The smile on his face caught Niamh off guard.
She managed a polite smile in return.
But as soon as she did, Jonathan’s lips fell from their slight curve, the warmth vanishing as quickly as it came.
He didn’t care for the smile Niamh was wearing now. To him, it seemed less an expression of friendliness and more a silent challenge.
Jonathan parted his cool, thin lips as if to say something, but only drew in a breath of the chilly air swirling through the ballroom. In the end, he kept his words to himself.
“In the world of haute couture jewelry, lab–grown stones are no better than fakes. Ms. Fraser was only looking out for. Her Majesty by pointing that out,” Marina chimed in, her voice saccharine with false concern.
“Why don’t you open the box, Your Majesty?” she suggested, her smile theatrical. “I’d be happy to help authenticate the crown Niamh made for you, to see if it’s the real deal.”
Queen Elizabeth glanced at Niamh, who gave her a small, reassuring nod.
So, the Queen opened the velvet–lined box and carefully lifted the crown inside.
It was dazzling–so brilliant it was almost blinding, scattering every color of the rainbow beneath the ballroom’s sparkling chandeliers.
“Oh my goodness… That’s moissanite, isn’t it?” Marina feigned surprise, covering her mouth to hide a mocking smile.
“Niamh, really? Couldn’t even spring for a lab–grown diamond? You used moissanite instead?” she scoffed. “If you’re going to cut corners, at least try to hide it! I mean, that’s barely better than a rhinestone tiara from a costume shop.”
“See, Your Majesty?” Marina turned with a flourish. “I told you Niamh’s got a silver tongue, always so charming until it comes to delivering the goods–then it’s all smoke and mirrors. If Ms. Thornton hadn’t been here tonight, you might’ve thoug… you were getting a crown set with the finest diamonds!”
Susy, ever Marina’s loyal sidekick, jumped in. The two of them had clearly planned this–tonight, no matter what, they’d see to it that Niamh’s reputation was ruined in front of the Queen.
1017
Jonathan watched all of this unfold, his sharp brows knit in a fierce scowl. He kept his eyes fixed on Niamh.
But if their goal was to rattle her, they failed. Niamh’s smile didn’t falter for an instant.
“Moissanite’s fire is unmistakable–anyone with an eye for jewelry can tell, designer or not,” Niamh replied, her tone almost amused.
Susy’s face tightened. “So you think Her Majesty wouldn’t notice your trick? That’s even more insulting.”
When Niamh didn’t rise to the bait, Marina stepped forward, making a show of pulling a black velvet pouch from her handbag.
“Your Majesty,” she began, her ambition barely concealed, “I know you were disappointed with my previous design, so I went back to the drawing board. I took the liberty of creating a new crown for you. Since Niamh can’t be trusted, why not try mine instead?”
With a flourish, Marina drew out her crown. The entire room seemed to turn to watch.
Under the scrutiny of dozens of eyes, Marina proudly presented her creation.
And then-
A snort of laughter escaped Niamh.
The guests began murmuring, some/unable to stifle their amusement.
“What is that? Did she pick it up at a dollar store?”
“That’s not glass, is it?”
“Looks like one of those Frozen birthday party crowns!”
“Is Ms. Thornton auditioning for a comedy act?”
“Is this the entertainment for the evening?“.
Guests whispered, some openly chuckling.
Marina’s face turned beet red, her eyes wide with disbelief as if she’d s a ghost.
“No, no, this can’t be… This isn’t… this isn’t the crown I made!” she stammered, nearly letting slip a náme she shouldn’t have.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go…
1017
་་ཡལ་ཅ་
Her heart pounded in her chest. She recognized that this ridiculous plastic toy was not the crown she had designed. Somewhere along the line, her real
creation–meant to replace Niamh’s crown–had been swapped out. Now, she stood in front of the Queen and half the city’s elite, humiliated by what looked like. a twenty–dollar children’s tiara.
10:17
