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Back Gilt
Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY JAMIE BRENNER
  3. PART ONE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. PART TWO
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. PART THREE
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. Acknowledgments
  81. About the Author
  82. What’s next onyour reading list?

This was the first time Constance had seen it in person. Hands shaking, she shed her wedding band and slipped the ring onto her finger. She couldn’t take her eyes off it. After three decades with Alan, she was spoiled. Jaded, even. She had jewels to rival the royals, and yet this ring took her breath away. She didn’t know if it was the size, the clarity, or the delicate pink color, but the gift left her almost speechless.

“I never want to take it off,” she breathed.

“Well, you’re going to have to,” he said. “I’m giving it to one of the girls.”

She looked up at him. “Which one?”

“The first to get engaged. I’m planning a big launch event introducing the diamond. We need to remind the world that luxury makes people happy, and that romance is alive and well in the nineties.”

Constance raised her eyebrows. “Okay. But none of the girls are even close to getting engaged.”

“Well, with this incentive, that should be changing soon,” he said.

“Alan, don’t be ridiculous.” She couldn’t imagine a worse idea. Their daughters were already so competitive with one another. “They squabble over everything. This will just make that more of a problem. There must be some other publicity idea . . .”

“I’ve already summoned them back. It’s done.”

“They’re coming home?” Paulina had been in Europe for months, and Celeste rarely visited from grad school in Pennsylvania. Even Elodie, working long hours at the corporate office, might as well be in another country considering how rarely Constance saw her.

She didn’t like this idea. Not one bit. But it was Alan’s time, and he wanted to seize it. She thought of the way Betsy Laurent-Leeds had gone after him earlier that night, and the way he hadn’t noticed. He was a devoted husband. And she, in turn, had to be a supportive wife.

No matter how big a mistake he was making.

18

Finding contact information for her aunt Celeste—or her store, rather—had been easy. The hard part had been deciding what to say in her email. Gemma decided the less, the better. And so she wrote that she was visiting Provincetown and would like to see her if possible. Her aunt’s reply had been immediate and welcoming, if brief: What a lovely surprise. Of course. Looking forward to seeing you.

As for her other aunt, she hadn’t told Elodie she’d taken her up on the idea of talking to Celeste.

Gemma leaned over the ferry railing for a better look at Provincetown during the approach. She spotted boathouses and clusters of small buildings, some topped with steeples. The only tall structure was a single monument towering above everything else.