Tell Me You're Mine (The British Billionaires #1) - J. S. Scott Page 0,87

up a hand as I started to protest that I didn’t want Damian’s money. “I already know you’re not after his money, Nicole. All I’m saying is that it’s a nice perk that comes with loving a billionaire, and the Duke of Hollingsworth.”

Since I was certain Damian and I were never going to be married, I placated her by murmuring, “I’m sure it is.”

“Well, here I’ve been prattling on and on when I actually came here to give you this.”

I noticed, for the first time, the box she was holding as she offered it to me with an explanation.

“Damian called me. He’s tied up with something work-related, so he wasn’t sure he’d get here before the gala to give this to you.”

The rectangular wooden box was heavier than I expected when I went to take it from her. “What is it?” I asked curiously.

She nodded at the gift. “You’ll see. Open it.”

I fumbled with the old-fashioned catch on the box before it finally unlatched, and I was able to lift the lid. My hands began to shake as I saw exactly what was hidden inside. “Oh, my God. These are beautiful.”

I had no doubt the necklace, bracelet, and matching earrings were also worth an outrageous amount of money.

They had to be vintage, but the sparkling diamonds were timeless. The necklace was made up of a large string of diamond-studded dainty flowers that were shaped like daisies. The bracelet and earrings matched the necklace in design. Together, the set was extremely flashy, all of the diamonds sparkling in a nest of red velvet.

“Damian wanted you to have them,” his mother said with a touch of smug I-told-you-so vibes in her tone. “They belonged to my husband’s mother, Damian’s grandmother.”

“Then they really are priceless. I can’t take these,” I said, my voice more than slightly panicked.

“Nonsense,” Bella said as she took the box, set it on a small table, and took out the necklace to fasten it around my neck. “They’re perfect with this dress, and every female at the party will be sporting their own collection of jewelry. Don’t you like them?”

“O-of course I-I like them. But they look like something from the Crown Jewels. I can’t wear them. I’ll be terrified all night that I’ll lose something. Don’t they belong to you?”

“They did,” she acknowledged. “They were given to me when I was younger, and I gave them to Damian. The design is way too young for me. I stopped wearing them years ago. My son is lucky I held on to them for him. He’s never had any desire to gift them to a woman until you came along.”

I stood still, unable to move as she fastened the bracelet around my wrist, and then handed me the earrings to don myself.

She waved for me to put them on, and I had to turn toward the mirror again to put the posts into my ears. They were heavy, but not unbearably so, and when I turned back to Bella, she beamed approvingly at me.

“Gorgeous!” she exclaimed happily. “They do look lovely with that dress. You sparkle now, dear.”

Bella was right. I’d caught a glance of myself in the mirror. But… “Bella, I can’t do this. I can’t wear these. I’m not one of those women who can flash jewels like they’re nothing but a status symbol, and without thinking about the fact that what I’m wearing in jewelry could probably purchase a nice house in Newport Beach.”

She snorted. “Not even close. I have a dear friend who has a vacation home there, and that set of jewelry wouldn’t do much more than make a down payment. Don’t think about the cost, Nicole. The Lancaster fortune is vast. For my son, the cost is a pittance. Think about the sentiment. Damian wants you to have them.”

I fidgeted nervously. “I know he was being considerate and sweet. But we don’t have that kind of relationship. He’s not supposed to give me lavish gifts. I don’t want him to do that.”

I was so torn. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt Damian by not wearing something he’d given me. On the other hand, it was just too much.

Bella took my shoulders and turned me toward the mirror. “Look at yourself, Nicole. The set suits you perfectly. Isn’t it better for the jewelry to be worn and appreciated than to sit in a box, collecting dust?”

Well, when she put it that way, yes.

I put a careful finger on the glittering diamonds around