The Wicked Wife (Murder in Marin Book 2) by Martin Brown Page B

made plans for their three-day getaway in Amsterdam. He left it to his travel person at the law firm to handle all the details.  
    Just the thought of this little adventure lifted his spirits. He could never recall a time that he felt a greater need to connect with memories of his youth. If Willow had not suggested that they change their plans, none of this would have happened.  
    He was equally relieved to not be spending another night with LeBon and Allard. He winced at the thought of what their clique would be like.  

    Amsterdam, on the other hand, was perfect. They enjoyed long walks along the canals and the magnificent museums, not to mention their suite at the Hotel Conservatoriu.  
    “I guess you decided against sleeping in the street,” Willow said with a knowing smile.
    “I might feel twenty-two, but I’m a little too old to do without a bed and a pillow.”
    Of course, their suite was much more than that.
    For three days and two nights, William had a permanent smile on his face. He took Willow on a complete tour of his “Amsterdam misadventures,” and she snuggled in close to him as they sat at a coffee shop in a busy plaza and watched the world go by.
    Their lovemaking was both tender and sweet.  
    As they headed to Schiphol Airport for the flight home, William was still reveling in their brief visit. He took one last look at Amsterdam as their limousine moved slowly through late morning traffic and concluded that all people are just as young as they think.  
    Willow’s constant love and affection would help make certain that he would never grow old.

CHAPTER TEN

    The big question was popped in far less time than Willow had anticipated. And the ring was unexpectedly generous, which was particularly noteworthy, given Willow’s extraordinarily high expectations.  
    “Twelve carats!” she exclaimed. “This is insane!”
    “Nothing is too wonderful when it comes to my perfect flower,” William replied, using an endearment that only recently had entered into their lovemaking.  
    Willow did not care for this pet name, but decided to keep mum about that for at least awhile longer.  
    They kissed passionately as they sat nestled close to each other, enjoying a warm fire on a chilly June evening at William’s Lake Tahoe home.
    Willow jumped up and ran to the mirror to admire her new pink pear-cut diamond ring from a variety of angles. She placed her left hand on her right shoulder and struck a variety of poses. Later, she would do an online search in the hope of teasing out the approximate cost of this fabulous new bobble. She found a similar ring given by Enrique Inglesis to his tennis star bride to be, Anna Kournikova. That ring had a stated value of over 2.5 million dollars—approximately a fifth of Willow’s total worth, but a very tiny fraction of William Adams’ fortune.  
    Should she have expected something more? Perhaps, a few carats larger?  
    She banished the thought. This was very sweet of her future husband, and in time he would buy her so much more. As she learned in the growth of her career, practiced patience was essential to success.  

    Willow’s love affair with fine jewelry began two years earlier, when she attended the Bulgari exhibit at San Francisco’s DeYoung Museum. She went back three times to visit the same exhibit, always cautious to disguise herself behind large glasses and various hats. She was not there to be disturbed by fans, but rather to enjoy the dazzling emeralds, rubies, sapphires, pearls, and diamonds in exquisite silver and gold settings.  
    Listening intently to the exhibit’s audio guide, Willow imagined the early history of Sotirio Bulgari, a Greek immigrant who opened his first shop in Rome in 1884, choosing to follow a different path than the Parisian school of jewelry design.  
    “Where the French followed a tradition of creating delicate pieces, Bulgari’s works were often massive and imposing by comparison,” her audio guide explained.