Greater Than Rubies, a Novella inspired by the Jewel Trilogy Read Free Page A

your people any relation to the Chesapeake Bartletts?”
    Maxine dryly interjected, “I seriously doubt it.”
    Jacqueline took that in. “Hmm. Well, it is just so very nice to meet you in person.” Robin stood next to Tony and held her hand out. Jacqueline slipped off her gloves. Robin thought her long manicured nails made her hands look like she’d never worked a day in her life. The women briefly squeezed hands and Tony gestured to the buffet line. “Barry’s fixing himself a plate. Would you care to eat?”
    A quick look of disgust crossed her face as she surveyed either her husband or the selections on his plate. “Ugh. Church food. Not the slightest bit interested.” She put a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “I’m afraid I can’t stay, Antonio. I just had to pop in and say ‘hi.’ My curiosity was positively killing me as to who finally landed the most eligible bachelor I know and snagged you right out from under the noses of Boston society!”
    At the conclusion of this announcement, Jacqueline Anderson actually looked Robin up and down from head to toe as if inspecting a Dickensian orphan or a horse of questionable pedigree. “I’m so looking forward to the wedding. The papers are already talking about how it’s going to be the event of the year.” She nodded toward Barry, who had stopped on his way back to the table to talk to Peter O’Farrell. “Be a dear and tell Barry I’ll see him later. I simply must go, now.”
    She swirled away, leaving the cloying smell of expensive French perfume in her wake. Robin slowly sat as she watched her mink clad departure for a second, then her eyes skimmed over Barry, who’d barely glanced at his wife’s retreating back before continuing his conversation with Peter. She looked at Tony. “What was that?”
    Tony lifted his red plastic cup. “That, cara , was Jacqui Anderson, in all her glory, being just as nice as she is humanly able.”
    With an astonished tone, she asked, “And – Antonio?”
    Tony actually grit his teeth. “It doesn’t bother me, but that fact doesn’t seem to stop her from trying to make it bother me.”
    Maxine set her fork down. “Wow.”
    Tony patted the back of Robin’s hand. “She will be extremely helpful in the wedding planning. She is a master at events. Just … don’t let her bully you.”
    Maxine wasn’t done. “You know what? I’ll say that backwards. Wow. There.”
    Robin took a bite of her cake, letting the chocolate frosting sing in her mouth before slowly chewing it and swallowing. She washed down that bite with a sip from a cup of really bad coffee in a white Styrofoam cup. “What did she mean by ‘the event of the year?’ She made this sound like it was going to be the next Royal Wedding.”
    Tony waved his hand in a dismissive manner as Barry set his plate next to him. “Don’t let that bother you, cara .”
    “I think the event of the year is exactly what it should be,” Sarah said dreamily. “Imagine what we could do!”
    Maxine leaned forward and put her hand on top of Robin’s. “It’s okay, Robin. We’ll help you. We’ll get a really good wedding planner and it’ll be a breeze. I even have an old design instructor from college who opened her business last year. I helped her with some initial advertising. I’ll call her and see if we can meet.”
    Suddenly nervous, Robin licked her lips. “I’m not sure. Why can’t we just elope?”
    Tony laughed. “Because, cara , I want to show you off to the world.” He turned to Barry. “You free in the morning? I have some things to go over with you.”
    Barry nodded around a mouth full of cauliflower casserole. “I have you blocked off until noon. After that, you’re buying me lunch. I’ve been out of the office for two weeks. I’ll go in at seven and make sure I don’t have any major fires to put out before I come over.”
    Tony nodded as he looked at his watch. “Nine is good.” He snapped his fingers and turned to Robin. “I know what I