In Over His Head

Chapter 46

The champagne in the bucket was sweating, and Kevin watched a droplet of water slide down the garish silvery pink label. The flowers beside it had been a nice touch, instantly recognizable as Mo. He was almost done with his meal, which had been a delicious tomato ravioli dish with a side of spring salad. He'd eaten his mother's simpler, definitely British fare all week at the London house and he was craving some variety from potatoes.

Sharla was chattering non-stop about work, some of the things she'd managed this week, and he tried to pay attention, nodding and replying where he needed to. He was distracted, she'd seen right through him, and he still was.

All week, he had been working with his mum and James, getting some family business wrapped up. It was harried, and busy, and he was careful not to wear his mum out. She had been happy to sit in on the all-staff meetings, and since their video talk, their relationship had turned back the clock to better times, even before his father died.

She had come around to Sharla as well, and they'd had several dinners since where they'd actually gotten along. If he were to describe how it felt to see the woman he loved and his mother not arguing, it would have sounded dramatic and ridiculous.

But it was. It was his sincere hope it continued.

So on Thursday, when he and mum had taken tea in her favourite sitting room, he'd broached the subject of marriage. His mother, surprisingly, did not blink when he said he was going to ask Sharla. She had summoned Renna, and said "That thing we discussed, bring it down to me, please."

She'd presented him with the engagement ring his father had given her. He'd forgotten about it, since his mother never wore it anymore. She handed the polished green and gold leather box to him as Renna swiftly delivered it and exited.

"Here, use this. I think it might suit her personality."

He'd opened it; the square cut solitaire emerald perched on a thin band of gold, surrounded by diamonds instantly recognizable. Nestled beside it was a thin gold wedding band that he had assumed his mother still wore. Obviously not.

"Mum?" he'd gasped and pulled it out, holding the gem up to the light. It was exquisite. And huge.

"I can't wear it anymore, my old hands find it too heavy. But it should be seen. It is one of the emeralds from the Seringpatam Jewels."

"How on earth did dad find that?" he'd asked. He knew the history of the set, the journey from India to England, the Harris family splitting the jewels and selling them as their fortune declined, and most of the gems were lost to private collections. The ring was literally priceless, or at the very least, worth millions.

"His great-grandfather was a friend of Lord Harris. We think he purchased the stone from him, and it was kept in a safe until Jeffrey's father had it appraised, not knowing where it came from. The jeweller was almost assured it was a Seringpatam emerald by the way it was cut. When your father asked me to marry him, he decided he wanted to use that stone, and had it set. He knew I had a fondness for emeralds," she'd relayed. It had been an emotional moment for her, and he had given his mother a hug. It was rare they touched, and she held onto him a moment longer than he anticipated. He resolved to hug her more often, and sat for a long time after she'd gone up to have a nap, looking at the box with the rings nestled in their velvet.

The past four months had been perfect. He hoped she was ready for what he wanted to ask of her. They were very happy, and settled with her now living with him in the main house, but the question was always there if she had settled enough to put her fears completely to rest. He was about to ask her to become a Countess. That was more than just getting married and they both knew it.