by Alicia Hope
‘I tell you, Mum, it’s the Bedazzler.’
Connie stared at the breathtaking pearl and diamond necklace sparkling in her hand. ‘The Bedazzler,’ she whispered, mesmerised. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Mum! Haven’t you been listening to me?’
‘Of course love, what were you saying?’
With a loud sigh, Claire-Rose repeated slowly, ‘The Bedazzler is the necklace Fred Chalmers, AKA “The Oyster”, stole from the throat of a dignitary’s wife. He holed up in the castle and when the authorities captured him, he refused to say what he’d done with the necklace. So it stayed where he’d buried it, in the old shed. Until now.’
Both woman stared at the stunning piece of jewellery. It glittered dazzlingly up at them.
Connie mused, ‘I wonder what it’s worth.’
‘Sothebys might be able to value it, but priceless is probably closest to the mark.’ With a shrewd look in her eyes, Claire-Rose added pensively, ‘And there’s probably a handsome reward for its recovery.’
‘To think it’s been buried in that shed, in that old tin, for this long.’ Connie’s tone was wistful. ‘And it took you to find it.’
‘Me and Topaz,’ Claire-Rose corrected her, smiling. ‘It would still be buried if it wasn’t for him. This is like his legacy.’
The two woman stared at the necklace as Connie said reverently, ‘And our other legacy is the castle.’
* * *
‘Hello, Emma.’
‘Ms Brande ... er ... Claire-Rose, good afternoon. What can I do for you?’
Claire-Rose noted with a touch of cynicism that Emma’s cool demeanour toward her had thawed since the signing of the contract. ‘I was hoping to speak to Byron, but I haven’t seen him around today. Any idea where I might find him?’
Emma’s eyes narrowed. ‘Actually, Mum and I were hoping you might’ve been able to shed some light on that.’
‘Me?’
‘Yes. You and Byron were ... seeing each other, weren’t you?’
‘Well, we’d gone out once or twice. Whether you call that seeing each other—’
‘Anyway, we thought you might’ve known how long he’ll be away.’ When all she received from Claire-Rose was a shrug, Emma gave an impatient sigh. ‘He stalked into Mum’s office yesterday in a huff, said something like “the castle’s sold so you don’t need me anymore” and took off.’ She screwed up her face. ‘Which is real handy, as it means we’re short a butler and I’ll have to stand in—’
‘Is that all he said?’ Claire-Rose cut in abruptly.
‘Yes, and that he’d call us.’
‘From where?’
‘You don’t know?’ Seeing Claire-Rose’s frown, Emma said warily, ‘Why is it so important to you? And why didn’t he tell you where he was going, if he wanted you to know?’
Claire-Rose ran a hand through her hair and considered the question. ‘I want to make him a job offer, but he left before I could.’
‘What sort of job?’
‘Mum and I want him to stay on as manager.’
‘Oh, I see. Lucky old By.’ Emma chewed her lip and muttered, ‘Well, if I had to take a guess, I’d say he’s gone to Australia. To find Dad.’
‘You think he’s gone looking for your father?’
‘Well, Dad always said he’d come back if Mum gave up the castle. And now she has.’
Claire-Rose rocked back on her heels and stared at Byron’s sister without really seeing her.
It makes sense. He’s gone looking for his father. Like Humpty Dumpty, he wants to put the family back together again. While also putting distance between himself and me, she concluded with a hastily stifled wince.
Emma startled her by bursting out with, ‘Oh, hey! He left this for you.’ She turned and grabbed a book from the desk and handed it to Claire-Rose, who gave it a cursory glance at first, and then took a double-take.
She was holding Elizabeth’s precious diary, now bearing a sticky note with the scrawled message, ‘CR, I guess this is yours now. B.’ Staring at the note and the book, she barely noticed the door to reception opening behind her.
Emma moved further along the desk and slipped into her usual spiel. ‘Hello, and welcome to Lorienne Castle. Checking-in, are we?’
Overwhelmed by a tangle of emotions, Claire-Rose turned on her heel to leave and promptly ran into someone standing directly behind her. Someone who gripped both of her arms firmly. The diary almost slipped from her hands as a man’s voice above her head said gently, ‘Hello, Claire-Rose.’
When her eyes snapped upward, she stared incredulously at the fair-haired man she’d run into.
The man who was checking into the castle.
The man whose hands were holding her and gradually drawing her toward him.
The man whose scarred face she’d thought she’d never see again.
Dr Kris De Voss.
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If you've enjoyed reading The Brande Legacy, I hope you'll consider posting a review.
Many thanks for your support,
Alicia :)
Book two in the Brande Legacy series, Whispers at the Wall (description below) is now available.
About the author
Alicia Hope lives in Queensland, Australia, and writes contemporary women’s fiction, stories with credible characters and realistic situations and settings. The Brande Legacy is the first book in the two-book Brande Legacy series. Alicia writes feel-good books that readers of any age can curl up with on a rainy afternoon (or any time!) and enjoy.
Happy reading!
Discover other titles by Alicia Hope
The Brande Legacy: Whispers at the Wall
Book two in the Brande Legacy series, where mysteries lurk in the shadows,
and a legacy can be a gift ... or a curse.
Claire-Rose Brande’s visit to Lorienne Castle, her resolution of an ancestor’s age-old predicament, and a reforged link with her family’s history, have opened the floodgates - mysteries are coming at her from all quarters of the castle’s ‘spirited’ past.
In the absence of her collaborator, Byron 'Mystery' McAlister, who can she call upon to help her solve the mysteries ... and survive them?
A Heart’s Glass Ceiling
A contemporary romance set in the rough-n-tumble of the Australian mining industry.
Corporate glass ceilings aren’t the only things meant to be broken ... and when someone determined enough shatters the glass, watch out everyone below!
The Long Road to Loving Grayson
A contemporary romance set in the remote Queensland outback.
What happens when two hearts, one badly bruised and the other trapped in an unhappy marriage, meet at the junction of long outback roads?
Well, buckle up, ’cos there are plenty of roadblocks and obstacles ahead!
Maggie
A short story with real heart, set in a small farming community in Western Australia.
The garnet is a symbol of love and compassion, but will the stone’s power be enough to save her?
Her Fortescue Diamond
A short story with a modern-day take on an age-old dilemma.
Just how perfect must the right man be?
Connect with Alicia Online
at
http://www.aliciahopeauthor.blogspot.com.au
