Something From Tiffany’s (34 page)

So this afternoon he’d go and see Rachel one last time and then tell her straight out exactly the kind of man her fiancé really was.

And this time nothing was going to stop him.

‘She’s not here,’ Terri told Ethan when he arrived at the bistro again. His flight was due to leave at seven, and he figured he’d have ample time to pop back and explain all to Rachel before heading to the airport. ‘She’s out catering another event tonight.’

He ran a hand through his hair. ‘I don’t believe this.’

Terri looked at him. ‘I hear that things didn’t go so well with Prince Charming earlier?’

‘You could say that.’ He glowered. ‘He completely denies that the ring is mine!’

‘I’m so sorry, Ethan. I tried my best to make him see sense. But Gary can be stubborn, not to mention stupid.’

‘We’ll see how stubborn he is when Scotland Yard are breathing down his neck,’ Ethan said brusquely, although it was a threat that held little water and they both knew it. He looked at Terri. ‘I appreciate your help, though. You’re the only one who seems to believe me.’

‘Of course I believe you. I just wish things could have been different. Anyway,’ she said, taking a white cardboard box from beneath the counter. ‘Rachel asked me to give you these. They’re cookies for your daughter, she said.’

‘Thanks.’ Ethan absently tucked them under his arm.

‘And this is for you,’ she added, offering him a parcel wrapped up in purple paper, Stromboli’s logo emblazoned upon it in orange writing. ‘It’s some more of that sourdough you liked so much at lunch yesterday. I think you might enjoy this even more.’

‘Thanks, but that’s really not necessary,’ he said reluctantly. In truth, Ethan didn’t want anything to remind him of this godforsaken place.

‘I know Rachel would really like you to have it,’ Terri continued, pressing it into his hands. There was something in her voice that caused him to look at her more closely, but then he wondered if he might be imagining it. God knows his head was all over the place this weekend. Her green eyes bored into his. ‘Please, I insist. And try to eat it as soon as you can, won’t you? It won’t stay fresh for long. Maybe have some on the flight back?’

‘Thanks, that’s very kind of you.’ Ethan took the parcel, more for her sake than anything else. He actually quite liked Terri; he knew exactly where he stood with her, and she was ultimately the only person besides Daisy with whom he could share his frustration.

But now he just wanted to get out of this blasted place and back to London, where first thing tomorrow he would talk to the credit-card company, and indeed his lawyers, to see what other options he could explore.

‘Again, I’m so sorry about what’s happened. I know Rachel would be horrified if she knew and—’

‘I know.’ At this point, Ethan was almost past caring about what Rachel did or didn’t think, but he appreciated Terri’s kindness. ‘Thank you for the bread, and for trying to help me too. That means a lot. I don’t know what I’m going to do next, but . . .’

She smiled and patted his hand. ‘Try not to worry, Ethan. Things have a way of working themselves out in the end.’

‘Welcome back!’ Later that evening, Vanessa hugged Ethan warmly upon his return to London. He was so exhausted by the weekend’s events that he felt almost relieved to be back, despite not achieving what he’d set out to do.

Daisy stood in the background, smiling and obviously waiting for a moment alone to find out how everything had gone. Ethan lifted her into his arms and hugged her tightly until she squealed. ‘I missed you, buttercup,’ he said, before whispering into her ear that he’d tell all later. ‘And you too, darling,’ he said, kissing Vanessa briefly. Was he imagining it or did she seem a bit . . . giddy?

‘I wasn’t sure whether you’d eat on the plane so I made a light supper,’ she said.

Actually, Ethan was starving. He hadn’t fancied any of the options they had on the plane and had (stupidly in retrospect) packed the cookies and bread in his checked luggage. Then, seeing as the cookies were for Daisy he opened his bag and withdrew the box.

‘These are especially for you,’ he said, winking at her. Then, remembering he couldn’t make any mention of Rachel, he mumbled something about picking them up at the airport.

‘Yay, thanks, Dad.’

But immediately realising that now it looked like he hadn’t sought out a similar treat for Vanessa, he meekly picked up the sourdough. ‘And this is for you. Well, for us really. There was a lovely bistro with an in-house artisan bakery near the hotel and I thought you might like it.’

‘Bread?’ Vanessa looked suitably underwhelmed.

‘Yes, sourdough. It smelled so delicious I couldn’t resist . . .’ He shrugged, thinking that making up pathetic excuses and sounding like an idiot seemed par for the course these days.

‘Lovely. Well, I suppose it’ll do nicely with supper, then. Shall we eat?’

Ethan nodded and followed her into the kitchen. He tried to avoid Daisy’s still-probing gaze, too weary to try to get the message across that his visit to Dublin had been a complete and utter waste of time.

Vanessa had laid on a very nice spread of olives, cheese and Parma ham and Ethan set to it with gusto, pleading hunger as a good excuse not to talk about his trip. Making up more stories was the last thing he wanted to do, given that the entire thing had been such a disaster.

Taking the bread out of its Stromboli paper packaging, Vanessa sniffed it approvingly. ‘You’re right: this does smell delicious.’ She tore a large piece from one side. ‘Daisy, would you like some?’

‘No, thanks.’ Daisy seemed put out that her father was keeping her in the dark, but Ethan just didn’t have the energy for explanations. He didn’t have the energy for anything at all. In truth, what he needed now was a good night’s sleep and the chance to recharge his batteries.

‘Ow!’ Vanessa cried out and he saw her put a hand to her mouth. ‘What the hell? I almost broke a tooth . . .’

Then Ethan watched wordlessly as she extracted something solid from her mouth. ‘Goodness, I could have choked on something this size,’ she said disapprovingly.

‘What is it?’ Daisy asked, and on closer inspection Ethan saw that Vanessa was holding up something small wrapped in greaseproof paper.

‘Oh my God, Ethan . . .’

Then his heart skipped a beat as, having unwrapped the paper, and with her eyes widening, Vanessa held up a diamond ring.
The
diamond ring.

Ethan’s jaw dropped, and he suddenly remembered Terri’s insistence that he take the bread and her cryptic assertion that everything would turn out OK.

‘How did you . . . ? Is this what . . . ?’ Vanessa’s eyes were out on stalks and she was grinning from ear to ear, while Daisy looked on in amazement. ‘I can’t believe this!’

Although he was knocked for six, Ethan automatically felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders. How had Terri done it? And why? She must have somehow pilfered the ring from Rachel, possibly because she knew he was getting nowhere with Gary . . .

Vanessa was still staring at the ring, a look of complete and utter delight on her face. ‘Ethan, is this what I think it is?’ she said, beaming at him. ‘Forgive me, but it’s not a . . . joke or anything, is it?’

He forced himself out of his reverie. ‘No, darling. It’s exactly what you think it is,’ he reassured her, unsure why his tone sounded so leaden when this was what he’d wanted all along. Perhaps because it was just all so unexpected.

‘Oh my . . . I don’t know what to say. What an absolutely amazing surprise!’

He could see Daisy watching him carefully, as if she sensed that he was just as surprised as Vanessa. The whole scenario felt almost like a replay of that Christmas morning in New York.

‘So,’ he said, clearing his throat. ‘I haven’t actually asked the most important question. Will you marry me, Vanessa?’

She stared at the ring, and her eyes glistened with tears. ‘Of course I will!’ she cried, jumping up to embrace him. ‘Oh Ethan, this is just the best surprise!’

And as he held her in his arms, Ethan wondered why the moment felt so surreal, and so . . . anticlimactic, almost.

Then, taking the ring, he slipped it onto the third finger of her left hand, where it should have been from the start.

‘Oh,’ Vanessa said, giggling, when the ring failed to glide smoothly into place, like it was supposed to. ‘It seems a little tight.’ She tried to force it more firmly onto her finger but still it stayed wedged above the knuckle. ‘It doesn’t matter; I can always get it resized,’ she assured him blithely, but Ethan was baffled.

His mind went back to the sight of the ring on Rachel’s finger, where it had fitted perfectly, a rather strange coincidence given that Tiffany’s had sized it especially for Vanessa.

Once again his gaze met Daisy’s; the squinty-eyed look out in force as she watched the scene with interest. He suspected she was thinking the same thing.

Wasn’t it strange that the ring didn’t fit Vanessa, but was somehow perfect on Rachel?

Chapter 31

Rachel was frantic. How could she have lost her beautiful ring? And where? She distinctly remembered taking it off yesterday morning before she went to work . . . or had she removed it
at
work?

Maybe she’d taken it off when she returned home after that dinner with Ethan Greene on Saturday night. She might have been a little tipsy, but surely not so much so that she wouldn’t remember taking it off. And if she had, then where else would she have put it other than on the nightstand?

She couldn’t be certain, she admitted, panicking as she checked down the side of the bed and on the floor beneath to try to locate it. After that, she went out into the living room and began turning over all the cushions on her sofa, but to no avail.

She’d noticed it wasn’t on her finger at the anniversary dinner Stromboli had catered for last night. The happy couple had been married for forty years, and during the speeches Rachel, instinctively imagining her and Gary’s forthcoming anniversaries, remembered looking down at her engagement finger, only to find that her gorgeous ring wasn’t there. She hadn’t been able to relax until she returned home to find out if she’d left it there.

But since there was no sign of it, she decided now that she must have removed it at the bistro and it was probably in the kitchen there. Perhaps Justin or Terri had spotted it lying around, hidden under a tea towel or a bag of flour or something, and put it somewhere else for safekeeping.

Rachel took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. That had to be it, she thought, feeling better already. Goodness knows what she’d do if she had to tell Gary she’d misplaced it. He’d go ballistic.

She’d check with the others at the restaurant today, but first she needed to make an appointment with the bridal store to coincide with her day off next week.

She couldn’t wait, and still couldn’t quite believe that all this – the New York proposal, huge Tiffany diamond – was truly happening. It was fairy-tale stuff really. This time last year she didn’t even know Gary and look at her now, running a successful business and planning the wedding of the year. It was everything she’d ever wanted – or at least it would be again, Rachel thought, worriedly caressing her engagement finger, once she’d located her ring.

Looking around her beloved little mews house, she wondered what she and Gary would do about their living situation.

They’d be moving in together, obviously, but where? They hadn’t yet discussed these practicalities. No doubt they’d start looking for a house in the future, but what to do in the meantime? Gary’s place was too far out of town for her – she’d not even stayed over at his for months, she thought guiltily – and her own little one-bed house would never be big enough for the two of them.

Not to mention Gary’s beloved bike.

He was even talking about buying another one once the money from the accident came through and she groaned inwardly, already having visions of their future home being strewn with engine parts.

Rachel was in two minds about the lawsuit; once Gary was OK she didn’t think there was anything to be gained from suing the taxi company, but of course she wasn’t the one who’d ended up with aching ribs and concussion. Thank goodness he’d had health insurance, though; who knew what would have happened if he’d had to pay out a fortune for the hospital bills? Her precious ring may well have been making its way straight back to Tiffany’s before she’d even got a chance to see it, she thought, smiling.

But once the idea of legal action had entered his mind, Gary couldn’t be dissuaded, and apparently his solicitor had readily agreed to take on the case on his behalf.

Rachel couldn’t help but feel sorry for the poor New York taxi driver and she hoped the lawsuit wouldn’t get him into trouble with his employers or, worse, cause him to lose his job. Ethan had mentioned that the man seemed incredibly remorseful at the time, and Rachel really couldn’t see the point in punishing him even further; but it wasn’t up to her and there was no reasoning with Gary.

‘Are you mad?’ he’d argued when she’d suggested it might be best to just move on and forget about it. ‘The fool almost killed me! Anyway these guys have insurance for this kind of thing.’

She also wished Gary would spend less time on pursuing a case against the person who’d hurt him, and instead show some gratitude to the one who’d helped. These musings made her think again of Ethan.