The Sapphire Pendant (27 page)

Her dark eyes hardened. “I’m not going back ever. Not ever.”

“No one’s telling you that you have to.”

Syrah hesitated, then said, “I want you to have this.” She took out the bracelet and slipped it on Jessie’s wrist.

“Oh…wow.” It was an ugly brown bracelet that looked like a child’s beaded project; it rattled, as if it were filled with pebbles. “It’s…very special.” She hugged her. “Thank you.”

Syrah stepped back, uncomfortable with Jessie’s affection. “No problem.”

Jessie watched Syrah return to the house, then glanced down at the bracelet as she faced the root of her anger. She wasn’t angry with Kenneth. He was right. She had always been fascinated by stones and the craftsmanship of jewelry, but she had never thought she had the skill. She didn’t want to be a faded copy of her father; he already had BJ. She had been scared and had never had the courage to try.

Dinner was a disaster. It was not the food itself (chicken with lemon sauce), but Freda was determined to punish Jessie for her deception.

“I thought about your business plan,” Kenneth said, leaning towards her. “If you want to go ahead with it, I’ll help you make contacts,”

Freda tossed Jessie’s plate in front of her, forcing him to sit back.

“How was the ‘dip and fall back’ Ms. Rose made?” he asked, glancing at Jessie’s plate.

“I didn’t make it,” Freda said.

Kenneth stiffened. He wasn’t used to an order being ignored. “Why?”

“There wasn’t enough salt.” She glared at Jessie.

“But I made a specific request—”

“It’s all right,” Jessie said. “What she made was delicious.” Chicken…again.

He glanced at them, then shrugged, determined not to make an issue of it. He picked up his fork and continued on his original topic. “You’ll have to sell yourself, of course.” He twirled his fork, searching for the right words. “In consulting, you not only sell knowledge, but your experience and…image.”

“I know that. I’m not asking you to believe in me.”

“You’ve barely touched your food, Ms. Clifton,” Freda said. “Not rich enough for you?”

Jessie’s cheeks burned. “No, I’m not very hungry.”

Kenneth rubbed his chin, oblivious to the drama before him. “I just think you should focus your energies on something you’re good at. You don’t like people enough to be a consultant.”

Freda blocked his view. “Let me refill this.”

Jessie reached for her glass, but Freda got to it first. “I don’t—”

“I hope it’s pure enough for you. I know you only want the best.” She refilled the glass, then banged it on the table, causing everyone to jump.

Kenneth sat back in his chair and glared at her. “Ms. Rose, what’s gotten into you? You can’t talk—”

“It’s all right,” Jessie interrupted. She didn’t want Freda reprimanded for her loyalty.

Kenneth studied the two women, then sent Jessie a knowing smirk. “Like I said, you just don’t get on with people.”

He said the words lightly, but they fell on her like rocks, grating on her raw nerves. It was too close to the truth. “That’s right. I’m so antisocial that I shouldn’t be seen in decent society. I think I should go.” Jessie pushed herself away from the table and excused herself. She grabbed her coat from the hallway closet and opened the front door.

Kenneth slammed it closed, all levity gone from his voice and eyes. “Okay, what’s going on?”

“Nothing.” She rubbed her temples.

“See? Now you’re giving yourself a headache.”

“I’m okay.” She moved towards the door.

He grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. “Stand still.” He massaged the back of her neck. Jessie tried to remain stiff, even as his fingers softened the tension within her. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

She nodded.

His voice was gentle. “I was just offering advice.”

The warmth—not just from his hand or tone, but also his gaze—seemed to spread throughout her body, seeking to calm the worrying thoughts in her mind. She placed a hand on her forehead. If she wasn’t careful, his kindness was going to make her start to cry. “I know.”

“But you’re not going to tell me what’s wrong?”

“I just want to go home.”

He swung her into the circle of his arms and lifted her chin. His eyes filled with regret. “Did I hurt you by bringing up your father? I know you loved him very much. I’m sure you still miss him.”

She did miss him. He would know what to do. And if he were still around, she would have more time to succeed at something that would make him proud.

Her voice was barely a whisper. “I’ve failed him in everything.”

“That’s not true.”

Jessie squeezed her eyes shut, but the tears came anyway. She rested her head against his chest, allowing herself one moment of weakness. She drew on his strength, expecting it to feel strange and unnatural—she was a strong, independent woman, after all—but it felt right. He felt right. She needed his comfort and safety.

Jessie pulled back, holding her head down, ashamed of her tears. “I’m getting your shirt all wet.”

“I have others.” He wiped a tear away with his thumb. “Come on, tell me what’s wrong, Jas.”

She glanced up at him and suddenly knew what she had been fighting against all her life: a dream she felt she could never have. She wanted to be a woman in every sense of the word—strong, but not afraid of her weaknesses and honest about her desire to have someone else to lean on. A woman who loved and was loved. A woman not ashamed of her longing to have a husband and family and a career she enjoyed.

But women like her weren’t supposed to have such wishes. Their plain faces and sense of power rebelled against such simple, ordinary desires. They were happy with themselves, and didn’t care if they never had a date or received gifts. They were the natural spinsters and old maids who enjoyed being “the aunts.” They were the rocks, the foundations you could depend on, not the weepy females who clung to men and stained their shirts with tears.

The revelation of her heart was both a pain and a relief. At that moment, the pendant no longer mattered; Kenneth did.

But that couldn’t be. She grasped the doorknob, ready for escape. “I have to go,” she said and darted to the freedom outside.

Chapter 19

Jessie burst into the house while Michelle and Teresa cleared the dinning table. They stared at her in surprise.

“What happened?” Teresa asked.

Michelle put a plate down. “What are you doing here?”

Jessie fell into a chair, folded her arms, and laid her head down. “Freda hates me and I hate myself.”
 

Her sisters shared a confused look, shrugged then sat.

“Start from the beginning,” Teresa said, patting Jessie’s back.

“Freda overheard me talking about the bet and thinks I’m a money-hungry hussy.”

Teresa gasped appalled. “Did she say that?”

“No, but it was implied. But it’s worse than that. It’s the most horrible thing in the world.”

“You’re in love with him,” Michelle said.
 

Jessie raised her head, her eyes wide. “Is it that obvious?” She groaned. “How awful. How embarrassing.” She covered her face. “I can’t see him again. What if he suspects? He’ll feel sorry for me.”

“He won’t suspect anything. I’ve discovered that most men aren’t that clever when it comes to women’s feelings.”

“You must despise me.”
 

“Why?”

Jessie sat back in her chair. “Because for the second time my selfishness has cost us the pendant. I have no honor.”

“You have honor. You have maintained the Clifton integrity by realizing that using someone in order to get what you want is wrong.”

Teresa spoke up. “But what about Deborah?”
 

Michelle frowned. “What about her?”

“Jessie will have to be her housekeeper for a year.”

“It won’t be that bad.”

Jessie rested her head down and groaned. “How did I get myself in this mess?”

Michelle smiled. “Let me remind you, shall I?”

“Shut up, Michelle,” Teresa said. “You could tell him the truth and hope he takes you anyway.”

“He’s not supposed to take me out of pity. That’s cheating.”

“Deborah won’t know.”

“I’ll know. Besides, he might not take me. He might be furious and never talk to me again.”

Michelle sighed. “Let’s take this step-by-step. First, tell Freda the truth. Once you tell her the truth, it will get easier.”

“I hope so.” Jessie doubted it. But the truth had to come out eventually. There was no use holding onto false hope. It was just as damaging as false pride. She could write a book on it. She rested her chin in her hand.

“Nice bracelet,” Michelle said.

Jessie stared at her surprised. “You like it?”
 

“I didn’t say I liked it. I said it was nice.”

Teresa took her wrist and ran her fingers over the beads. “Did Kenneth give it to you?”
 

Jessie shook her head. “No. Syrah.”

“Looks expensive.”

“I’m sure it’s not.”

They fell silent.

“Do you think she loved him?” Jessie asked.

Michelle glanced at her. “Who?”
 

“Gran Sonya. Do you think she took the pendant because she loved the German and not because of revenge?”

Michelle frowned. “But that would defeat the whole purpose. You can’t fall for the man for which you vowed vengeance. She didn’t steal a lock of hair or a note scribbled in his hand. She had no desire to be sentimental. She took his most prized possession. She wanted to teach him a lesson and she did. The Sapphire Pendant is a symbol warning us of the duplicity of men.”

“Then how did Dad end up with it?”

“Perhaps because he had three daughters.”

Jessie bit her nails, her voice mumbled. “I wonder if it was meant for something else.”

“Like what?” Michelle asked.

“I don’t know.” She shook her head then let her hand fall. “I don’t know anything right now. My mind is mush.”
 

“You’ll feel better when this is all over,” Teresa said.

Jessie raised her brows. “Over? I’ll be scrubbing Deborah’s toilets for a year.”

Teresa gave her an impish grin. “Maybe.”

“What do you mean by maybe?”

She only smiled.

* * *

Jessie looked at Syrah as the girl slept with her head buried under the covers in the dark hush of the room. She kissed her on the cheek then went into her bedroom. She would miss her. She got dressed and climbed into bed, determined to talk to Freda tomorrow. But she ended up staring at the ceiling instead of falling asleep and changed her mind.
 

Jessie grabbed her slippers, wishing she had a robe. She felt naked in Michelle’s pink silk nightdress. It whispered promises she couldn’t fulfill. She hoped that she didn’t bump into Kenneth. She grabbed a long sleeved button down shirt and put it on.

She went to Freda’s room, which was towards the back of the house. As she walked down the hall, she saw light peeking from under the door and heard the murmur of voices from the TV.

She knocked softly on the door.

“Who is it?”
 

“It’s me. Jessie. I really want to talk to you.”

There was a pause, slow heavy footsteps then the door swung open. Freda appeared with her head wrapped in a bright purple scarf, a large T-shirt saying ‘Dangerous’, and fluorescent green fuzzy slippers. “Okay, talk.”

“May I come in?”

“No.”

She sighed. “Freda, I’m not what or who you think I am.” She threw up her hands in a hopeless gesture. She saw Freda’s frown increase and looked down to see that her shirt had opened to reveal her seductive nightdress.

“Right,” Freda said doubtfully.

Jessie pulled the shirt around her. “Look, this is my sister’s nightdress. Trust me. I couldn’t seduce a cat to eat tuna.”

Freda rested her hip against the door and folded her arms, her eyes beginning to glaze over.

“I’m not after Kenneth’s money,” Jessie said, pulling at the buttons on her shirt. She took a deep breath. “The truth is I accepted a bet to charm Kenneth to ask me to the Hampton Charity Ball. If I won, then I’d get the Sapphire Pendant which was sold to send me to college. It’s an important family heirloom. I know that means nothing to you, but please let me explain.”

Freda nodded.

“Most people think only humans have emotions like pain, joy or fear, but others believe all things are alive. My father was one of those people. He didn’t think things were alive as we are, but that they live in their own way. A way we cannot understand. He also believed that those who did not have an inner truth were in danger of becoming soulless. Of having their spiritual selves taken by the many forms of evil that roam the Earth.
 

“The story of our family heirloom is a tale of an ancestor taking the sapphire pendant of a callous holidaymaker who left tears in his wake. Through her act she was taking part of his soul because my family believes that when you possess something it becomes a part of you. So to my family the pendant remembers and teaches us many lessons because it is something that lives and will continue to live on no matter how the world changes.