Free Deceit of Angels by Julia Bell

her head.
    Jason
appeared out of the darkness, startling her out of her grim thoughts. 
“Goodness, what are you doing still up?” he asked, giving her a smile.  He came
into the kitchen and flung his briefcase onto the table.           
    “Would
you like me to make you some coffee?” she said, ignoring his question.
    “No,
I’ll have a quick drink of orange and then I’m off to bed.”
    “How
was Birmingham?  Did it go OK?”
    He
opened the fridge and poured himself a glass of juice smiling triumphantly. 
“Well, I got the contract.  Has Hollie been good today?”
    “Yes,
but…” He turned to face her and his smile faded.  Anna swallowed hard.  “It’s
Kiera, Jason.  Her condition became critical.  She died just before nine o’ clock
tonight.” 
                                
    There was so
much to do the following week after Kiera’s death that Anna could hardly
remember what happened from one hour to the next.  Jason spent the next few
days at Kiera’s apartment, helping her parents sort out the furniture and
private effects.  Kiera had requested that most of her jewellery be returned to
Jason, since they had been his gifts and it was one morning, shortly after
Jason had completed all the arrangements for Kiera’s funeral, he came into the
office and went straight to Anna.  He placed a box on top of her desk.  Anna
picked it up and stared at it. It was a square shaped jewel box, with a plush
pale blue covering.  It had the name Tiffany & Co embossed on the
front.
    “What’s
this?” she asked in surprise.
    “Why
don’t you open it and see.”  She did so and let out a gasp of delight. Inside
was a gold bracelet of small diamonds and sapphires.  “It’s for you.  Kiera
wanted you to have it,” he said, watching her lift it out of the box and hold
it up to the light, so that it sparkled in the rays from the sun.  She knew it
was very expensive, the name on the box told her that.
    “But
I don’t understand why,” she said puzzled.
    “I’m
guessing they’re a ‘thank you’ for being a friend.”
    “I
was hardly that, Jason!  We talked together and I visited her in the hospital. 
I can’t accept something as expensive as this!  Besides, didn’t you say you’d
bought Kiera most of her jewellery?”
    Jason
nodded.  “Yes, that was my wedding present to her.”
    Anna
couldn’t hide her horror.  “Then I can’t possibly take it!  What will Ben and
Mrs Wilby say?”
    “Does
it matter what they say?  Kiera wanted you to have it and I’m OK with that.”
    Anna
shook her head.  “But...!”
    He didn’t let
her get any further, but took the bracelet from her and clasped it round her
wrist.
    “Take
it, Anna, I want you to wear it.  It seems so right for you.”
    She
couldn’t answer; her thoughts were so confused. He smiled at her bewilderment
and continued holding her hand. Suddenly he raised it to his lips and softly
kissed her fingers.  It was the first intimate contact they had had and the
gesture made her heart jump into her throat.  She knew that Kiera had a good
reason for wanting her to have Jason’s wedding present.
     
    The days leading
up to the funeral proved a very difficult time for Anna.  She thought of her
sons constantly, pinning their postcard from Ibiza next to the one from
Romania.  Their photo, in a wooden frame, stood on her desk and Anna would
often stop working to stare at it.  It was her favourite one showing them with
their arms round each other and sporting cheeky grins.  Martyn, with his dark
hair and hazel eyes looking so like his father, while Chris, blond and
blue-eyed, took after her.
    She
missed them terribly and sought refuge in keeping her promise to Kiera and
helping Jason with Hollie, even taking the little girl to the florist and
allowing her to choose the flowers.  
      
    Hollie had had
her bath and was sitting at the dressing table in her room while Anna brushed
her