The attendant beckoned Gemma over. “You might want to take a look at this piece—the best of the lot. You’re lucky you’re here early because it will get snatched up quickly.” She held up a gorgeous purple necklace formed out of clusters of pear-shaped and octagonal stones, some translucent faceted crystal juxtaposed against deeper violet cabochon stones. But what really caught her eye was the clasp; bell-shaped and textured metal, it was a piece of art unto itself. It was the perfect punctuation to the beauty of the necklace.

“Schiaparelli?” Gemma said, naming one of the most famous jewelry designers of the last century. The woman nodded.

Gemma checked the price tag—way out of her budget.

“How’s it going in here?” Celeste said, appearing in the doorway.

“I think I’m done.”

“Perfect timing. I need help carrying something to the car.”

“I thought you weren’t going to buy anything?”

She shrugged. “It’s a compulsion. What can I say?”

Gemma took her ticket from the attendant and followed Celeste into the hallway, where she pointed to a carved wooden chest with mother-of-pearl inlay.

“Ottoman Syria, 1800s,” Celeste said. “I just had to buy it. Even though it doesn’t go with anything in the house.”

Gemma grabbed one end while Celeste lifted the other. Before they made it to the front door, two large men wearing name tags appeared and offered to move it for them.

Celeste showed them to her car while Gemma paid for her jewelry, already thinking of how to break up the black necklace into multiple charms to be fitted onto a chain. And that clasp from the Schiaparelli piece! It was a shame she couldn’t afford it.

“Well, that was easy,” Celeste said when the chest was taken care of.

“It’s really pretty,” Gemma said. “If you don’t sell it you can always keep it.”

“We don’t have room for it. But I could give it to Maud. She owns a few places aside from the Victorian. There’s a gorgeous house at the far West End of Commercial. You’ve probably noticed it. Shaped like an octagon?”

Gemma looked at her in surprise. “The guy I’m seeing . . . the one who came into the store. He’s living at that house this summer. Such a small world. I noticed that the whole summer rental thing is interesting here—the way so many people in town rent their houses and then move somewhere else in town temporarily?”

Celeste nodded. “It’s a big part of the economy here. But Maud’s place is truly spectacular.”

“I know. It’s amazing. Connor made an offer on it.”

Celeste looked at her funny. “That house isn’t for sale.”

“Are you sure?” Connor had said he made an offer—hadn’t he?

Maybe she’d heard him wrong. She was probably confused.

Yes, she was definitely confused.