The Silver Rose by Rowena May O'Sullivan Page A

she unfurled.
    An involuntary gasp escaped Rosa’s lips. “Oh … !” Without question, the piece was the most exquisite thing she had ever seen; a miniature, hand-crafted silver goblet inlaid with the clearest, purest-quality amethysts. Aden had not stinted in his use of his preferred medium and, for all its lack of size, the piece weighed heavy in her hand. Holding it up at eye level, she inspected every curve, every line. Beaten and shaped into perfect symmetry it was polished to a smooth, lustrous sheen. The only word she could utter was … “Perfection.”
    A prism of violet beamed from the amethysts under the room’s single light bulb and arced across the far wall, creating a rainbow of color. Awe held her spellbound. There was no doubt Aden was a true master, deserving every accolade she had ever heard and read about.
    Just by looking, touching, smoothing her hands over a piece of his work, her standards were raised. Here was the perfection she aspired to — dreamed of achieving some day. Placing the item with reverence on the studio workbench she looked to Aden, suddenly hesitant and very much in awe.
    â€œGo on.” Aden encouraged again, his arms folded across his chest, his expression one of absolute confidence. It was as if he understood her awe. As if he was in awe as much as she.
    Altogether she unwrapped six goblets and a miniature decanter studded with amethysts in a style similar to that of the goblets. Another foray into the crate resulted in a rectangular tray, the surface polished to a mirror-like sheen. A lip cleverly encircled it to prevent the goblets and decanter from sliding off.
    In another, smaller crate there were other pieces — smaller items no less exquisite. Rings, bracelets, earrings, a pair of sterling silver hair-combs, three pendants inlaid with jewels, and, of all things, a letter opener.
    But it was the last item, a necklace that captured her heart. A silver dolphin pendant, the mammal poised mid-flight as if about to dive into the sea. Its eyes, inset with the purest Ceylon sapphires, sparkled with joy. With its mouth open and tilted upward in an almost-smile, body arched in preparation for a dive, it seemed the only thing preventing it from plunging downwards was the long chain threaded through a smaller link soldered to the tip of the tail flukes. The balance and fluidity of the form suggested movement, hinted at playfulness and was … miraculous.
    â€œOh, Aden!” Sudden tears pricked her eyes, and she gulped back a healthy and perfectly natural dose of envy. She marveled at how the dolphin seemed to wink at her, as if it held the greatest of secrets. In that moment Aden moved, his hands covering hers. A strange excitement took hold and spiraled into something else, something she couldn’t quite define, but she felt safe, as if she belonged in Aden’s aura. As if this moment had been predestined and that the Goddess was pleased. Then, as quickly as that feeling took hold, a sudden disappointment struck when Aden took the chain from her grasp, and she cursed herself for being so fanciful.
    Then he shocked her by moving behind her and slipping the necklace about her neck and securing the clasp, his hands briefly resting against the nape of her neck. Adrenaline shot through her.
Is he the one for me?
    â€œSo you approve.”
    Aden’s voice sounded strangely gruff. She spun round to thank him. “It’s … the most exquisite thing I’ve ever seen.” The coolness of the silver tingled against her skin. She spun back, looking around for a mirror, but there was none.
    â€œThe bathroom,” Aden suggested, and Rosa shot out of the room to look in the old-fashioned cabinet mirror, scratched and worn with time. Her hand caressed the silver resting on her sternum. She twisted this way and that, the sapphires glinting wickedly against her skin.
    Surely a man who crafted such beauty was not all bad. She looked