Property of a Noblewoman Read Free Page B

and John studying with her always made Jane uneasy. As far as she knew, he was faithful to her, and she expected that. But Cara always seemed like a threat to her. Her ample bosom was always a little too exposed, and she looked sexy in tight T-shirts and jeans, with lots of cleavage visible at all times.
    “Will the other guys be there?” Jane asked, looking nervous, and John was immediately annoyed.
    “Obviously. What difference does it make? It’s not a sex therapy group. We’re working on our papers for the end of the term, and Cara knows a lot more about running a small business than I do.” It was always his excuse for being with her. They had done several projects together.
    “I just wondered,” Jane said softly.
    “Jane, I don’t need pressure from you. And if she helps me get my grades up, I’m damn glad to be working with her.” He was in no mood for a jealous scene, but somehow the conversation degenerated, and within five minutes they were arguing about Cara. It had happened before. Jane always said that Cara flirted with him, which John vehemently denied, while Jane told him he was naïve. The conversation went nowhere, John stalked off to the bedroom looking irritated, and Jane left for work, feeling slightly sick.
    They argued constantly these days about everything and nothing. They were experiencing a major slump in their relationship, and Jane knew it was only because of the pressure on both of them as they finished graduate school, and she tried to be patient with his moods, permanent exhaustion, and lack of sleep, and to not worry about his proximity to Cara. She trusted John, but he and Cara spent endless hours together, studying, alone and in their study group. It was obvious that Cara had the hots for him, and Jane didn’t trust Cara for a minute. She hated nagging him about it, but her nerves were frayed too.
    John was in the shower when Jane left the apartment, and she had that unsettled feeling one gets after an argument, where no one “wins,” and she felt foolish now in her red sweater and coat for Valentine’s Day, a day late. It was just another work day for her, and she wanted to look serious at the appointment, since it was only the second time she’d gone to do an inventory, and she wanted to be professional about it.
    Hal Baker was waiting for her at the bank when she got there, and shook her hand with a friendly smile and an appreciative glance as he took in the pretty face and graceful figure. She was not at all what he had expected from the surrogate’s court. The clerks they sent were usually much older and very dour. Jane was a beautiful young woman with an interested, lively expression in her eyes. He led her downstairs to the safe deposit boxes, with the young female notary trailing behind them. Hal walked to the section with the largest boxes, used two keys to free the box, and carried it into a small private room, barely large enough to accommodate the three of them, and the notary brought in a third chair so she could sit down and observe the inventory, as they did it. Hal had Mrs. di San Pignelli’s file in his hand, with the inventory he had taken two years before. He handed Jane a copy of it as soon as they walked into the room, and she took off her red coat. She read down the list of the box’s contents, and when Hal opened the box, Jane looked inside.
    She could see the individual jewelry boxes and the folders. He took out the papers first and set them on the desk, and then opened the folders one by one. Jane examined the one containing photographs first, and found herself looking at a beautiful woman with deep pensive eyes and a dazzling smile. It was obviously Mrs. di San Pignelli, since most of the images included her. There were some early photographs of her as a young woman, which were more serious, and many of her with a much older, very dashing-looking man. Jane turned each one over and noticed the date and his name, “Umberto,” carefully written in