At twenty past three Celia stood in the wings of the auditorium. Peering around the curtain, she could see that almost every seat had been taken. Alvirah and Willy Meehan, Ted Cavanaugh, Devon Michaelson and Anna DeMille were in the front row. Also in the front row was a man she recognized as Gregory Morrison, the owner of the Queen Charlotte. Why is he here? she wondered, her mouth suddenly dry.
The thought crossed her mind that a day ago Lady Emily had been in the first row as well. Involuntarily, her hand clutched the pocket where the bulky necklace was hidden.
She heard her name being announced by Anthony Breidenbach, the entertainment director. Attempting a smile, she walked onstage and shook his hand as he spoke. “Celia Kilbride is a renowned gemologist from Carruthers in New York. Her expertise in appraising valuable gems as well as her knowledge of the history of their background has fascinated us in her previous lectures. Today is a little bit different. She will be answering questions from me, and afterward, the audience.” Celia and the entertainment director walked to chairs that were facing each other and sat down.
“Celia, my first question is about birthstones and what they symbolize. Let’s start with amber.”
“Amber is a stone astrologically linked with the zodiac sign of Taurus. Early physicians prescribed wearing it to ward off headaches, heart problems and many other ailments. Ancient Egyptians placed a piece of amber with their dead to assure that the body would remain whole,” Celia answered, comfortable now that she was on familiar ground.
“How about aquamarine?”
“That is the March birthstone, Pisces. It is thought to bring joy and happiness, and harmony in married life. The ancient Greeks thought it was sacred to their god Poseidon. It’s a great stone to take on vacations and cruises.”
“Let’s go to some of the really expensive stones,” the entertainment director said. “How about diamonds?”
“The diamond is the April birthstone, Aries.” Celia smiled. “It’s believed to bring forth purity, harmony, love and abundance. Those lucky enough to afford to buy one believed it made them safe from the plague.”
“What about the emerald?”
“Emerald is also a stone of Taurus. It is the May birthstone. It is supposed to secure love and attract wealth. During the Renaissance emeralds were exchanged among the aristocracy as symbols of friendship. It is the sacred stone of the goddess Venus.”
“One more. Tell us about gold.”
“It doesn’t have its own spot on the astrology calendar. It is intimately linked with divinity and those gods associated with the sun. It is a symbol of good health. Gold earrings were thought to strengthen the eyes, and among sailors and fishermen to prevent one from drowning.”
The moment she finished that sentence, Celia thought of Roger Pearson. If the entertainment director had the same thought, he did not show it.
“All right, now it’s the audience’s turn,” Breidenbach said. “Please raise your hand if you have a question. My assistant will bring the microphone to you.”
Celia had been concerned that the first question would be about the Cleopatra necklace. Instead it was from a woman who asked about the emerald-and-diamond necklace Sir Alexander Korda had purchased for the actress Merle Oberon in 1939.
“That necklace was magnificent,” Celia told her. “It had twenty-nine emeralds. It is believed they are the same shape and size, the same stones in fact, as those that previously adorned regal maharajas in India in the fifteenth century.”
As soon as Celia finished, at least a dozen hands went up. The questions followed in quick succession: “What is the history of the Hope diamond?” “What about the jewels in the British coronation crown?” “Was it true that the tradition of giving diamond engagement rings resulted from a successful De Beers marketing campaign in the 1930s?” One that brought a laugh was “Was the ring that was stolen from Kim Kardashian worth four million dollars?”
It was at the very end of the session that a question was asked about the Cleopatra necklace. “Was it really stolen and was Lady Haywood murdered?”
“I have no idea if the necklace was stolen,” Celia answered. “And I have no reason to believe the rumor that Lady Haywood’s death was not from natural causes.”
Score one for you, Morrison thought. He felt relieved that he had decided to allow Kilbride’s presentation to go forward. That is, until the final questions.
“Ms. Kilbride, many of us, including you, were at the Captain’s cocktail party and the dinner that followed. We saw Lady Emily wearing the Cleopatra necklace. Despite the widely circulated rumors that it has been stolen, the ship insists it was not. Can you confirm this?”
“No one from the ship has contacted me about the necklace,” Celia said uncomfortably.
“And wasn’t there a curse on the necklace that said anyone who brought it to sea would not reach shore alive?”
Celia’s mind was filled with the thought of Lady Em joking about the curse. “Yes,” she said. “According to legend, a curse along those lines is associated with the necklace.”
“Thank you, Celia Kilbride, and thank you to everyone in our audience,” Breidenbach said as he stood up and the audience began to applaud.