Milo...Rubies
By Pattie Lawler
Albany was paying for the ruby ring Fanny had chosen to mark this latest milestone in her
life when she felt someone step
into her personal space.
“Don’t move,” a deep voice breathed. “Tell Scarlet we’re
tired of waiting.”
And he was gone.
Whirling, her frantic gaze found Fanny, further down the counter and seemingly
unaware that anything had happened.
“Your card,” the cashier said, and Albany spun back.
“Did you see that man behind me?”
The young woman looked past her then back. “No. But you’re as white as a
sheet. Are you okay?” She didn’t wait for an answer but gestured one of the
security guards closer. “Frank, did you
see a man just leave?”
He nodded. “A couple of them.”
“Keep both eyes on her,” Albany commanded the guard, pointing to Fanny as
she pulled her phone from her pocket. Milo answered on the second ring. She didn’t
offer him a chance to speak.
“Milo, we’re at D’Auria’s. I think you should join us.”
He bellowed for Simon, his hand over the receiver. “Should I call the
police?”
“No. I would have called them first if it was that bad. I think we’re
fine where we are, but I’d rather have Simon within shouting distance.”
She heard the penthouse elevator chime in the background and knew they would lose
reception. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. We’ll be right there.”
Closing the phone, she stilled her heart and put a smile on her lips. Joining
Fanny, her reason for Milo’s summoning was easily explained.
“Your ruby made me think that an
engagement ring in something scarlet-like would be perfect. Or maybe an eternity band of
rubies for the wedding ring.” She bent over the glass counter. “I hope you
don’t mind, but I called Milo. He’s meeting us here, and then we’ll go for
lunch, okay?”
When they had returned to the penthouse
after the ball, Albany had spent her time with Fanny, offering her comfort through
contact. As they lay in bed together, Albany declared her intensions of accepting Milo’s
marriage proposal. Thrilled to be in on the news before her uncle, Fanny nearly exploded
with her flights of fancy regarding the wedding: so much so that Albany was in awe of her
plans. But it also meant that inviting Milo to what was to be a girls’ day out
wasn’t an unwelcome interruption.
“You don’t like diamonds?”
Fanny asked, sounding perplexed.
“Oh, I do. I just like colored stones
better. And if I’m to be a Scarlet, I’d like to take advantage of my every
opportunity.”
“Colored wedding dresses are all the
rage,” Fanny said, her tone knowing.
“But you know how I look in
scarlet.”
Fanny giggled. “Navy blue would be
terrible.”
“But champagne wouldn’t.”
<0>
By the time Milo and Simon arrived, Albany
and Fanny had covered the major parts of the eventual affair. Seated before the engagement
rings, they turned and smiled in greeting as the collector and his bodyguard entered the
store.
Milo looked as ever, but when Albany offered
her hand, his crushing grip was urgent if not fearful. She smiled to reassure him, gently
squeezing his hand. “I was given a message for you,” she whispered in his ear
when he bent to kiss her. “He said they’re tried of waiting. Fanny saw
nothing.”
His kiss was warm and leather-scented and
her smile grew as he bestowed the same greeting on his niece.
“I have to make a quick phone
call,” he announced, “but then I’m all yours.”
“We’ll be right here.” She
watched as he exited the shop. Simon nodded to the guard who locked the door in Milo's
wake. Albany returned her attention to the clerk. “Rubies, please. Two carat,
round.” The woman smiled and hurried away. Albany collected Fanny’s hand.
“What do you know about rubies?”
<0>
When Milo rejoined them, his manner, to
Albany’s anxious gaze, seemed more relaxed as he placed his chair so that Fanny sat
between them. Albany caught his eye, but he only smiled and asked for an explanation of
what they were doing. Gesturing to the tray of loose rubies, Fanny eagerly described her
thoughts on their engagement ring.
Milo’s expression altered with her
enthusiasm. “I think it sounds incredible.”
“It was Albany’s idea.”
His head snapped up, and Albany felt herself
blushing. “I...I just thought...that is...” she stammered, but Fanny hurried on,
heedless of Albany’s discomfort.
He smiled at her before devoting his
attention to his niece.
When they finally left the store, Albany
grabbed Milo’s arm, pulling him close.
“Milo, I—”
“Albany,” he hastened to soothe
her, “you’ve told me and demonstrated that you’re not interested in me for
my money, and I believe you. Honest. I know what you were thinking, and no, I never once
thought you were spending my money.” He kissed her cheek. “It’s our money
now, anyway. You’re welcome to plan to your heart’s content. I was simply
impressed by the idea of a ruby engagement ring. I think it’s perfect, and we’ll
design it together, okay?”
Mortified, she could only nod. He held the
car door for her as Simon sheltered an unaware Fanny. Milo went on, chatting with Fanny as
Albany struggled to recover herself. Once comfortably arranged, Fanny displayed her new
ring, and as the conversation then involved her, Albany was able to set aside her
feelings.
<0>
It wasn’t until they returned to the
penthouse and Fanny closed the door to her room, that Milo, Albany and Simon had a moment
to discuss what had happened. Only after viewing what little the borrowed tape from the
store’s video cameras revealed and rehashing Albany’s even briefer account, did Milo
explain to her what he knew.
“Simon, would you get me a laptop,
please?” He led Albany to the sofa, offering her a seat. “Since the moment you
and I met, Raul has been acting strangely. Approaching you, abducting you, trying to
leverage his way into the French letter job...all of this smacks of his being either
willingly or unknowingly manipulated.”
“That letter that you said wasn’t
from him?”
Milo nodded. “That, too. I received an
email from him the night of the Passion concert at St John’s.”
Albany cocked her head.
“He’s looking to purchase an
artifact that’s a family heirloom.” Simon returned, a laptop tucked under his
arm. Placing it on the coffee table before the couple, he withdrew. Milo beckoned Albany
closer as he opened the computer. “Do you know what fulgerite is?”
She shook her head.
“When lightning strikes the ground, and
there’s enough silica present, the result is—”
“Glass.”
“Fulgerite, actually. It’s pretty
rare, as you can imagine, and one was discovered on the grounds of Owswell back in the
eighteenth century. It’s called the Legionaries’ Line, and one of the things
that makes my fulgerite unique is that a Roman soldier was actually standing in the
lightning’s path.” He nodded to her gasp, turning the laptop to face her.
“There’s a very clear impression of a sandal’s heel,” he pointed,
“and toe in the outer matrix, and where fulgerite is always a hollow tube, the Line
is slightly compressed where the foot was standing.”
Albany bent to see the image better.
“It is also believed, and I’m sure
this is where Raul’s involvement stems from, that during a lightning storm, the Line
screams. However, having been in the same room with it for many years, I can attest to its
stony silence.”
“No pun intended.”
“None.”
“And so Raul’s sending his thugs
to threaten me, why?”
Milo turned the laptop back and began typing
into a search engine. “Owing to their delicate state, fossilized or petrified
lightning, as fulgerite is also known, is seldom more than about 6 inches long.” He
turned the computer back, showing her other examples. “The entire strike can be very
long: I think the longest on record is 17 feet. The Line is nine feet long and in ten
pieces.”
She looked up. “But that
means—”
Milo was nodding. “No one knows why,
but yes, the pieces average just under a foot in length. They are also slightly higher in
carbon than normal strikes...but we try not to think about that. So the Line is very
sought after, on several fronts.”
“And Raul wants it. You told him
what?”
“That I would think about it.”
“But why? If it’s not for sale,
why lead him on?”
Milo glanced at Simon, who took up a broader
stance, blocking the hall should Fanny leave her room.
“More than a few people in the sphere I
operate in believe that Raul, or at the very least his name, is being used go gain access
to my collection. The Legionaries’ Line, while unique, is hardly worth kidnapping in
two countries.”
She nodded.
“I’ve been asked to allow Raul to
purchase the Line. Well, not the Line. A
facsimile, created for the purpose.”
Albany sat back, crossing her arms across
her chest. “What do you own, Milo, that he’s so desperate to have?”
Milo twisted, facing her, his shoulder to
the cushions. “Were it simply Raul, it could be anything. As I’ve told you, our
tastes are nigh on identical. However, he’s asked for something that can’t be
easily moved, hence the thought that he wants into Owswell Magnum.
“When I had the Line tested a few years
ago, two pieces were examined, and both suffered minor damage during testing. At that
point, I swore it was going back into its case and never coming out. That declaration made
it into the final report and so is common knowledge.”
“Ah,” she breathed nodding.
“I see what you’re saying.”
Milo glanced at Simon without moving.
“You don’t have to stay for this part, Simon. You’ve heard it enough, poor
thing.”
“I’ll be in my office.”
“We’ll call if we need you.”
Milo waved as Simon strode to the elevator. When the doors closed, Milo pushed up and
turned, his hands out for hers. She let him pull her to her feet and together they dropped
to the carpet before the fireplace.
“Are you going to light it?” Albany
asked, pulling several pillows off the sofa and tossing them on the floor.
“If you’d like.”
“Yes, please. And feel free to talk
while you work. I’ll just lay here like a lizard on a rock and admire the view.”
“Nice visual, and thank you.”
She purred as she made herself comfortable.
“You really are beautiful.”
“Not handsome?” He lit a match and
began lighting the crumpled paper under the grate.
“That too. But getting back on
topic.”
“I don’t mind being the
topic.”
“What was that about your fragile male
ego?”
He smiled as he threw the match into the
fire. “A sham.”
“Do tell. The Line?”
“Yes, well. Raul has cleverly chosen
something unique to Owswell, and if I play my cards right, I’ll finally get to pound
him for kidnapping you.”
“But that doesn’t answer my
question. What do you have that he wants?”
“At the moment, it would be better if
you didn’t know. I’m sorry. It’s not that I don’t trust you, believe
me—”
She held up a hand. “Say no more.
I’m fine with ignorance, for now. I have enough on my plate without having to worry
about you more than I do.”
He smiled, crawling toward her. “You
worry?”
Laying back as he progressed up her body,
his hands and knees caging her in, she nodded when their eyes met. “Constantly. I
worry that you don’t love me as much as I love you. I worry that some busty, blonde
soprano, who wouldn’t touch a trouser role for all the gold in Fort Knox, will catch
your eye. You know, stuff.”
“And shall I tell you what I worry
about?”
“Aside from Fanny?”
He nodded, lowering enough to kiss her neck
below her ear. “Aside from Fanny. I worry that some dashing collector will decide
that his collection will never be complete without a courageous mezzo-soprano who has
countless hidden talents.”
“Hidden talents? Such as?” She
squirmed into a position where he could more easily reach her as he trailed kisses down
her chest.
He paused, glancing up at her. “Would
you mind?”
She smiled, reaching to unbutton her blouse,
receiving a kiss with each button.
“Your belly dancing skills, command of
Arabic...”
She chuckled.
“Welsh, gunning the dozens—”
Albany laughed, sitting up enough to wrap
her arms around him. “I learned that from busty, blonde sopranos with axes to
grind.”
“Well, I know Margo will never be the
same.”
“We’ve seen the last of her?”
“Unless I’m alone, I can’t
imagine she’d wanna risk another tongue lashing.”
“Do you love me?”
“To distraction.”
“Prove it.”