendor that was Paris. Before long,
she found herself passing the Bibliotheque nationale and
approaching the Palais Royal. Allegra idly wandered through arches
into the garden that lay hidden within the confines of the former
palace's walls. It was now bereft of green but nevertheless
beautiful due to its formal structure. She decided to stroll all
the way around the colonnade that lined the four sides of the
garden, and was happy to discover that interesting shops lined the
stone walk.

She passed a number of elegant-looking dress
shops and found herself entranced by the finery exhibited in their
windows. A store that sold both antique and contemporary men's
vests exhibited fabrics that nearly made her swoon. Coin shops and
dealers specializing in military decorations abounded, along with a
few dealers in modern art. She idled in front of Le Prince
Jardinier, where beautiful and expensive gardening tools and
clothing were sold; ogled the exquisite restaurant Le Grand Vefour,
one of the most expensive in Paris; and then stopped and stared
into the showcase at Jules Levant Joaillier.

She had heard of the legendary Levant, of
course, and had seen pieces of jewelry that he'd designed in years
gone by up for auction at Sotheby's and Christie's. Lingering in
front of the windows, she was stunned by the quality and lavishness
of the jewelry. This was not a shop where one could purchase a
relatively inexpensive trinket—a fountain pen or cigarette lighter,
for instance—and then boast that it had come from Jules Levant. It
sold nothing inexpensive and had never created an affordable line
for those who weren't rich, like Tiffany, Bulgari, and even Harry
Winston, of late. No, Jules Levant Joaillier obviously operated in
the belief that there were always enough rich people to keep its
doors open, without its having to stoop to serving the hoi
polloi.

Allegra decided to treat herself to something
more than a peek in the shop's windows, even though she knew she
couldn't afford the least expensive bauble in the place. She buzzed
the highly polished brass bell set in the doorframe and waited to
be given entry. When she heard the door buzzer, she pushed on the
door and stepped into one of the most exclusive realms in the world
of jewelry.

A shop of moderate size, it was decorated in
a pinkish beige that Allegra knew served as a good background for
the jewelry. The air was delicately scented with a provocative
aroma that conjured up the Orient. On a magnificent
ormolu-embellished
bureau plat
, she saw an enormous vase
that contained dozens of pale pink roses and white French lilacs
that beckoned to her. A huge crystal chandelier hung from the
center of the ornately plastered ceiling, dripping hundreds of
reflective prisms. The walls were lined with cabinets and on the
plush carpeting sat showcases, all filled with treasures.

As she stood there deciding where she should
begin her tour of the cases, she was unaware of two men and a woman
observing her on a video monitor in an office behind the
salesroom.

'A window-shopper,' sniffed the woman,
Madeleine de Chanterac. 'One wishes they would waste someone else's
time.'

'I'll let her waste mine,' Ali Noureddin
said, starting for the door.

'No,' said Ram, staring at the monitor. 'You
keep busy here, Ali. I'll see to the young woman.'

He opened the office door and called out to
the showroom. 'One moment, mademoiselle.'

Allegra searched for the owner of the
cultured voice, but saw no one. Removing her black calfskin gloves,
she walked toward a showcase and began inspecting the jewelry
within it. Necklaces, bracelets, and earrings with enormous stones,
beautifully set, greeted her eyes. Allegra could see why Jules
Levant was legendary. The jewelry was magnificent down to the
smallest piece. She knew that the shop had altered its designs very
little over the years, and she could see why. The designs were
classic, and the settings were of secondary importance. They were
mere containers for the stunning stones they held.

'Mademoiselle?'

Startled, she looked up. On the opposite side
of the display case stood one of the most handsome men she'd ever
seen. His hair was the darkest black, slightly graying at the
temples, his skin was like honey, and his dark eyes could be
described only as liquid, bedroom eyes. His sensuous lips held a
smile that made her want to smile back.
And probably happily
married to one of the chic, thin women that crowded Parisian
sidewalks
, she thought.

'Hello,' she finally said in English,
forgetting to try her French.

'Ah,' the man said, smiling. 'You are
American.'

'Yes,' Allegra replied. 'I'm—I'm just looking
around if you don't mind. Your store is so ... so magnificent.'

The man nodded slightly. 'Thank you,' he
said. 'Look around all you like. What brings you to Paris?'

'Oh, I'm just doing a little sightseeing, you
know,' Allegra said.

'Ah, I see,' he said. 'No doubt you will do
some shopping.'

'Maybe,' she said. 'Nothing major,
though.'

'Well, if there's something here you would
like to try on, don't hesitate to let me know.'

Allegra laughed. 'I don't think so,' she
said. 'I'm just a poor working girl.'

'All the more reason to try a few things on,'
the man replied. 'Every woman should experience wearing the world's
most expensive jewels, don't you think?'

His charm disarmed her completely. 'I agree
with you wholeheartedly,' she said, 'but I don't want to waste your
time.'

'You never know. Perhaps someday a husband or
a lover will bring you back to Jules Levant and buy something for
you.'

Todd's face flashed in Allegra's mind, but
she couldn't imagine him bringing her into this shop and purchasing
something for her.

'I doubt it,' she said in a good-natured
voice, 'but it's fun to look anyway.'

'I see you were looking at the ruby ring,'
the man said, reaching down into the showcase from behind. 'This
one surrounded with diamonds.' He held the ring up for her
inspection. 'The ruby is 25.70 carats.'

'It's really beautiful,' she said. 'Is that a
Burmese ruby? I should say, is it from Myanmar?' She reached into
her shoulder bag, her fingers searching for her loupe.

'We all still think of it as Burma, don't
we?' he said, looking at her quizzically. 'But how did you know?
Women who wear the finest jewelry often know very little about
it.'

'It's fairly obvious, isn't it?' Allegra
replied. 'Most of the best rubies come from Myanmar. Plus, the
color of this one is exquisite. It's not too bright, like the
stones from Vietnam, Afghanistan, or Pakistan, and it's not too
brown like Thai stones. It's a perfect red. At least, I think it's
a perfect red.' She looked up at him and smiled. 'Plus, I've
studied gemology.'

He laughed. 'What a rare creature you
are.'

'Why's that?' she asked.

'It's very unusual for such a beautiful woman
to take up such a study, don't you think?'

Allegra felt herself blush. 'I... well, thank
you, but surely there're lots of good-looking women who study
gemology.'

'I can assure you that you are wrong,' he
said, smiling. 'There are a soupcon of attractive women in the
business, but most of them are, shall we say, flinty-eyed?'

Allegra laughed again. 'That's probably
true,' she allowed. 'Do you mind if I look at it with my
loupe?'

'Not at all,' he said, handing the ring to
her, 'but I can assure you before you look that the stone has not
been heat-treated for inclusions. It is perfect.'

'Oh, I believe you,' she replied, bringing
the stone toward the loupe in her eye. She stared into the stone,
turning it in different directions, then took her loupe out and put
the ring on the counter. 'This is one fantastic stone,' she said,
'and so are the diamonds that surround it.'

'Try it on,' he said.

'Oh, no,' Allegra said. 'I shouldn't '

'I insist,' Ram said gently. He picked up the
ring. 'Let me have your hand.'

Allegra let him take her hand in his and
immediately felt embarrassed. This simple action seemed intimate
somehow.

'There,' he said. 'It's a perfect fit, and I
think it looks spectacular on you. You make the ring even more
beautiful than it is.'

Allegra felt herself blush again. 'You're . .
. you're awfully nice to say so,' she said. 'Do you mind my asking
how much this ring sells for?'

'Around a million euros,' he replied. 'Give
or take a few.'

'My God,' Allegra said. 'I don't think I've
ever worn anything that valuable before. Oh, well, it's a little
out of my price range this week.' She laughed. 'Besides, I've
always been partial to emeralds. I think they look better with my
coloring.'

'You're probably right about that,' he
agreed, 'and I have an emerald I would like to see on you.'

He let go of her hand and moved down to
another showcase.

'No, really,' Allegra protested. 'I know you
must be busy, and I've really got to get on my way.'

'First you must try on this ring,' he said.
'For me.' He looked at her. 'I must see it on your finger.'

'Well . . . okay,' Allegra said, shrugging.
'If you say so.' She had to admit that this was fun. Even being in
the jewelry business, she didn't often get to try on pieces that
sold for this much money. What was more, the man's charm and looks
were magnetic, and she didn't feel a rush to leave the shop.

'Here,' he said. He held the ring in the palm
of his hand with his fingers closed around it so that she couldn't
see what it looked like.

When he opened his hand, Allegra gasped. 'Oh,
my God,' she exclaimed. 'This is amazing. I think it's the biggest,
most beautiful emerald I've ever seen.'

He looked very pleased with himself. 'Try it
on,' he said. He held the ring between his thumb and a finger,
ready to put it on her finger.

Allegra let him slide it on. The fit was
slightly large, but no matter. Simply wearing this magnificent
stone was mind-boggling. She stared down at it in quiet reflection,
wondering what it would be like to be able to own something of such
grandeur. To be loved by the kind of man who could afford such a
gift and be thoughtful enough to buy it.

'What do you think,' the man asked, smiling
patiently.

'I think it's overwhelming,' she said,
looking up at him. 'The woman who will someday wear this will be a
very lucky woman, I think.'

'It's a very special emerald,' he said, 'for
a very special lady, and I think it's
you
.'

'I would like to think so, but I can't
picture myself as quite this grand,' Allegra replied. She thought
about the emerald she would be bidding on tomorrow, and she wished
that she could share that information with him. Wouldn't he be
excited to learn that she was almost certainly going to be the high
bidder on Princess Karima's emerald? However, her lips remained
sealed.

'I have an idea,' the man said.