Lost in Love Read Online Free Page A

Park?”
    Bea groaned. “Bloody hell.”
    “It’s not gone, is it?” Rosalind looked back and forth between them. “Father would have taken it out before he sold the manor, wouldn’t he? It was a family relic. Sacred, even.”
    “No.” And if he weren’t already dead, Portia would have killed him for it. “It’s not in the vault with the other Summerhill jewelry. I checked this afternoon. I don’t think he took anything from Suncrest Park before he sold it.”
    Viola shook her head. “What was he thinking?”
    “He wasn’t,” Bea said flatly, downing the rest of her gin and tonic. “He never thought when it came to conducting business.”
    “So who has the tiara?” Summer asked.
    Rosalind shrugged. “Probably the person who bought the manor, right?”
    “Most likely,” Bea agreed.
    Summer faced Portia. “Then ask the new owner if you can have it back. It’s a family heirloom.”
    “I don’t know who bought it.”
    “That’s not too hard to find out.” Bea took out her mobile and swiped the screen to life. “I’ll get you the information.”
    “We could always try our hand at breaking and entering again,” Vi said, too seriously.
    “No, we couldn’t,” Rosalind and Bea said at once. Rosalind faced Portia. “Summer’s suggestion was good. Ask the new owner what it’d take to get it back.”
    That sounded good and easy, but … “What if he won’t give it back?”
    “You won’t know unless you try, will you?”
    No, she wouldn’t. She imagined carrying the tiara into the museum, and the warm glow of satisfaction of succeeding made her nod.
    If Catherine were in her shoes, she’d use her wiles to get the man to give her what she needed. “But I don’t want to be conniving.”
    “Then don’t.” Bea looked her in the eye. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t ask for what you want. If you don’t ask, you’ll never get it.”
    That was true. At worst, she’d be where she was now.
    Actually, she’d be better off, because at least she’d have tried, which was so much better than not doing anything. She’d never be able to live with herself if she didn’t try.
    She took a deep breath and said, “I’ll do it.”
    “I still think another break in would be fun,” Vi said as she raised her drink. “Portia was brilliant that night.”
    “I was brilliant, wasn’t I?” She sat up taller.
    Rosalind nudged her. “I think you can be brilliant without resorting to a life of crime.”
    “Good point.” She laid her hand over her pearls. She’d do this. She’d pay the new owner of Suncrest Park a visit.

Chapter Four
    The renovation for Suncrest Park was behind schedule. Meredith Daniels knew she needed to contact the upholsterer, the person making the custom drapery, and the painter.
    Instead she pulled out her bucket list.
     
    Hand out balloons to kids
    Wear a Harry Winston necklace
    See the Taj Mahal
    Walk on hot coals
    Meet Vivienne Westwood
    Hunt for truffles
    Swim with dolphins
    Try caviar
    Skydive
    Climb Kilimanjaro
    Walk along the Great Wall
    Tango in Buenos Aires
    See the Northern Lights
     
    Only there was an item missing.
    She hesitated, pen poised over the paper. Maybe she shouldn’t write it down. If her mother saw the list, she’d be mortified.
    But her mother wasn’t in London. Adele was in Dallas, safely tucked away in her multi-million dollar home with her new, very rich husband. She was too busy to check in on Meredith beyond a casual “Hi, honey, how are you?” once a week.
    Just as well. It made it easier to justify not telling her mother things, like that she’d had a bout with breast cancer.
    Not that she was still sick—she’d won that round. She’d had the lump removed and only had to do a brief course of radiation. Her oncologist had said she was very lucky.
    Meredith didn’t feel lucky. She touched the spot where they’d taken the lump, on her right side near her underarm. She swore she could feel it, even through the many layers she wore