With a soft sigh, she sat at the small table and refused to give in to self-doubt. She had a long, bumpy road ahead with Ian, but he was worth it. She would persevere like she always did.
Gerard knocked on the door and poked his head in. “I smell crepes.”
Jala scolded him in her native tongue, shooing him out the door. He looked at Gwen, pleadingly.
Gwen couldn’t help but laugh. “You can stay and eat if you want.”
Gerard smiled and quickly spoke to Jala before taking a seat next to Gwen. Manni must have followed because he hopped onto Gerard’s lap and looked expectantly at the table.
Jala’s scolding tone continued as she returned to the crepes.
Crepes? But there was no electricity. Gwen looked to Ian. “How is she cooking?”
Ian pointed. “The hot plate. She prefers the outside fire, but I don’t have the setup here.”
“But where does the electricity come from?”
“The generator at the office. I ran wires over here.”
“But the rest of the village has to suffer,” Gerard said.
Ian frowned. “You know that was at the top of my list before—”
Gerard waved away his words. “I was kidding. No one would know what to do with the electricity anyway.”
“Not right away, but it would help.” Ian turned to Gwen. “We were hoping to use clean energy. The river would be one source.”
Gerard nodded. “We had also heard about a village using a merry-go-round to pump well water. We could use the same principle here. The kids would love a merry-go-round.”
Ian laughed. “You’d be the first one to ride it.”
He shrugged. “Someone needs to test it out to make sure it’s safe.”
“Both sound like wonderful ideas.” Gwen wanted to help. So many times she only thought of her own survival, it would nice to be able to help someone else.
“We were in the process of ordering the equipment needed before—” Ian stopped.
She nodded her understanding so he didn’t have to finish. “Before.”
* * *
Gwen walked to the Happy Hippo. Ian and Gerard had wanted a private word after breakfast. She was relieved for the short reprieve. It wasn’t like she couldn’t guess what they’d talk about. If her snippets of overheard conversation this morning were any indication, they planned on moving the diamonds tonight. She didn’t blame their hurry, but it would have been better if they disguised it as a honeymoon.
“Gwen!” Saba called from the canteen. “Come inside.”
“Why are you here so early?” Gwen asked, stepping inside.
“I like an early start. Some of the elders come to play games and talk.”
“I thought you worked the mine. Did you quit to work here?”
“Not so much to work here, but yes.”
“I don’t blame you. Mining seems like a tough job.”
“It was, but it paid good.” Saba moved around the tables, wiping them down. “And breaks were mandatory. Ian always treats everyone so nice.”
“You sound like you might have a few regrets about quitting. I’m sure Ian would rehire you if you asked.”
She shook her head. “No, I made my decision. I just wish it would have worked.”
“What would have worked? The job?”
She looked away. “Don’t listen to me. I’m being silly.”
Gwen didn’t want to pry, but it’d be nice to listen to someone else’s problems for a while. Sometimes it felt like she was drowning in her own.
Gwen sat down, corralling Saba at the same time. “Sit. I insist that you tell me what’s going on, or I’ll think on it until I die.”
“I really shouldn’t—”
“Is this about the mysterious man you alluded to yesterday?”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to call him mysterious.”
“Aha! You didn’t deny it was about him, though. So, who is he and how can I help?”
“You’ll think I’m silly.”
“Why would I think that? Did I not just marry a man I hardly know? I had a chance to leave and yet I stayed. Tell me that is not silly.”
“It’s because you are in love. I see it as plain as the new day.”
“Am I that obvious?”
“You both are.”
Gwen didn’t want to hope or speculate, so she returned the conversation back to Saba. “Well, are you going to satisfy my curiosity or do I have to continue my walk in suspense?”
Saba fidgeted with the towel for a moment before nodding. “But you have to swear to keep my secret.”
“I promise.”
She leaned in to softly say, “I accidentally fell in love, and he is oblivious to me.”
“But you’re lovely, kind, and have the most amazing eyes. How could he be oblivious?”
“I think he can’t see beyond his past. It’s killing me to not know why he grieves so. I thought that if I quit the mine, he might miss me, or at the very least, notice my absence. But my plan was flawed because he always comes here after work.”
Saba didn’t have to say his name. Gwen knew she was speaking about Gerard. They would have made a handsome couple, with her lioness eyes and his tall, toned body and blue eyes. But Saba was right. Gerard was grieving and Gwen doubted he saw anything beyond his own suffering—or the bottom of a booze bottle. Sure, he mostly had control over it, but for how long?
Gwen patted Saba’s hand and re-steered the conversation. “If you could be anything you wanted, what would you be?”
Her eyes lit. “I had always thought I wanted to be a singer, but it was just a childhood dream. When you gave me this necklace, I kept staring at it.” She lifted it from under her shirt and let the ruby pendant fall into her hand. “It’s so beautiful. And not just the ruby. All of those little twists in the chain. They are so delicate. I want to learn how to make beautiful jewelry and sell it.”
Gwen smiled wistfully at the necklace she’d created in happier times. She wished she could help Saba to learn the trade. Gwen could teach her, but the craft took years to master and required costly materials and equipment. Still . . .
Ian stepped through the open doorway. “I thought I might find you here.” He sat next to Gwen and wrapped his arm around her, hugging her.
“That’s because I told you where I would be.”
“Ah, yes.” He smiled, then focused on Saba. “Saba, how are you today?”
“I am good. I would ask you the same, but your smile says it all.”
“I thought your conversation with Gerard would take longer,” Gwen said.
Ian shook his head. “Much of what needed to be said was already said. We just confirmed the details.” He stood and took her hand. “Walk with me?”
Gwen stood and said a quick goodbye to Saba.
When they were clear of the canteen, Ian began, “I told Gerard about your honeymoon idea.”
“You did? What did he say?” Gwen was surprised, but she shouldn’t have been. Ian was open-minded. He’d have to be to live here. It required the ability to adapt.
“He said you were right, but he was hesitant.”
Gerard thought she was right? She never thought she’d hear it from him. Gerard tolerated her. She knew not to expect more.
“Why was he hesitant? Because he doesn’t trust me?”
Ian shook his head as they continued to travel down one of the more widely used village roads. It was the same road she used when she had first come to town and met Ian. Little homes with small shops lined the dirt road. Some were fenced and neatly attended, and others barely stood, just waiting for a strong wind to knock them flat. Chickens played in the road along with children of all ages. Women in colorful, flowing garments carried baskets with laundry or food.
Ian gave a nod of greeting to whomever they passed. “I’m not going to lie and say he doesn’t have any reservations about you, but you stayed.”
“Did you think I wouldn’t?”
“It crossed my
mind. I’m very happy you proved me wrong.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “If you still want to help, I will accept and be forever grateful.” Before she could answer, he stopped at a pile of rubble. “But you have to know what you’re getting into.”
Gwen looked out over the debris and realized it had been a building; a small desk sat on top. “This was a school.” She remembered the happy children’s faces that they had just passed on the road. She couldn’t imagine how they could have survived this wreckage.
“School wasn’t in session at the time, so no one was hurt. At least not at this building.”
“Others were hurt?”
He nodded. “This is what happens to villages in the midst of a diamond conflict. The innocent suffer.”
Gwen’s heart tumbled. She had been a part of their suffering. Though she might not have laid a hand on the school, she did rip necessary funds from them by stealing from Ian.
His arm, still around her, felt like a comfort she didn’t deserve.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you,” he said. “But you have to know what you’re getting into. If we were found out, I probably wouldn’t be able to protect you, no matter how hard I tried. I barely survived the last time. The rebels won’t be forgiving if they catch me again.”
“What happened when they took you?” She looked at him. “I sensed a change in you, and I want to know—” She stopped and took a breath. “Was it because of me? I’m so sorry about what happened, and if it was because of me, then—”
He pressed a light finger to her lips, quieting her. “Perhaps you didn’t help matters, but believe me, you didn’t change the course of their action when you swapped the necklace for a fake. In fact, it was probably good that you did. The government agents took the fake and never profited.”
“But something happened,” she insisted, relieved that she hadn’t contributed to Ian’s woes. Well, not in the sense that she’d aided the rebels or agents. “I can tell something happened to you.”
“Remember the compromise? I’ll tell you everything you want to know, but you have to do the same for me.”
Gwen nodded, knowing what she would have to reveal. “No more secrets for either of us.”
Ian truly seemed as though he wanted her in his life, even treating her as though she had never stolen from him, as though she were something special. His wife. He might not like what she’d say, but she would trust him with her problem if that meant he would tell her what haunted his eyes and made his hand shake.
His reaction to her acceptance was both of relief and nervousness.
They looked at each other, neither one wanting to start first. Gwen could see the pain in his eyes, and it cut at her. She would go first. If nothing else, perhaps this could be a stepping stone. She wasn’t naïve enough to think this would solve any of her problems. She still had to deal with that on her own, but she could at least ease Ian’s mind. Whatever had happened to him couldn’t be nearly as bad as a lifetime of theft.
“You are right,” she said. “I am being blackmailed, but it started because of a mistake I made. The biggest mistake of my life.”
“What happened?”
“The simple story is that I stole from the wrong person.”
“And the complex story?”
She walked over to a large rock near the old school and sat down on its flat surface, making room for Ian to sit next to her. They sat in silence for a moment as she collected her jumbled thoughts. It wasn’t that she was stalling, but she wasn’t quite sure where to begin. She had been a thief for over a decade.
“When I was twenty, my father showed signs of early dementia. He could no longer work, and his bills were more than I could afford.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Were you unable to get assistance for him?”
“I did.” She filled out every form she could find, talked to every office she could, but failed at the one thing that could have saved them both. “I was so busy with work, life, and trying to manage my father’s needs, that I didn’t see what was happening until it was too late. I failed to save him from himself.”
“What happened?”
“One day he remembered that he liked to gamble. He used to win at the tables.”
“But not anymore,” he surmised.
She shook her head. “Needless to say, he owed a lot of money to a lot of people. Angry, violent people.”
“And so you stole to cover his debt?”
“It seemed like the easiest way out. I was an apprentice for a high-end jewelry designer. The only reason I was given the position was because of my costume-jewelry portfolio. They were intrigued and let me in. However, I mainly cut and polished diamonds. A necklace came in for cleaning and modification. It was magnificent. I had just received a final warning from my dad’s creditors, and in a moment of weakness, I swapped the diamonds for fakes I always kept on hand for my designs. No one would have noticed. I could erase my dad’s debt and give him the care he needed. It was wrong and I was dumb, but I didn’t see another way out. I’ve been paying for that decision every day since.”
“Who did the necklace belong to?”
“Robert Duvine.”
“Why does that name sound familiar?”
Gwen should have known Ian would know the name. Anyone in the U.S. with a television would have heard of him. “He’s the self-proclaimed diamond king and has many commercials. I didn’t realize I was stealing from my boss, someone who would see through my costume jewels. Nor did I know he was crazy.”
“Now I remember. I’ve seen his ads on TV. But why would he blackmail you? Why not just turn you over to the police?”
“Because he saw the costume jewels I made and realized I was worth more to him out of jail.”
“That would make sense.” Ian slowly nodded, then asked, “Did you think about turning yourself in and stopping his blackmail?”
She had tried to, but he’d stopped her. “Duvine has my dad. If I don’t follow orders, Duvine takes it out on him. My dad is being held at Duvine’s estate, and Duvine has full control of his medical needs.”
“How did that happen?”
“Duvine does what he wants, and he took advantage of my dad. As long as I follow orders, my dad will be okay.”
“But what about you? You can’t be okay with following his orders for the rest of your life.”
“Of course not. But I’m not sure how to stop Duvine either. He makes sure no evidence leads back to him. But somewhere he has a horde of well-known stolen jewels. He keeps them for his collection, but I can’t find them.”
“What would you do if you could find them?”
“I would tell the authorities where to look.”
Ian frowned. “If Duvine is arrested, he’ll name you as his accomplice.”
“It will be worth it.” When Ian’s expression turned to concern, she tried to explain, “Ian, it was selfish of me to marry you. I’ve always known I’d head to jail at some point. No one in my career can stay invisible forever.” She held onto his hand. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have stayed. I guess I wanted what I’ve always been denied. A chance for a normal life. But at least you don’t have to annul the marriage. There’s no paper trail that would ever connect us.” She unwrapped the grass braid from her wrist and handed it to him. Perhaps swapping secrets wasn’t the best idea. It shined a spotlight on what was better left in the dark.
He glanced at the braid, running it through his fingers before tying it back on her wrist. “We are married. Even though there were no vows or papers, we are married.” He touched the braid once it was back in place. “I’ll help you. I’m sure I can ask—”
She stopped him. “You can’t get involved. If Duvine knows you’re helping me, he’ll take it out on my dad. And if he finds out we’re married, he’ll use you as another way to control me. You can’t help.” There was no way around this. Duvine could ask her for anything and she would do it just to save Ian. “Please.”
Thankful for a change in subject, Gwen asked, “Are you going to mine them tonight?”
“Yes, and then we will leave in the morning as if on our honeymoon.”
As if on our honeymoon.
She shouldn’t have let that bother her, but it did. Ian spoke and acted as if he wanted this marriage to work, and then he erased it all by a few words.
“I would tell you not to worry, but it’d be better if we both stayed alert,” he said. “I’m not sure what to expect. Jasper didn’t seem convinced when he left.”
“That’s because you have a leak. Someone here is feeding him information.”
“But I don’t know who it would be. No one here has any sort of technology to send pictures. I’m not sure if anyone here has a camera either.”
“Then there is a spy close by. Someone who could slip in and out without too much notice.”
“That could be anyone. It’s not uncommon for people to pass through. You did twice.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Your turn.”
“My turn?”
“I told you everything. Now it’s your turn.”
“Oh.” Ian floundered as if he were at a loss for words. He scanned the road ahead of him, but his focus never landed on anything.
Gwen didn’t want to see him suffer, but she had to know. However, she didn’t need to know this instant. She could wait. If he needed a few moments, or a few days, she would give him that time. But just as she was about to let him off the hook, a line of newer-model jeeps drove into the village, kicking up dirt behind them. Anyone who happened to be on the road scurried into the safety of their homes.
Ian stood and shoved a trembling hand into his pocket.
“Who are they?” Gwen asked.
“Mercenaries.”
Pocketful of Diamonds Page 13