All they have
to do is hear my name, and dealers and fat cats all over the world
will start trying to outbid me.' He gazed into her eyes. 'You
understand what I'm talking about, of course.'
'Oh, yes,' Allegra said. 'So you're looking
for somebody to bid for you,' she said.
'That's right,' he said, 'and I think you're
the perfect person.'
'But why not Sylvie?' she asked. She looked
over but saw that Sylvie had quietly disappeared from her position
behind the desk.
'Sylvie's known in the auction houses,' he
said. 'She's bid for me before. Plus, I don't want to send just
anybody into that auction.'
'Why's that?'
'I want somebody who really knows stones,' he
said. 'I want you to go to the preview and study the ring to make
certain you're getting the right one.'
'Don't you trust Dufour to deliver the goods?
My God, you're talking about one of the world's most respected
auction houses. They're over two hundred years old.'
'I know,' he said. 'I know. But we both know
that so-called experts goof up all the time.'
'That's for sure.'
'Anyway, you know your stones, so you can
make sure that the ring you get is the ring that Princess Karima is
selling.'
'Yes,' she said with certainty, 'I'm sure I
could do that.'
'Then would you be willing to do this for
me?' he asked, looking at her hopefully.
'I... I think so,' she said. 'I have to give
it some thought.'
'I'm willing to pay you handsomely,' he said,
smiling.
'It's not just a matter of money,' she said.
'There's my business to consider, and quite frankly I'm having a
really tough time right now.' She looked him in the eye. 'I'm close
to going under,' she admitted, 'so it's not a good time for me to
leave.'
'I'm sorry to hear that,' he said. She heard
the genuine concern in his voice. 'But this wouldn't take long. You
would have my personal jet, to take you to Paris, see the preview,
bid the next day, and fly straight back with the ring. What've you
got to lose? A couple of days at the most. Plus, an extra paycheck
might help you save your business.'
'How much did you have in mind?' she
asked.
'I'm willing to pay you twenty-five thousand
dollars and expenses,' he said.
Allegra kept her face devoid of expression,
though her heart leaped at his figure.
'My Gulfstream V, a suite at the Ritz or
wherever you prefer to stay, and all your meals with a credit card
I'll give you. You'll have permission to sign on it. What do you
say? Fair?' He was staring into her eyes questioningly.
She managed to retain her composure while
returning his gaze, but she was performing mental calculations at
the same time. The rent. The gem- stone dealer. The gold and silver
and platinum dealers. Jason's salary. Also, she had to figure in
what Whitehead was going to get out of her services. She knew that
he needed her.
'What do you say?' he repeated.
'I can't do it for twenty-five thousand
dollars.'
'You can't?'
'I'll need fifty,' she said, her voice
unwavering and her eye contact unbroken. 'In advance. I've got to
pay some bills, and that'll do it.'
'Fifty thousand dollars for a couple of days'
work?' he said with a laugh. 'In advance?'
'Take it or leave it,' Allegra said. She made
movements in her chair as if she were going to get up.
'No, no,' he said, waving her down with his
hand. 'Wait just a minute there. Just a minute.'
'Okay,' she said. 'I'll wait. But just a
minute. I've got a business to run, you know. It may not be a
multibillion-dollar multinational, but it's my life.'
'You're something else, Allegra Sheridan,' he
said. He sat staring at her, his lips spread in a smile. Finally,
he offered her his hand. 'You've got yourself a deal.'
Allegra shook his hand, trying to slow the
wildly beating heart within her chest.
Sylvie, who had quietly reentered the office,
began clapping her hands together lightly. 'Hooray!' she exclaimed.
'Now we must celebrate.' On the desk, she had placed a tray that
held a bottle of champagne in a silver ice bucket and three crystal
flutes. 'Shall I
to do is hear my name, and dealers and fat cats all over the world
will start trying to outbid me.' He gazed into her eyes. 'You
understand what I'm talking about, of course.'
'Oh, yes,' Allegra said. 'So you're looking
for somebody to bid for you,' she said.
'That's right,' he said, 'and I think you're
the perfect person.'
'But why not Sylvie?' she asked. She looked
over but saw that Sylvie had quietly disappeared from her position
behind the desk.
'Sylvie's known in the auction houses,' he
said. 'She's bid for me before. Plus, I don't want to send just
anybody into that auction.'
'Why's that?'
'I want somebody who really knows stones,' he
said. 'I want you to go to the preview and study the ring to make
certain you're getting the right one.'
'Don't you trust Dufour to deliver the goods?
My God, you're talking about one of the world's most respected
auction houses. They're over two hundred years old.'
'I know,' he said. 'I know. But we both know
that so-called experts goof up all the time.'
'That's for sure.'
'Anyway, you know your stones, so you can
make sure that the ring you get is the ring that Princess Karima is
selling.'
'Yes,' she said with certainty, 'I'm sure I
could do that.'
'Then would you be willing to do this for
me?' he asked, looking at her hopefully.
'I... I think so,' she said. 'I have to give
it some thought.'
'I'm willing to pay you handsomely,' he said,
smiling.
'It's not just a matter of money,' she said.
'There's my business to consider, and quite frankly I'm having a
really tough time right now.' She looked him in the eye. 'I'm close
to going under,' she admitted, 'so it's not a good time for me to
leave.'
'I'm sorry to hear that,' he said. She heard
the genuine concern in his voice. 'But this wouldn't take long. You
would have my personal jet, to take you to Paris, see the preview,
bid the next day, and fly straight back with the ring. What've you
got to lose? A couple of days at the most. Plus, an extra paycheck
might help you save your business.'
'How much did you have in mind?' she
asked.
'I'm willing to pay you twenty-five thousand
dollars and expenses,' he said.
Allegra kept her face devoid of expression,
though her heart leaped at his figure.
'My Gulfstream V, a suite at the Ritz or
wherever you prefer to stay, and all your meals with a credit card
I'll give you. You'll have permission to sign on it. What do you
say? Fair?' He was staring into her eyes questioningly.
She managed to retain her composure while
returning his gaze, but she was performing mental calculations at
the same time. The rent. The gem- stone dealer. The gold and silver
and platinum dealers. Jason's salary. Also, she had to figure in
what Whitehead was going to get out of her services. She knew that
he needed her.
'What do you say?' he repeated.
'I can't do it for twenty-five thousand
dollars.'
'You can't?'
'I'll need fifty,' she said, her voice
unwavering and her eye contact unbroken. 'In advance. I've got to
pay some bills, and that'll do it.'
'Fifty thousand dollars for a couple of days'
work?' he said with a laugh. 'In advance?'
'Take it or leave it,' Allegra said. She made
movements in her chair as if she were going to get up.
'No, no,' he said, waving her down with his
hand. 'Wait just a minute there. Just a minute.'
'Okay,' she said. 'I'll wait. But just a
minute. I've got a business to run, you know. It may not be a
multibillion-dollar multinational, but it's my life.'
'You're something else, Allegra Sheridan,' he
said. He sat staring at her, his lips spread in a smile. Finally,
he offered her his hand. 'You've got yourself a deal.'
Allegra shook his hand, trying to slow the
wildly beating heart within her chest.
Sylvie, who had quietly reentered the office,
began clapping her hands together lightly. 'Hooray!' she exclaimed.
'Now we must celebrate.' On the desk, she had placed a tray that
held a bottle of champagne in a silver ice bucket and three crystal
flutes. 'Shall I
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