Chapter 88

Ruby

The rest of the week goes by all too slowly now that I’m done with school and the mystery of the curse has been solved. Most days, I just read in the library or walk around the castle grounds. Atwood walks with me sometimes, but he’s also been busy with the herbalist.

Apparently, the person who bought the toxic ashroot came back after Atwood had the herbalist destroy all of the plants. We were right in assuming it was Alice; there’s no doubt in my mind that the Queen conspired with her as well.

We’ll find out tomorrow, because tomorrow is Christmas.

Now that it’s Christmas Eve, it’s time for the auction. I decided not to tell Atwood about the brooch after all since he’s been so busy that I don’t want to bother him with such silly things, but I did tell him that I’ll be going to the auction.

“Sure,” he says to my request to go to the auction. He’s sitting at his desk, holding a packet of papers in his hand. From afar I can see lots of handwritten notes, with photographs of various men and women paperclipped to the notes. Considering the fact that the war is still ongoing, I figure that the notes and photographs have to do with the Bears.

“Thank you,” I respond with a smile. I’m already wearing my coat and hat, and Nancy is waiting for me downstairs with her fancy pink sports car.

Atwood simply nods, too absorbed in his work for more pleasantries. “Have fun,” he says.

Leaving Atwood’s study, I bound down the stairs toward the entrance and get in the car with Nancy.

“I really hope you get it back,” she says with a grin as we pull out of the driveway.

“I hope so, too,” I respond. Deep down, however, I know I won’t get it. If Edith doesn’t somehow manage to snag it first, someone else will surely bid way more than I would be able to afford since it’s a royal Swan artifact.

Even so, I think it will still be fun to go.

It’s still a bit warm, and has been for the past week. No snow has fallen lately, which is good for us since the Bears like to attack during snowstorms, but I do have to admit that the lack of snow is a bit depressing. Snow on Christmas is always nice.

Eventually, we arrive at Allan’s Auction House in Greenwood and park the car. Swarms of people have already arrived in their own fancy sports cars, with women wearing fur coats and dainty hats while the men wear suits and ties. I feel incredibly out of place in my simple jeans and jacket, with my hair pulled into two braids and a knit hat on my head. It almost makes me want to just turn around and go home, but when Nancy links her arm with mine and skips inside, I feel a bit more courageous.

There’s an usher directing people to their seats through a door at the back of the little shop that I originally saw the brooch in.

“Right this way,” he says with a warm smile as he gestures for Ruby and I to make our way through. The room is long and narrow, with rows of seats and a small aisle through the middle. When I look up, I can see that there are balconies above with even wealthier-looking people sitting in them. Women fan themselves with ornate folding fans and hold tiny brass binoculars up to their eyes to see the array of items on the stage while the men laugh jovially and banter with one another.

Through the din of people laughing and talking, Nancy leans closer and whispers in my ear, pointing ahead at the items on the stage.

“Look!” she says. “There’s your brooch.”

Sure enough, there it is, sitting safely inside a glass case. Looking around, I can see that other people are pointing at it as well. Surely I’m only one of many who is here for that brooch.

Just then, a familiar face walks up and sits in front of us: it’s Edith. She sits down and turns to look at Nancy and I. She says nothing, just scoffs with a disgusted look on her face and turns back toward the front.

“Ahem,” a male voice sounds from the back of the aisle. For some reason, it’s loud enough to cause the whole auction house to fall quiet. I look over my shoulder at the source of the voice to see that it’s Al.

He’s wearing his same tweed suit and brown bow tie as he hobbles on his cane down the narrow aisle to the stage. Everyone watches patiently and quietly as he takes his time, which feels like forever.

When he finally makes it to the stage, he leans on a security guard for support so he can step up onto the platform and then takes his place behind the podium. There is no microphone, but I quickly learn that there is no need for one.

“Welcome!” Al booms across the crowd, which causes the auction goers to erupt in cheers and applause. I didn’t think that the old man was so popular amongst the people, but even Nancy lets out a cheer.

“This is our 60th annual auction,” he says. “Can you believe it?”

More cheers.

“I would make a speech, but I’d rather you all just spend your money.”

Laughter.

“Alright,” Al says, gesturing for a handsome man in a tuxedo standing behind him. The man steps forward, holding a large painting of a nature scene in an ornate golden frame. He walks back and forth across the stage, showing the painting.

“The first item we have is a rare piece of artwork…”

It’s difficult to keep up as the auction gets going. Al speaks so fast that I can hardly understand him. All around, people raise and lower their bidding cards to bid on items, and before I know it, nearly all of the items on the stage have been removed to go to their new owners.

All except one item: my brooch.

“This final piece is what I’m sure many of you have been waiting for,” Al says as the man in the tuxedo removes the brooch from the case and paces back and forth the stage, holding the tufted pillow that it sits on in his hands. Several “ooohs” and “aaahs” come from the crowd as people get a better look at the brooch. Meanwhile, my heart is racing as I hold my bidding card tightly in my hand. Ahead of me, Edith leans forward in her chair, determined to be the first to bid on the brooch.

It all happens so fast. Edith and I raise our cards repeatedly one after the other. If I bid, she bids higher. If I bid higher, she bids even higher. Eventually, all of the faces in the audience are looking at us while Al tries to keep up with our fervent bidding.

“Six thousand… Seven thousand…” Al says.

Nancy leans over to me and whispers in my ear. “Are you sure you can afford this?” she whispers.

Truthfully, I know that I can’t. While I’m sure that Atwood would gladly shell out as much money as it would take to get this brooch back, I would feel awful asking him for such a large sum for such a small item.

“T-Ten thousand!” Edith calls out, raising her bidding card even higher.

My shoulders drop. I can’t bid more than that. She can just have the brooch.

“Ten thousand dollars for the lovely porcelain brooch,” Al says. “Going once… going twice…”

“Twenty thousand dollars,” a gruff male voice calls from the back. The crowd gasps and turns around in unison. I can’t see where the man is, but it doesn’t matter because that’s the end of it. Someone else got my brooch.

“Twenty thousand!” Al says excitedly. “Going once… going twice…”

Ahead of me, Edith fumes, practically shaking in her chair; but she doesn’t bid again.

“Sold to the mystery man in the back!”

As the crowd begins to pick up and leave, Nancy leans over and rubs my back. “I’m sorry,” she says quietly. “But hey, it’s just a brooch, right?”

I nod and stand, watching Edith storm off. “Yeah. Just a brooch.” I turn back toward the door to exit, something catches my eye over the crowd. It’s a tall man, wearing a hat that covers his face and a large, bulky coat. Is that the man who bought the brooch?

He keeps his head low and his face covered as he marches out of the auction house. But just as he leaves, I see a sliver of something all too familiar.

Silky black hair.