“What do you mean?” Nigel asked.
“In the first Terminator film,” Ryan explained, “Arnie comes back from the future, and he’s like this shiny, unstoppable ruthless killing machine. He’s got these red shiny eyes that mean business. That was like me when I met Diane. I knew what I wanted—marriage, a wife and kids. Then, one day, you wake up and you’ve achieved all that, and you’re ready for the next stage in your life...but you have no idea what the hell that is. You feel...lost. In the last Terminator film, Sarah Connor even calls Arnie ‘Pops.’ He’s got old and technology has moved on. He might insist that he’s not obsolete, but he’s not bloody far off.”
Nigel lowered his pint. “I’ve never watched any of the Terminator films,” he said.
“Me neither,” Benedict admitted.
The three men looked into their drink glasses.
“Well, thanks for killing that conversation,” Ryan said. He turned to Benedict, his eyes pleading. “It’s Diane’s birthday next week and I want to get her something special, to show that I love her. I need my family. Maybe this pendant, as Gemma suggested...”
“Pink gemstones are good for this kinda thing.” Gemma nodded.
“I’m willing to give anything a go.”
Benedict knew that Diane was a stylish woman, all walnut-shiny bob, pencil skirts and crisp white blouses, with a taste for oversize designer handbags. A simple statement necklace, which looked unique and expensive, would look great on her. “Perhaps a pendant set with a singular stone?” he proposed.
Gemma took out her gemstone bag and selected a smooth translucent petal-pink stone, the quarter size of a postage stamp. “This is kunzite.”
“It’s said to be a symbol for romance and marriage,” Benedict added, surprised that he was able to recall what Gemma had told him about the stone.
“You remembered, Uncle Ben.” Gemma patted him on the back.
“Make me something for Diane,” Ryan pleaded. “Help to make her love me again...”
* * *
When they left the pub, Gemma exhaled noisily. “I am never getting married. Ever,” she said to Benedict. “Are your friends always like that?”
“Mostly. Noon Sun is the kind of place that lulls you into a relaxed way of life. You can slip into a sort of coma and then wake up when you’re eighty years old and realize that you haven’t done anything with your life. You only come around when something happens and shakes you out of it. But by then it can be too late.”
“It’s not too late for you and Estelle, though, huh?” Gemma asked.
Benedict didn’t know if it was or wasn’t. All he knew was that he didn’t want to end up in the same melancholic state as Ryan. Gemma and Estelle were his family and he had to try to make it work. The thought of Gemma returning to America and things slipping back to exactly as they were before she arrived made him feel twitchy.
“Hopefully not,” he said as they turned off the high street and headed toward home. “And this time you don’t have to nag me about WEB. I know I have to do something.”
“So, what’s that?”
Benedict took a deep breath. “I’m going to call Estelle...”
“Yeah?”
“I want to invite her out for lunch, the three of us.”
“Cool.”
“It will be our first outing together, as a family.”
13.
BLUE LACE AGATE
sensitivity, understanding, nurturing
“ESTELLE SAID YES,” Benedict told Gemma as they stood in the kitchen together making toast for supper. He felt like his internal organs were having a party. “It’s amazing.”
“I’d say yes if someone invited me out for a free lunch.” Gemma smiled. “She must really want to meet me.”
“She has a meeting with an art gallery in York tomorrow, and suggested that we meet her afterward at 11:00 a.m. We could go somewhere first, before we eat. It was great timing that I called her.”
“You have me to thank for that.” Gemma nodded.
“It was both of us. A team effort for WEB.”
“Will Cecil be out of hospital to look after the shop?”
“No. He’s stuck in there for a while longer. There’s complications, so he won’t be back on his feet for a while. I’ll shut up the shop for the day. I’ve only got Ryan’s commission for the pendant in the appointment book.”
“Okay,” Gemma said. She drummed her fingers lightly on the kitchen table. “So, can I choose where we go with Estelle?”
Usually such a suggestion would make Benedict feel nervous, a plan that he hadn’t made himself, especially coming from Gemma, with her teenage view of romance and relationships. However, York was a lovely city, so whether she chose a walk around the city walls, a trip to see the majestic Minster or a browse around the shops in the Shambles, it was all good.
“Okay,” he said. “We’ll do whatever you think best. Pick somewhere nice.”
* * *
Even the sight of Reggie Ramsbottom’s crash helmet of white hair coming through the door couldn’t dampen Benedict’s spirits. As the brusque solicitor swept around the showroom in his gray cashmere knee-length coat, Benedict knew that Gemma wouldn’t be able to handle this customer on her own.
He scribbled a note and passed it to her. I’ll deal with this one. Solicitor. Divorced. Difficult.
Gemma’s bushy eyebrows arched. I think I can handle it, she wrote back.
After briskly surveying the display cabinets, Reggie took out his wallet. “I’ll take the oval gold earrings, third cabinet from the door, second shelf down,” he barked and pulled out a wodge of ten-pound notes. “Can you gift wrap them, pronto?”
Gemma frowned as she opened the cabinet door. “Who are they for?”
“For my daughter Laura’s birthday, so make the wrapping, er, feminine.”
“How old is she?”
The solicitor sighed dramatically and lowered his money. “She’s eighteen. Now, please hurry up. I have a job to go to.”
“I have a job, too.” Gemma folded her arms. “To find the right gift for your daughter.”
Reggie glared at her insolence and slowly raised his left eyebrow.
Benedict knew about the Ramsbottom Raise. Lifting one eyebrow, slowly and challengingly, was a gesture that Reggie was known for in legal circles, and it struck fear into the heart of many a young lawyer opposing him in court.
Benedict had always found Reggie to be curmudgeonly; however, since his wife and daughter moved out three years ago, the solicitor wore a permanent scowl. He strode around Noon Sun with his eyes fixed to the pavement so that he didn’t have to make eye contact with anyone. He reserved his words for those who paid for his time.
“If I select something and pay for it, then it is by default the right gift,” Reggie said.
Gemma shook her head. “You need something younger and prettier for an eighteen-year-old.”
“Younger?” Reggie’s intimidating raised eyebrow remained in action, but then it slowly crept back down. He looked at the earrings again and grunted. “I suppose they are rather plain. What do you suggest?”
“My uncle Ben can design something for you.”
“I’d prefer to buy off the shelf. I don’t have time for design.”
“But you want something special for Laura, huh?”
Reggie considered this. He glanced around the shop again and pushed up the sleeve of his coat to reveal a white-haired wrist and a gold Rolex. “You have ten minutes.”
Gemma rolled her eyes. She tucked her russet hair behind her ears so they stuck out. “What things does your daughter like?”
Reggie opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He shook his head and tried again. It was as if Gemma had asked him the most baffling legal
question in the world. “Er, I don’t actually know what amuses her these days. I don’t see her so often.” His shoulders slumped a little. “Is it completely necessary to know such things?”
“Um, yeah,” Gemma said. “How can Uncle Ben create something special if he doesn’t know the details?”
Reggie hesitated then flipped open his wallet and proffered a photograph of Laura. She had long straight auburn hair with a blunt fringe that skimmed her sapphire-blue eyes.
“She’s real pretty,” Gemma said.
“Rose gold would look stunning with her hair,” Benedict added.
“What makes her different? What makes her laugh?” Gemma asked.
Reggie blinked slowly. “I...I’d need to ruminate on the answer.” He waved his wallet. “Look, I just want to procure a piece of nice jewelry...”
Benedict noticed that beads of sweat had begun to form on his brow, as if the solicitor found it physically painful to discuss his true feelings. “What else can you tell us about her?” he prompted.
Reggie cleared his throat. “She’s around five feet six inches tall, and I’d describe her as sporty. She hopes to be a novelist one day, though I told her that’s not a real profession, and that practicing law is a far more suitable career option. I’m afraid that we had a disagreement over this, and regretfully...” He trailed off his words and looked down at the floor. “We haven’t spoken for a while. So the present is...”
“Very important...?” Benedict asked.
“Yes. Undoubtedly. You know, Benedict, I handle divorces all the time in my profession. I keep a box of tissues on my desk because people break down in front of me.” He shrugged one shoulder. “And I used to look down my nose at them. I thought they were weak...that is, until Susan took Laura...”
“Sorry,” Benedict said. He wanted to reach out and pat the solicitor on his arm but felt sure that he’d jerk away. “It must be tough.”
Reggie gave the slightest nod of his head, which Gemma didn’t seem to notice.
“But you must know what kind of things she likes,” she insisted. “Even my dad knows that stuff. It’s your job to know...”
Benedict flashed her a warning glance. He could hear the emotion in Reggie’s voice and saw that his knuckles were white, gripping on to his wallet. It was ironic how Gemma was ordering Reggie to be more open, when getting any information from her was like mining for black opals.
“My relationship with Susan is less than amicable, so our communication is...lacking.” He took a deep breath then rapped on the counter. “Now, enough is enough. My time is money. I want to buy some bloody earrings.”
“You should try harder,” Gemma said gruffly. “Then you and Laura could be friends...”
“What gem would work best?” Benedict asked her hurriedly, to stop her from riling their customer.
Gemma blew into her hair and walked over to the counter. She pulled the journal toward her, flicked through the pages and stopped at the B section. “Blue lace agate is good for families.” She turned the journal so Reggie could read the description.
BLUE LACE AGATE
Agate can be many colors but blue lace agate’s bands of violet blues, white and grays give the impression of the gentleness of a calm, cloudy sky. The gem can bring peace, understanding and contentment and gently soothes emotions. Blue lace agate is a protective and encouraging stone and is particularly good for children and families. It can help you to de-stress and keeps family members from arguing. Writers can use the stone to help them to develop inspired ideas. It’s an excellent stone for starting afresh.
“It could help Laura with her writing,” Gemma said. She found a sample of the gem in the glass jar and passed it to Reggie.
“Laura is going to study law, not creative writing,” Reggie growled. He examined the stone. “She likes the color blue, though.”
“So, we’re getting somewhere,” Gemma said. “Long rose-gold earrings, set with blue lace agate.”
Reggie nodded. He stared for a while at his manicured fingernails then rubbed his fingertips together. “Before you make them,” he muttered, “I want to make sure that you both understand...”
“Understand?” Benedict asked.
Reggie coughed. He held his fist to his mouth to cover it. When he spoke, his words were quiet and muffled. “I may not tell her, but Laura is, um, the best thing in my life.”
Gemma froze, as if a stranger had just grabbed her ankle. Her lips puckered into a small circle. “You should tell her,” she whispered. “Instead of saying it to us. Look at what a mess you’ve created...”
“Me?” Reggie performed the Ramsbottom Raise.
Gemma thrust her face away from him. “Can I sit at your bench, Uncle Ben?”
“Is there something wrong?”
She held her breath, her rib cage expanding. “No,” she said in a small voice. Then she sped away and slammed the workshop door behind her so hard that the gems rattled in the jar.
Reggie and Benedict glanced awkwardly at each other.
“Young people, tsk. They can be so unpredictable,” Reggie said.
“I’m discovering that for myself.” Benedict stared at the closed door.
He decided the best option was to leave his niece alone, to give her time out and so he could sort out Reggie’s commission.
“I trust you know what you’re doing with these earrings,” Reggie said. “And you know their importance. Will Laura know the significance of this gemstone?”
Benedict considered this. “No, but I’ll write down its meaning for her.”
Reggie looked at his watch. “You took eleven minutes. Not bad,” he said.
“Thanks.”
Reggie took a long time to fasten the top button on his coat. Before he opened the door, he paused on the doormat. “If you ever experience marriage difficulties,” he said, “you’ll find that Ramsbottom Solicitors offers a wide range of services. We don’t offer tea and sympathy, but we do have the most efficient divorce provision in Yorkshire.”
“Thank you,” Benedict said. “Though I hope I won’t need it.”
“You can’t be too sure. It happened to me.”
Benedict promised himself there and then that he would try to brush up on his own communication skills. “Thanks for your offer,” he said.
* * *
After he watched Reggie return to his practice, Benedict went into the workshop. Gemma sat in his chair, swiveling to and fro as she picked up and examined each of his tools in turn. This would usually make Benedict’s throat restrict, but he noticed that her eyes were pink and swollen, so he didn’t tell her to leave them alone. “What’s wrong?” he asked gently.
“Nothing.”
“I can tell there is.”
Gemma shrugged her shoulders. The corners of her mouth turned down and she suddenly looked younger than she was. “Don’t know.”
“Did Reggie say something to upset you?”
“No.”
“Then, have I done something?”
“No...it’s not that...”
She spun the chair around so she had her back to him. Her knees were pressed together and her ankles splayed. She picked up a pair of pliers from the bench and toyed with them.
Benedict shuffled toward her, thinking that she looked like a little girl who had lost her favorite doll. “Are you sure?”
She hung her head for a while. Her hair straggled over her face as she ran her fingers over the pliers. She tested the sharpness of their jaws, closing and opening them using the spring-loaded handles. When she eventually spoke, her voice was quiet and trembled a little.
“That man said that his daughter was the best thing in his life. He’s the most awkward person I’ve ever met and he can say something like that. Yet my dad’s never said anything like that a
bout me.” She jabbed a finger at her own chest. “I wish he felt that way about me.”
Benedict paused for a moment before he reached out and placed his hand on the back of the chair. “Of course your dad cares about you.”
She gave a suck in of breath and then noisily let it go. “Then why am I here? Why am I sitting here in your shop, and he has no idea where I am?”
“He does know where you are,” Benedict said softly. “And he knows that I’ll keep you safe, just as I looked after him when he was younger.”
Gemma left the pliers on her lap. She took a lock of her hair and ran it through her lips. She was quiet for a while, and Benedict stood, motionless, waiting for her to reply. “I guess,” she said finally.
“Look.” Benedict sat on his bench. “If your dad hasn’t told you how he feels, then it’s not because he doesn’t feel it. He might not know how to tell you. I find it difficult to express my feelings, too. It’s hard to find the words sometimes, to open up to Estelle...”
Gemma let the piece of hair drop from her mouth. “Yeah?”
There was a huge number of times when Benedict wanted to say things to Estelle, to tell her that he was devastated, too, when they received bad news after their hospital tests. He always felt that he had to be the strong one in their relationship. So he tried to be solid and positive, because he thought that’s what his wife needed. Perhaps he should have shown his softer side, too.
He summoned up Gemma’s scrawled words in the journal for lapis lazuli. No one even wants me. “There’s something you wrote in the journal...” he started tentatively.
But she had already stood up, batted her hair from her shoulders and headed back into the showroom.
14.
JADE
connecting, belonging, serenity
GEMMA’S IDEA FOR the first Stone family outing was a visit to the York Crypt. She handed Benedict a leaflet that she’d picked up from a tourist information booth. “‘See Olde York brought to life before your eyes,’” Benedict said aloud. “‘Live actors, history, gore...and more.’”
The logo was red against a black background and there was a spattering of blood. The photo showed an old woman who wore a gray smock and headscarf, smiling and baring her blackened teeth.
Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone Page 13