A Beauty Refined

by Tracie Peterson

  Frederick pulled the vest off and then began to work on his tie. His anger at Elizabeth and Phoebe only mounted when Gerda knocked on the door and then peeked inside.

  “I saw that you had returned.”

  “Ja. Come in. What news have you of my daughter and wife?”

  “Not much,” Gerda admitted. “I know that Miss Phoebe is staying with her mother here on the grounds, but the staff is very protective of your . . . wife. Apparently she has a little cottage and works here in charge of all the maids. Although I’ve not seen her.”

  Frederick shook his head. “And there’s been no further messages or notes sent?”

  “No, sir. Not since the letters we had right after Miss Phoebe left. The one to you and the one dismissing me.”

  Hubert returned and crossed to the liquor cabinet. Frederick went to the window and looked out on the grounds. “Well, there’s bound to be someone who can be bought. I need information, and I need it as soon as possible.”

  “Ja, gnädiger Herr.” Gerda met Frederick’s gaze and offered him a sympathetic smile. “Can I help in any other way?”

  Frederick nodded. “Ja.” He didn’t bother to elaborate but instead turned toward his valet. “Hubert, where is that brandy?”

  Hubert turned without another word and handed him a snifter. “Should I lay out your nightclothes, or will you go out again yet this evening?”

  “I have no need to go out, but neither do I need nightclothes. Just put my robe in the bathroom and then leave us.”

  Hubert cast a disapproving look at Gerda but knew better than to say anything. Frederick was in no mood to tolerate his servant’s condemnation.

  Once Hubert departed, Frederick looked at Gerda. “Come help me with my bath. I need to forget this day.”

  Phoebe made her way next door to Ian’s shop just as Georgia Harper had directed. She was instructed to let Kenny know their mother wanted to see him. She knew that her mother and Georgia were purposefully putting her and Ian together, but she really didn’t mind.

  “Hello?” she called out, coming through the back door.

  “Phoebe?” Kenny came around the corner at a full run. “It is you!” He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her close. His tight grasp reminded her there was still some soreness in her muscles, but Phoebe didn’t mind.

  “Wie geht es dir, mein Bruder?”

  He looked up and frowned. “What?”

  She laughed. “How are you, my brother?”

  “I’m fine, my sister.” He laughed and pulled away. “I can’t believe I really have a sister.”

  Phoebe laughed as well. “Well, you do. You have a mother too, and she wants to see you immediately. She’s over in Grandma Harper’s kitchen.”

  Kenny nodded and shot off toward the back door. Phoebe shook her head. He was such a happy-go-lucky child. Neither she nor Dieter had ever known the luxury of such joy.

  She turned and found Ian watching her. His expression betrayed his feelings, and Phoebe felt a little lightheaded at the passion in his eyes. She wanted to talk to him about her feelings and knew that now was the perfect time to do so, but her tongue seemed to stick to the roof of her mouth.

  Ian’s eyes narrowed as he inspected her face. “Your bruises are fading nicely.”

  She put her hand to her cheek. “Ja—yes. I believe I’m very nearly healed. I’m not nearly so sore.” She fell silent, uncertain what else to say.

  “Would you like to see my shop?” Ian asked. His mood seemed to lighten. “Have you ever seen a lapidary at work?”

  Phoebe shook her head. “No, not truly. I would love to see what you do.”

  He smiled. “Then come with me.”

  Phoebe followed him to the middle of the house, where Ian had several tables and pieces of equipment set up. “This is my workroom.” He motioned to one particular table. “This is where I facet the stones.”

  She drew near and studied the various pieces of equipment. “It looks most confusing. I cannot imagine the attention that is needed.”

  He brought a small bag and opened it. “Hold out your hand.”

  She did so, and he shook out several stones into her hand. “These are roughs. They haven’t been treated at all.”

  “They’re still quite lovely,” she said, admiring the blue stones.

  “They are. Yogos are different than most sapphires. They don’t require heat treatment to bring out their color. In fact, they have very few flaws, and although they are generally small in carat weight they result in beautiful pieces.”

  “And how is it that you take a stone like this and make it into a beautiful gem?”

  He smiled. “I’ll show you rather than tell.” He took the stones she held and replaced them in the bag. Next he motioned her to follow.

  Phoebe did as he said and stood beside Ian as he took a seat at the faceting table. He angled a reflector to give him optimum light from the table lamp. “When I set out to facet a stone, I first consider it for flaws. We look for feathers, which are tiny cracks and fissures. These can cause problems when the light passes through the stone. No one wants to find feathers in their stones because these can extend. I also look for clouds. Clouds make opaque-like patches in the stone, and this must be eliminated. Yogos rarely ever have clouds. I have worked with other sapphires and have found clouds and feathers, as well as silks, which are strings of tiny cavities that look like shimmery streaks.”

  “And these are all flaws in the stone?”

  He nodded. “They affect the look of the gem as well as the way the light travels through the stone. It is my job to cut the stone in such a way that the light can pass more easily to enhance the brilliance of the gem. You see, it’s the light that truly gives the stone its beauty.”

  He held up a stick. “This is a dop, and if you look here, you’ll see one of the stones I’ve been working on today.”

  Phoebe bent closer, and Ian’s hair brushed against her cheek. She could smell his cologne and feel the warmth of his skin. The moment made her all but forget what Ian was showing her. Chiding herself, Phoebe did her best to focus on Ian’s hand and the stick.

  “We cement the stone on the end of the stick, and that way it stays secure while we work.” He pointed out the jamb peg and told her about the various degrees each of the holes in the peg represented. Each was used to make a different angled cut.

  “This is the grinding disc, which we call a lap. Over the years we’ve used a variety of laps, some of wood, some of metals. These are used with various powders and water to smooth away the stone’s edge.”

  “How can a powder smooth away stone?” Phoebe asked, trying hard to stay focused on the equipment and stone rather than the man.

  “The powders are varied. The harder the stone, the harder the grinding powder. Also, the faster the disc must rotate. Oh, and water is needed to reduce the heat of the friction.” He reached over to release the cap from a bottle. Turning the bottle upside down, Ian placed it in a wire holder over the grinding disc. A very small trickle of water began to dampen the lap.

  “It all sounds . . . complicated.”

  Ian turned to look at her, and Phoebe found her lips only inches from his. She straightened, somewhat unnerved by the situation. “Ah . . . how . . . ah . . . how do you turn the disc?”

  Ian grinned and looked back at the table. “This little hand crank over here.” He reached out with his left hand and tapped the handle. “There are newer machines with electricity being developed every day, but I haven’t found one yet that I feel is just right. I kind of like gauging the speed by hand. Same with the dop. I like to feel the stone against the lap. There’s a certain kind of pressure that should be applied, and after years and years of working with the stones, you just know by instinct what that should be.”

  He began to turn the disc, and Phoebe watched as Ian applied the stone to the lap. He said nothing and instead focused on manipulating the stone. For several minutes he worked with the piece and then finally stopped and h
eld it up for Phoebe to inspect.

  “There, I’ve finished the crown.”

  Phoebe looked at the beautiful stone of cornflower blue. “It’s lovely.”

  Ian surprised her by jumping up. “Here, have a seat. Give it a try.”

  She shook her head. “Oh, no. I would just ruin everything.”

  “I’ll give you one of the stones I was teaching Kenny with.” He put aside the piece he’d been working on and went to another table to retrieve a second dop. “Kenny was working with this earlier, and I know he won’t mind at all.”

  Phoebe stood staring at the machine. “But I wouldn’t begin to know how.”

  “That’s why I’ll guide you. Now sit.”

  She finally did as he instructed. Her pulse raced from his nearness, and when Ian leaned over her, Phoebe thought her heart might very well pound itself right out of her chest.

  “Now here, take hold of the dop. This end has the gem, and the other end will go into the peg.” He guided her hand to position the stick in the right hole. “Now gently let the stone touch the lap.”

  Phoebe did this, but her mind was ever on his hand on hers. She listened as he told her what kind of pressure should be exerted.

  “Now, with your left hand take hold of the crank.”

  She drew a deep breath and reached out. Ian closed his hand over hers. He now completely overshadowed her—his chest against her back. As he began to help her turn the crank, Phoebe felt the lap begin to grind against the stone. She said nothing, and neither did he. Instead, Ian would apply a bit more pressure to her hand to press the gem against the grinding stone or tighten against her left hand to turn the lap faster. Phoebe could scarcely breathe and wondered if Ian would even notice should she faint.

  Ian felt the warmth of Phoebe’s back against his chest. He felt the smoothness of her hands and breathed in the scent of her hair. It was no use fighting his feelings for her. He felt her breath quicken and wondered if she could feel the thundering pace of his heart. Something was happening between them—had already happened.

  “I think I’m in love with you!” Phoebe blurted out, pulling her hands away from the dop stick and the crank.

  The loss of her hands beneath his caused Ian to straighten rather abruptly. But he didn’t stop there. He pulled Phoebe to her feet and turned her to face him. He looked deep into her eyes and saw the questioning look she gave him.

  “I don’t just think I love you,” he whispered, “I know it.”

  Phoebe’s eyes widened, and Ian lost himself in pools of sapphire. He drew her closer, determined to kiss her. His lips were nearly upon hers when the bell at the door jingled and a man called his name.

  He felt Phoebe stiffen. She pushed to leave, but Ian held her fast. “Please don’t go.”

  “Mr. Harper, it’s Ernst Eckhardt. I saw the light. Are you still here?”

  Phoebe seemed to regain her wits. “Go. I’ll still be here.”

  Ian looked at her, hesitating as if this were just a dream and he might awaken at any moment. He didn’t want to leave her.

  “I’ll be right there, Mr. Eckhardt,” Ian finally called out. He never took his gaze from Phoebe’s face. “Stay with me.”

  She nodded, and the look in her eyes made Ian wonder if she were agreeing to something more—something unspoken but definitely implied.

  21

  Mr. Eckhardt, I was just about to close up shop,” Ian said as they emerged from the back room. “What can I do for you?”

  Phoebe met Eckhardt’s smile. He nodded. “Fräulein Von Bergen, it is a pleasure to see you here as well. The truth is, I need the assistance of you both.”

  “Assistance?” Ian questioned. “Exactly what did you have in mind?”

  Eckhardt glanced around toward the door. “Could we speak without fear of interruption?”

  Ian nodded and left Phoebe’s side to lock the door. Next he pulled down the window shades and then came back to Eckhardt. “There. Now what is it you need?”

  “As Fräulein Von Bergen will tell you, I am from her homeland. What she doesn’t know is that I am the nephew of an elderly woman whom many call the Sapphire Duchess.”

  Phoebe couldn’t help but gasp. She looked at Eckhardt and shook her head. “But . . .” She couldn’t find the words.

  “It’s all right. I assure you I am not your enemy. My aunt has long been suspicious of your vater’s dealings and sent me to trail after him on his expedition to purchase stones for her necklace. I apologize that I couldn’t say anything sooner, but I feared you might run to your vater with the news. Now, however, I feel certain you will be more inclined to help than to hinder me.”

  “Well, if you’re here to ask me to stop faceting the stones for Von Bergen,” Ian began, “I’ve already decided to do that. I plan to return his stones to him tomorrow.”

  “I would ask that you not do that,” Eckhardt replied, surprising them both. “You see, I wish to catch Von Bergen with the stones completed. I know he still plans to continue on to Ceylon so that, should there be any question, he will have proof of his visit there. However, I also know that he has worked with the Montanans to purchase as many of their sapphires as they could spare.”

  Phoebe shook her head. “But why? That is what I’ve not understood. Why come here when the duchess specifically called for Ceylon sapphires?”

  “Because they’re cheaper,” Eckhardt countered. “Although I must say the Yogos have very quickly been gaining in value. I believe they will soon exceed the quality and value of stones from elsewhere.”

  “I agree with you, Eckhardt. However, I don’t want to see Phoebe or her mother put in further danger. As you can see, Phoebe has already borne the brunt of her father’s displeasure.”

  “I do realize this. I knew all about Mrs. Von Bergen’s supposed death. My tante told me it was commonly believed she was dead; however, there was evidence to suggest otherwise. It didn’t take her all that much time to learn what had really happened. Neither of us knew she was here in Helena until just recently. It changes nothing in my task.”

  “And what exactly is that task?” Phoebe asked.

  “To bring your vater to justice. We have no way of knowing exactly how much money he has stolen from my tante over the years, but we do know it to be a sizable amount. With this trip, we took care to keep every bit of money accounted for. I have shadowed you and your vater since you left Germany.”

  “I had no idea.” Phoebe looked to Ian.

  “So what do you need for us to do?” Ian asked.

  “I need you to go ahead and complete the faceting of Von Bergen’s stones. I need to know exactly what you are charging him, and when he takes possession of the stones, I need to account for the monies he pays you.”

  “But it’s hardly fair for Ian to work only to have you take back the money,” Phoebe said, shaking her head.

  “Perhaps I didn’t make myself understood,” Eckhardt said with a smile. “Mr. Harper will keep whatever funds are given him. Just as those who sold the stones to your vater will keep the money paid to them. As I mentioned, this trip has long been in the works, and we knew full well there would be a great many expenses. However, my tante deemed it necessary and acceptable if the aim was to see your vater brought to justice.”

  Phoebe bit her lower lip at the thought of her father in prison. He would never allow such a thing to happen. Eckhardt and the Sapphire Duchess might believe they had the upper hand, but Phoebe knew how deceptive her father could be. He wasn’t without his friends either. No doubt there were those of noble birth who would support and even defend her father.

  “What is troubling you, Fräulein?”

  Eckhardt studied her with a curious look, while Ian’s expression bore concern. Phoebe shrugged. “I just know my vater. Other men have tried to cause trouble for him. I’m not all that familiar with his business dealings, but I do know he’s managed to overcome any adversity to this point.”

  “I assure you, Miss Von Bergen, your vater wil
l not be able to overcome this situation. My tante has the ear of the kaiser himself. I also have the cooperation of the legal authorities here in America. There are some very capable men working with me.”

  “I see.” Phoebe let go a sigh. “I’m sure you will need them all. Vater is a dangerous man to fight against.”

  Eckhardt nodded. “I have only to look at your beautiful face to see that.”

  Phoebe touched her hand to her bruised cheek. “Indeed.”

  They listened to Eckhardt for another ten minutes as he explained what Ian’s role would be. Ian in turn explained his timeline and when he could have the sapphires ready.

  “When you are finished and plan to notify the graf that the stones are ready, send word to me first. I will come and make certain everything is arranged.”

  “And what do you need for me to do?” Phoebe asked when the men fell silent.

  “I would very much like an introduction to your mutter,” Eckhardt replied. “I have a feeling she might also be able to assist me.”

  Phoebe nodded. “I believe you’re right. She’s here with us—in the house next door. I can introduce you now if you like.”

  “Danke.” He clicked his heels together. “That would work very well for me.”

  Elizabeth watched Eckhardt closely, hoping to see if she could discern any deceit in his statements. It would be just like Frederick to hire someone to cause such a diversion. Not only that, but now that Eckhardt had explained his position, he had pressed the question as to whether Elizabeth knew anything that might help him make a stronger case against her husband. What if Frederick had sent the man to rob her of her information?

  “I do have knowledge of my husband’s crimes against your . . . aunt.” Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. “However, I am not at all comfortable with handing such information over to you. For all I know you could be his cohort.”

  Eckhardt nodded and reached into his coat. “And you are wise to question everyone related to this situation. I have a letter here from my tante. She wrote this letter for the purpose of presenting it to the legal authorities. However, I believe it might serve to convince you as well.”