“I assume you need someone to chair an event. I’m happy to lend a hand. Charity is very important to me.” It was true now more than ever; her mother had raised her to always find a way to give back. Constance had been on the board of Mount Sinai, the Met, and Children’s Aid. Elodie had not been the chair of a fundraiser since her death, and it was time. It would make her feel closer to her.

“Oh, well, there certainly could be a charitable angle,” Sloan said carefully. “That’s entirely up to you.”

“How so?”

“Elodie, I’ve always been a huge admirer of Pavlin & Co. Your family commissioned some of the most iconic pieces of American jewelry of the last century. I’m certain you’ll continue that tradition well into the next few decades. And as a scholar of fine jewelry, as a passionate enthusiast for your stellar brand, I’m proposing an auction of the Pavlin Private Collection.”

Elodie’s jaw dropped. Neither her grandparents nor her parents had ever sold anything from the private collection. These were pieces that had been created as gifts for members of the family, or pieces that had been designed for the floor but ultimately considered too special to part with. It even included pieces that had been purchased at one time but then quietly sold back to the family—sometimes a generation or more later.

“The Pavlin family has never put any of our pieces up for auction.”

Sloan nodded. “Historically, I know that to be the case. But I thought this centennial anniversary might be a time to revisit that.”

“How so?”

“This is the moment when a brand moves from classic to legendary. The party was a wonderful start. But why stop there? With an auction, you could cap this year off with something that would go down in history.”

Interesting. Try as she might, it was getting more and more difficult to get press, to distinguish Pavlin & Co from the competition, of which there was more and more with each passing day. Not to mention the internet.

“I know it’s a big decision,” Sloan said. “My boss was part of the team that put together the auction for Elizabeth Taylor’s jewelry. Ms. Taylor oversaw every detail. Not only every piece that was chosen for the auction, but how it was positioned in the catalogue, how it was advertised, how the event was planned down to the type of canape served. The auction, as you well know, was one of the great jewelry events of all time.”

“May I ask how old you are, Sloan?”

“I just turned thirty.”

“Quite young to be undertaking such a project,” Elodie said.

“I’ll admit, this would be a career-making event for me.” She met Elodie’s gaze, unwavering.

Ambitious. Elodie could relate.

“Well, it’s an intriguing proposition,” she said. “I’ll think about it.”