To welcome Queen Elizabeth, Susy had chosen and prepared the most lavish private dining room two weeks in advance. Security arrangements were impeccable.
Throughout the dinner, Queen Elizabeth was clearly pleased, praising Susy, Jonathan, and Marina over and over.
Especially Marina.
“I never expected someone so young to have such an eye for design. This new crown is simply marvelous–I adore it.”
The Queen couldn’t stop admiring the finished piece Marina had presented to her.
“Your Majesty flatters me. I’m still new to the field and have so much more to learn…”
Seeing that Marina remained humble and composed, Queen Elizabeth’s impression of her improved even more.
“To be honest, my original preference was to have Master BYC as my designer. I wasn’t entirely confident when the project was handed to you. But now, looking at this design, I can see a hint of BYC’s touch in your work!”
Marina blushed at the Queen’s praise and replied without thinking, “Actually, I’m Master BYC’s apprentice.”
“Oh, what a delightful coincidence!”
The conversation flowed effortlessly, everyone enjoying themselves. Susy glanced at her watch–time for the showstopper dish.
“Your Majesty,” Susy announced with a flourish, “the main event is about to be served: a rare, top–grade king crab straight from the Bering Sea. It weighs nearly sixty pounds, and when the legs are spread out, it measures almost two meters
across.”
As Susy described the dish with gusto, the servers wheeled in the enormous crab.
Niamh had just entered the room when she immediately spotted the crown in Queen Elizabeth’s hands.
It was a sapphire crown.
The main stone was a thirty–seven–carat cornflower blue sapphire, expertly cut into
the silhouette of an angel. Each wing was crafted from a mass of colorless round diamonds, Invisibly set, with smaller diamonds and sapphires surrounding the centerpiece.
Niamh knew this crown all too well.
It was based on a design she herself had sketched—half–finished and never completed.
Only now did she realize that the Frostvale Queen’s crown project Peter had once discussed with her had, in the end, been given to Marina.
After her public scandal, Peter had called her many times, but not once had he mentioned this.
Niamh understood–Peter had been trying to protect her.
If fate hadn’t brought her to the Grand Riverview Hotel to work part–time, and if she hadn’t been assigned to serve this very king crab in the VIP suite, she might never have discovered the truth.
Her gaze fixed on the crown in Queen Elizabeth’s hands.
It was an exact reproduction of her unfinished design.
Niamh couldn’t help but think back to the day her company was shut down. Marina’s shameless flirting with the collections manager had obviously paid off–she’d gotten her hands on Niamh’s blueprints, and hadn’t wasted a single detail, not even bothering to make the slightest change.
And yet…
The blueprint was never completed.
In other words, the crown Queen Elizabeth held was, at best, a half–finished piece.
“What are you waiting for? Get that crab served for our distinguished guest!” Marina’s voice snapped Niamh out of her thoughts.
She wasn’t a jewelry designer now. The crown wasn’t her project. At this moment, she was just a hotel waitress.
Niamh stepped forward, ready to carve the crab.
“This king crab is incredibly precious, so be careful,” Marina said pointedly. “If you ruin its exquisite flavor, all of Ms. Fraser’s effort for Her Majesty will go to waste.” Niamh knew exactly what Marina was doing–piling on the pressure, making it clear
Dier 348
that if anything went wrong with the crab, it would be entirely her fault.
But Niamh knew how to handle a king crab.
She was confident–until she realized that, on the entire table, there wasn’t a single
crab cracker or carving tool in sight.
