Page 37 of Courting Catherine
Even Amanda’s organizational skills quaked. “Well, they improve every time we eliminate a box.”
“Mandy.” C.C. sat on the floor beside her. “We’re running out of time, aren’t we?”
“We’ve only been at it for a few hours.”
“That’s not what I mean.” She rested her cheek on Amanda’s thigh. “You know it’s not. Even if we find the receipt, we still have to find the necklace. It could take years. We don’t have years. We’re going to have to sell, aren’t we?”
“We’ll talk about it tomorrow night, at the family meeting.” Troubled, she stroked C.C.’s hair. “Look, why don’t you go take a nap? You really do look beat.”
“No.” She rose, pacing over the papers to the windows and back. “I’m better off keeping my mind and my hands busy. Otherwise, I might strangle someone.”
“Trent, for instance?”
“An excellent place to start. No.” With a sigh, she stuck her hands into her pockets. “No, this mess isn’t really his fault.”
“Are we still talking about the house?”
“I don’t know.” Miserable, she sat on the floor again. At least she could be grateful she’d cried herself dry the night before. “I’ve decided that all men are stupid, selfish and totally unnecessary.”
“You’re in love with him.”
A wry smile curved her lips. “Bingo. And to answer your next question, no, he doesn’t love me back. He’s not interested in me, a future, a family, and he’s very sorry he didn’t make that clear to me before I made the mistake of falling for him.”
“I’m sorry, C.C.” After taking off her glasses, Amanda got up to cross the room and sit on the floor beside her sister. “I know how it must hurt, but you’ve only known him for a few days. Infatuation—”
“It’s not infatuation.” Idly she folded the recipe for jam into a paper airplane. “I’ve found out that falling in love doesn’t have anything to do with time. It can take a year or an instant. It happens when it’s ready to happen.”
Amanda put an arm around C.C.’s shoulders and squeezed. “Well, I don’t know anything about that. Fortunately, I’ve never had to worry about it.” The fact made her frown, but only for a moment. “I do know this. If he hurt you, we’ll make him sorry he ever crossed a Calhoun.”
C.C. laughed then sent the gooseberry plane flying. “It’s tempting, but I think it’s more a matter of me hurting myself.” She gave herself a little shake. “Come on, let’s get back to work.”
They’d barely gotten started again when Trent came in. He looked at C.C., met a solid wall of ice. When he turned to Amanda, he fared little better.
“I thought you might be able to use some help,” he told them.
Amanda glanced at C.C., noted her sister was employing the silent treatment. A very effective weapon, in Amanda’s estimation. “That’s nice of you, Trent.” Amanda gave him a smile that would have frosted molten lava. “But this is really a family problem.”
“Let him help.” C.C. didn’t even bother to look up. “I imagine he’s just terrific at pushing papers.”
“All right then.” With a shrug, Amanda indicated another folding chair. “You can use that if you like. I’m organizing according to content and year.”
“Fine.” He took the chair and sat across from her. They worked in frigid silence, with the crinkle of papers and the tap of Amanda’s shoe.
“Here’s a repair bill,” he said—and was ignored. “For repairing a clasp.”
“Let me see.” Amanda had already snatched it out of his hand before C.C. made the dash across the room. “It doesn’t say what kind of necklace,” she muttered.
“But the dates are right.” C.C. stabbed a finger on it. “July 16, 1912.”
“Have I missed something?” Trent asked them.
Amanda waited a beat, saw that C.C. wasn’t going to answer and glanced up herself. “We came across a date book of Bianca’s. She had a note to take the emeralds to have the clasp repaired.”
“This might be what you need.” His eyes were on C.C., but it was Amanda who answered.
“It may be enough to satisfy all of us that the Calhoun necklace existed in 1912, but it’s a long way from helping us find it.” She set the receipt aside. “Let’s see what else we can turn up.”
In silence, C.C. went back to her papers.
