The Jewels of Sofia Tate Read Online Free PDF Page A

head to one side. “Haven’t I seen you at school?” he asked.
    Garnet felt herself flush to an even deeper shade of red. He knew she existed. “Maybe. But I just started at Cameron a few weeks ago.”
    â€œSo, you already know each other,” Elizabeth said, clasping her hands. “Isn’t that wonderful?”
    Hardly, Garnet thought, since she barely knew anyone at Cameron Heights. And even if she did, people like Dan Peters would definitely be out of her league.
    â€œYou’ll be graduating soon, won’t you, Danny?” Elizabeth said as she finished pouring three glasses of lemonade from a pitcher.
    â€œOnly a few weeks left. I’ll be going to Wilfrid Laurier in the fall.”
    â€œWhat will you be studying?” Elizabeth asked, handing them each a glass.
    â€œBusiness.”
    â€œHandsome
and
bright,” Elizabeth said. “That’s how Albert was, too.”
    Dan tipped back the glass and emptied it in a couple of gulps before setting it next to the sink. “That was great. Thanks for the lemonade. I hate to rush, but I’ve got a few more deliveries to make this morning.”
    Elizabeth reached into the pocket of her dress. “Here’s a little something for you,” she said, holding out a ten-dollar bill. But Dan made no attempt to take it.
    â€œMrs. Tate, you know you don’t have to tip me. The store pays me to do this.”
    â€œDanny, we go through this every time. Take it and make an old woman happy. An education costs a lot of money nowadays.”
    â€œBut Mrs. Tate —”
    â€œNo ’buts.’ It’s yours.” Elizabeth grasped his hand, placed the money inside, and closed his fingers over top. “There now, was that so difficult?” she said, appearing quite pleased with herself.
    After Dan left, Gerdie put the groceries away while Elizabeth showed Garnet the rest of the main floor. To the right of the front hall, French doors opened into a formal dining room with an elegant crystal chandelier that hung over the centre of an elaborately carved cherry-wood table. Against one wall stood a large wooden sideboard with upper glass panels displaying silverware, crystal glasses, and china, and on the opposite wall hung a wide oil painting of Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper.
    At the end of the hall to the left, beyond the living room, Elizabeth opened another door. “Reginald’s library,” she said.
    Despite the light fixture at the top of the high ceiling, the room was dim and rather dreary with its reddish brown walls and green velvet drapes over the windows. A dark wooden desk with a high-backed brown leather chair stood in the centre of the floor, facing the door, and volumes of books lined the entire wall behind it, on either side of the fireplace. As Garnet became accustomed to the dark surroundings, she noticed an interesting carving in the centre of the mahogany mantel of a young man playing the harp, and above, on the mantelpiece, a hand-painted clock with silver hands.
    â€œExcept for a few changes, it’s nearly the way Reginald left it,” Elizabeth said. “I actually don’t come in here very often. Something about this room has always made me feel uncomfortable. Maybe it’s because Reginald used to spend so much time in here.” Elizabeth looked up at the mirror above the mantelpiece. “There used to be a different mirror here. It was so tarnished you could hardly see yourself in it. I changed it years ago when I was trying to keep the house nice for Albert’s return.”
    As Garnet looked at the mirror, the reflection of another face unexpectedly caught her attention. Sheturned her head and was drawn to a life-sized portrait that hung on the wall behind her. She went to stand before it.
    In front of a midnight-blue background sat a beautiful young woman painted in tones so luminous she appeared almost lifelike. Light somehow seemed to