Love, Life, and Jewellery

Chapter 3: Wishful Thinking

Natalia stepped out onto the street, and the door of the jeweller's store closed. The closing of that door had felt like the slicing of a knife, and she was snapped back into reality. However her mind was still ticking over the split second scenario that had just occurred. Before she had proper time to think, Natalia was dragged into a cab by her sister, who was in an apparent swoon. 

"Oh Nettie!" she exclaimed. "That Alastair Clementine, he is quite the handsome man! Did you see the way he smiled at me? Perhaps he fancies me!" 

Natalia managed a thin lipped smile and nodded. She was used to this kind of behaviour from her sister, who, although considered herself most beautiful, was quite short of suitors. Greta began breathing heavily and fanning herself, although it was quite cold inside the cab. 

"Oh those dreamy blue eyes, that face carved by angels! He really is quite a specimen!" Natalia nodded again, but she did have to admit, there was something special about the jeweller. He was probably about twenty five years of age. He was taller than most men and from him emanated an aura of confidence and pride. Dressed in a fashionable black and white suit, he wore white gloves and his dark hair slicked back to match. As Greta had pointed out, his eyes were of the most startling blue, and Natalia did agree that he was indeed very handsome. Despite his youthful appearance, Natalia gained the sense that there was something extremely old in the manner of this man. She had noted how he had with seeming ease charmed her sister into buying the ring and had felt a presence of extensive knowledge in his motions and movements. There was a feeling of depth to this man, one that went past the exquisite exterior and radiated from within. In that final moment of eye contact, Natalia had felt it. In those eyes she had seen not only experience, intelligence and intrigue; but something more sinister. 

"Natalia!" The tone of Greta's voice showed that she had noticed her sister's lack of attention. "Oh, you silly girl, dreaming again! Not about the jeweller are you?" She exclaimed in a playful manner, but there was a note of reprimand in her voice. 

"No." Natalia looked out the window and kept a straight face. "They say he's not a romantic type." 

"My dear girl, not a romantic type! Did you not see the way he looked at me today?" Greta smiled contently and it widened when a new thought occurred to her. "Or perhaps... He saves his attention for special women." 

Natalia rolled her eyes. She was used to this kind of talk from her sister. "Yes, perhaps," her tone flat, quite a contrast to the almost girly tune of her sister's. "We'll see what the future brings." 

It was true though; Natalia had been dreaming about the jeweller. Stop it, she thought, mentally disciplining herself. Why would he ever be interested in a girl like you? Natalia recalled, with a slight smile to her lips, that she hadn't even spoken with him. She was, she thought with a slight chuckle, nothing but a "green girl". Although she tried hard to convince herself that what had passed on the trip to the jeweller's store was merely coincidental and unimportant, Natalia could not shake off that slight hope that maybe there was a connection of some kind between her and Alastair Clementine.