The Charm Bracelet

by HILL, MELISSA

  ‘Holly O’Neill? It was your mother’s bracelet that she showed me? I wish I could have known.’

  ‘O’Neill?’ Greg repeated. So now he had her full name. Whether or not he could do anything with the information was another matter.

  Gennaro nodded. ‘Yes, thinking back, and remembering what she told me, she was trying very hard to get the bracelet back to you. She found me through a horseshoe, and when I showed her my father’s corno, she said it added a little more to the picture she was painting about the owner. Smart and sexy, eh?’

  Greg listened intently to his friend, taking in every word.

  So Holly really was trying to trace his mother back through the individual charms. That took a lot of dedication. The notion made him feel heartened, if she was putting so much time and energy into the search, that it was unlikely she’d just give up and let the bracelet be sold on to somebody else. Hopefully she identified the importance of the bracelet to Cristina in sentimental terms.

  Gennaro scrunched up his face, as if trying to recall what else Holly had told him about her quest. ‘And do you know,’ he added, ‘she also mentioned that she had information about a charm related to a benefit? I think it was an egg?’

  Greg nearly choked on his Scotch. ‘The egg my mom won as a prize at the Met Gallery?’

  ‘I don’t know about that, but I do recall her asking me if I knew a Margot … what was her name now?’

  Greg’s pulse quickened. ‘Mead, Margot Mead. Did she definitely mention her? She’s the organiser of this event.’

  ‘Yes, I believe so.’

  Greg couldn’t believe that Holly had made another connection. She really must have been doing everything in her power to get the bracelet back. He bit his lip.

  ‘Keep an eye on that Scotch for me, will you?’ he told his friend. ‘I have to go and find the woman I just tried to avoid.’

  Thankfully, Margot Mead was easy to find, and was holding court in pretty much the same place as Greg had left her. However, getting through the mass of people who were surrounding her, vying for her attention, was not so easy.

  Not wanting to be rude and push his way through, he looked for a way to get closer. Spotting his father, who was not more than an arm’s length away, he gently made his way to Jeff’s side.

  ‘Dad,’ Greg said, tapping his father’s shoulder. ‘Can you get Margot’s attention?’ he said. ‘I don’t want to butt in.’

  Jeff nodded. ‘Margot? Excuse me? Margot? Could I talk to you just a moment?’

  Margot turned her attention to Jeff quizzically. She looked to the woman who had been talking to her, and held up a finger.

  ‘Can’t get enough of me, Jeff?’ she laughed.

  ‘Actually, I think my son needs you.’

  She turned her attention to Greg but, before she could get a word out, he launched into what he had just learned from Gennaro.

  ‘Margot, I need to know something. Did someone, a woman actually, recently come to you about a bracelet? Someone named Holly?’

  Confusion flashed across her features. ‘I don’t think so. When you say “came to me about a bracelet”, do you mean as a gift?’

  ‘No, not like that. It’s just somehow … probably amongst all the upheaval … my mother’s bracelet went missing, and I think that whoever found it may have found a connection to you through one of the charms – the egg one I think.’

  ‘Really?’ Jeff stepped forward, interested, and Greg nodded encouragingly at him.

  Margot was frowning. ‘The diamond one? Of course I remember Cristina winning that at the Met benefit, wasn’t it? But really, I don’t recall anybody asking about anything like that, not personally anyway. I could check with my assistant though. She’d certainly remember something like that – never forgets a thing.’

  ‘Would you? We’d be most grateful.’

  Obviously recognising the urgency in Greg’s voice, Margot continued. ‘Of course. I could do it now, if you like. Jessica, my assistant, is here.’

  ‘That would be wonderful, thank you.’

  She pulled her iPhone out of her evening bag and quickly typed a text message.

  Greg smiled at his father, hope and adrenalin surging through him.

  This was good; this was really good.

  Having safely moved all the coat rails to the designated cloakroom, Holly moved to the edge of the crowd in the Catalogue Room. Jessica had told her to go and take a breather until she needed her again, so Holly did as she was bid, anxious to see if she might be able to identify anyone who – from the picture she’d built up of her – might be the owner of the bracelet.

  She’d been approached a few times by people thinking they knew her, and by a few men obviously looking to hit on her. Small talk was made, but the moment Holly began talking about the bracelet and if they knew anybody who might be missing one, she’d been rewarded with strange looks and protestations that they’d seen someone they needed to say hello to.

  With the way things were going, she’d be lucky if security didn’t cart off the crazy woman propositioning people with mad stories about bracelets. She smiled. Oh well, she supposed there were worse ways to get on Page Six.

  Looking at her watch, she took note of the time. Almost eleven o’clock, just over an hour until the ball dropped. She took in the happy couples and partygoers around her enjoying themselves, and suddenly wished she had someone to talk to. As much as she remembered her promise to Carole and the others to have a good time, and do the dress proud, she couldn’t deny that she felt a little lost, not to mention hopelessly out of place.

  She strolled slowly through the crowd, and as she did was awarded with appraising looks from several dashing-looking gentlemen, as well as a few dirty looks from the women who were obviously said gentlemen’s dates.

  She really didn’t belong here.

  Holly moved towards the bar area, thinking a glass of water might soothe her dry mouth and calm her nerves. As she approached the bar itself, she again attracted the attention of an appreciative man. But this was one she recognised.

  Holly smiled as she looked at Gennaro, the attractive Italian gallery owner. And he clearly recognised her.

  ‘Holly? I have your name right, yes?’

  She nodded and smiled, happy to run into a familiar face, even if it was this shameless flirt. Although, at the moment, Holly realised he was looking at her rather strangely. She coloured, somewhat embarrassed. Did she look that out of place here?

  ‘Hello again – Gennaro, isn’t it?’ she replied. ‘Happy New Year.’

  ‘I can’t believe you’re here.’ He didn’t return her greeting, just continued to stare at her as if she’d just landed from outer space.

  She blushed self-consciously. ‘Well, I’m not here as a guest actually. I’m helping out a friend, well—’

  ‘Do you still have that bracelet?’ he asked, cutting her off. She looked at him, surprised at the intensity in his voice.

  ‘Well yes … why do you ask?’

  ‘You do? Oh this is just wonderful … ’

  So it had been Gennaro who had come looking for her at Carole’s the other day after all, Holly realised. A surge of anticipation rushed through her veins. ‘Why? Did you find out who it belongs to? Was it one of your artists after all?’

  But then Holly recalled what Tasha had said about the man saying the bracelet was important to his family, and confusion bloomed yet again.

  ‘Yes, and he is here tonight,’ Gennaro said theatrically.

  ‘He …’ Holly stammered, again perplexed.

  ‘Yes, you are looking for him and he is looking for you – wonderful! Come,’ he said, reaching for her hand. ‘We must find him, my friend. He will be so happy to see you.’

  She looked at Gennaro expectantly, hardly unable to believe it. She was right. Her hunch about the Same Time, Same Place charm was right. She had followed the breadcrumbs correctly and they had led her here to this place, on this night.

  The owner of the bracelet �
�� or at least someone who knew her was here. Now all Holly had to do was get it back to her.

  Chapter 40

  Greg turned around to see the Marilyn Monroe look-alike in the six-inch heels from the door approaching. She was carrying a clipboard, the guest list.

  ‘Ms Mead?’ Jessica said, nearing her employer. ‘You were looking for me?’

  ‘Yes,’ Margot placed a hand on her employee’s arm. ‘Jessica, may I introduce to you Greg Matthews, and his father Jeff.’ Jessica nodded and smiled politely, as if fully expecting to have to do their bidding as well as Margot’s.

  Impatiently, he smiled a greeting in return, wishing they could quickly get through the formalities and get on with it.

  ‘Jessica, I believe that you might be able to help us. Do you recall anyone enquiring about a charm bracelet recently?’ her boss continued. ‘Or perhaps an enquiry related to an individual charm, more specifically one of the jewelled eggs we used as a prize at the breast cancer benefit at the Met last year?’

  Was it Greg’s imagination or did the assistant’s eyes grow twice the size?

  ‘You mean Holly?’ she gasped, and he breathed an internal sigh of relief.

  ‘Yes, my mother’s charm bracelet went missing recently and it seems that this woman, Holly, might have happened across it.’

  ‘Yes, she did,’ Jessica confirmed excitedly, abandoning her earlier decorum. ‘And she’s been searching high and low for you this last few weeks.’

  ‘Would you happen to have a contact number for her?’ Greg asked, hoping that she might have something other than the store number, as this had already proved to be a dead end.

  Jessica looked as though she was stifling a smile. ‘I can do one better than that, Mr Matthews,’ she said, grinning. ‘She’s here.’

  Greg looked at Jeff in disbelief. ‘Here tonight?’

  ‘Yes, she offered to help out in return for my helping her with the charm. I can take you to her right now if you’d like.’

  ‘That would be fantastic.’ Greg couldn’t believe his luck. He stole a delighted glance at his father who was looking at his watch. Greg did the same as he followed Jessica through the crowds out towards the corridor. It was 11.15 – forty-five minutes until the clock struck twelve.

  As they walked, Jessica told him all about Holly and her repeated attempts to track his mother down.

  ‘She was very determined. Worked me even harder than Ms Mead trying to put the pieces together,’ Jessica told him. ‘Hey, you guys don’t happen to live on Park Avenue, do you?’

  ‘My parents do,’ Greg confirmed. Then he thought of something. ‘The building, she identified the building from the charm?’

  ‘I did actually,’ Jessica said proudly. ‘But I think Holly was about ready to stand outside every building on the park hoping to find the right one.’

  ‘I can’t believe she was so committed. I’m very grateful.’ He was also really looking forward to meeting Holly properly. She did sound like a good person.

  ‘I went to the store in Greenwich. Apparently she doesn’t work there.’

  ‘No, that’s not it. She’s just been out for a couple days. Her son had an accident just before Christmas and she was at home with him.’

  Greg nodded. A son. And probably a husband, too.

  As if Jessica could read his mind, she quickly provided, ‘She’s single – really great. You’ll like her I think.’

  Greg wasn’t entirely sure why she’d felt the need to offer this piece of information, but from what he could remember of Holly from the gallery, he was surprised that she wasn’t attached. She was very attractive.

  ‘So it’s true then, she definitely has the bracelet you’ve seen it?’

  ‘Yup. Seen it, inspected it and hypothesised over it, too. Don’t worry, Holly has it.

  ‘Excuse me, excuse me please,’ Jessica said, trying to stay as professional as possible as they moved through the crowd, when at that point all Greg wanted to do was start tossing people out of their way.

  ‘Come on, she’s just down here,’ Jessica said, leading him to a small room down the hallway that looked as though it might be a conference room but was now being used as a cloakroom. It was empty.

  ‘She was just here … ’ Jessica said under her breath.

  Greg shook his head ruefully. It was as if somebody somewhere was trying to stop him from getting the bracelet back.

  Holly felt faintly excited as she allowed herself to be led through the crowds.

  She couldn’t believe that after all the searching she would finally be able to reunite this precious bracelet with its rightful owner.

  They wandered around for quite a while, until eventually she had to tell Gennaro to slow up, her feet were hurting.

  ‘There are so many people,’ he complained, looking frustrated. ‘I don’t think it is possible to find him in this way.’ He took out his mobile phone and scrolled through it. ‘With luck he will have his phone.’ Holly watched expectantly as he put the phone to his ear and waited. After a few moments, he shook his head.

  ‘It doesn’t seem like he has his phone. Or,’ he said as if a thought had struck him, ‘maybe he just cannot hear it. Come, let us go through to the ballroom.’

  ‘There’s a ballroom in the New York Public Library?’ Holly repeated in confusion.

  Gennaro winked. ‘There is on New Year’s Eve.’

  Then suddenly Holly was being led towards the famed Reading Room, which truly looked like something out of a fairy tale. The books that usually lined the large open space had been covered with light satin gauze and the flowers that bedecked the room uplit by soft candlelight.

  ‘Wow,’ she gasped, unable to believe what she was seeing.

  Just then her own phone began to ring and she guessed it was Jessica.

  ‘Oh darnit. Sorry Gennaro, I don’t think I can do this now, I’m needed. Like I said, I’m actually here working and—’

  Gennaro, who was looking into the distance, shook his head. ‘Wait just one moment. I see him,’ he said, and before Holly had the chance to say any more, he took her hand and led her to the other side of the room.

  Feeling guilty, she fumbled in her bag with one hand, trying to get the phone out. She’d promised Jessica she’d help out at this thing, not wander around the building with a handsome Italian.

  But Gennaro was on a mission and, as she followed his course through the path of people up ahead, she saw a red dress and a mane of blonde hair. Jessica.

  She looked seriously on the warpath, and Holly hoped she wasn’t about to get a serious dressing-down.

  But when they got closer, Gennaro began to slow his pace; as the crowds parted, another person she recognised came into view. Standing beside Jessica was the man she’d collided with that day on the way out of Gennaro’s gallery. Holly was sure of it.

  He happened to see her at the very same time and his eyes brightened the moment their gazes connected. Instant recognition bloomed on both of their faces.

  Gennaro dropped her hand and stopped about a foot in front of Jessica and the guy from the gallery.

  ‘There you are!’ Jessica exclaimed.

  ‘Sorry, I know you’ve been looking for me but—’

  ‘Not me, him.’ She nodded with a smile towards Greg.

  ‘Seems you have both been looking for each other,’ Gennaro commented mischievously. Jessica whispered to Holly that she would catch up with her later, and Gennaro followed her, an intent gaze on Jessica’s backside as she walked away.

  The man and Holly looked at each other.

  ‘It’s you … Gregorio,’ she said, remembering how Gennaro had addressed him at the gallery.

  He took a step forward and offered his hand. ‘Actually, it’s just Greg.’

  ‘I’m—’

  ‘I know who you are, Holly.’ The look he gave her sent a warm flush along her cheeks. ‘And I understand that you have been looking for me.’

  As she took in Greg’s fine features, his broad
shoulders, warm chocolate eyes and dark hair that was practically pleading for fingers to be run through it, Holly thought: Remember Holly, he’s not looking for you – he’s looking for the bracelet. She nodded. ‘Well, I didn’t know it was you, but yes, I have.’

  Reluctantly she dropped her gaze to the clutch, and opening the bag she put her hand inside it, feeling for the bracelet. Pulling it out in one swoop, she smiled and handed it to Greg. ‘I think this belongs to you,’ she laughed, ‘or rather, your girlfriend or wife or … ’ Her eyes danced around quickly, looking for any sign of the woman who not only owned the beautiful bracelet, but was also lucky enough to have laid claim to this gorgeous man’s heart.

  ‘Actually, it’s my mother’s,’ he clarified and she felt her heart lift a little. ‘Holly, thank you so much.’ He picked up the bracelet and studied it, running his fingers along the individual charms. His eyes seemed to glisten as did so, and she guessed she wasn’t quite getting the whole story. ‘You don’t know how much this means. Really. This is so important to our family. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. My dad’s here and I know he’ll want to thank you too.’

  She smiled kindly. ‘It was my pleasure.’

  For a moment the two of them stood there, unsure of what to say.

  ‘Well … I probably should be going.’

  ‘Actually, would you like to go get a drink?’ Greg asked quickly. ‘I feel I owe you that much at least, especially since I know you’ve gone to a lot of trouble to get this back to us.’

  ‘You don’t know the half of it … ’ Holly smiled and self-consciously put a hand up to push a stray hair out of her face. ‘But it was no trouble really.’

  ‘Hey, you’ve got one too.’ Greg noticed the bracelet on Holly’s wrist and he put a gentle hand under her arm. A surge of electricity shot through her and her mind whirled. What was going on? Who was this man? ‘It’s beautiful. If it’s anything like my mom’s, I’m assuming all of these charms, they mean something too?’