Something From Tiffany’s
Also by Melissa Hill
Something You Should Know
Not What You Think
Never Say Never
All Because of You
Wishful Thinking
The Last to Know
Before I Forget
Please Forgive Me
The Truth About You
About the Author
Melissa Hill lives with her husband Kevin, daughter Carrie, and dog Homer in Co. Dublin. Previous titles including:
The Truth About You
,
Please Forgive Me
,
Before I Forget
and
The Last to Know
, have all been bestsellers, and her books have been translated into 18 different languages.
For more information, visit her website at
www.melissahill.info
or
www.facebook.com/melissahillbooks
SOMETHING FROM TIFFANY’S
Melissa Hill
First published in Great Britain in 2011 by Hodder and Stoughton
An Hachette UK company
Copyright © Melissa Hill 2011
The right of Melissa Hill to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
Epub ISBN: 9781848946071
Book ISBN: 9780340993347
Hodder and Stoughton Ltd
338 Euston Road
London NW1 3BH
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
There were lots of wonderful things going on while writing this book, not least the arrival of baby Carrie right in the middle of it. Huge thanks to her for taking it so easy on her clueless parents in the early days, thus allowing me to complete the story with minimum disruption.
Thanks and much love to Kevin who effortlessly kept things on an even keel throughout possibly our busiest year ever.
Huge thanks to Dr Dockeray and the wonderful staff at Mount Carmel hospital who got family life off to a great start, and made our first days with Carrie so special.
To my fantastic parents, sisters and in-laws who are always there to offer a helping hand, it means so much, thank you.
Heartfelt thanks to super-agent and great friend Sheila Crowley – a true miracle-worker. I just couldn’t ask for better and I owe you so much.
To my amazing editor Isobel Akenhead, working with you is such a joy, and my stories are so much richer for your input, thank you.
To Breda, Jim, Ruth and all at Hachette Ireland who work so hard on my behalf, I’m very grateful.
To everyone who buys and reads my books, and who has sent me so many lovely messages through my website www.melissahill.info. I love hearing from you and treasure every message.
My thanks once again to the booksellers all over the world who give my books terrific support; it’s very much appreciated.
Finally, massive, massive thanks to my brilliant publishers Hodder, who are amazing to work with – and who inspired this book by introducing me to the wonders of a certain little blue box . . .
Dedicated with much love to my
beautiful baby daughter, Carrie
Chapter 1
The significance of what he was about to do wasn’t lost on Ethan Greene. It was a big moment in his life; it would be in any man’s, he guessed.
But as he battled through the Manhattan crowds on possibly the busiest shopping day of the year, he wished that he’d chosen a better time.
Christmas Eve on Fifth Avenue? He must be mad.
Taking a deep breath of the cold air, which was refreshing and not as damp as it usually was in London, he couldn’t help but think how little had changed since the last time he was in this city and, at the same time, how much had.
Arriving in New York only two days earlier, he’d surprised himself by how well he remembered the landmarks and how easily he found his way around. The jostle of the subway ride from midtown to downtown and back again, the scent of well-worn vinyl taxi seats and the endless hum of a billion sounds – human or inanimate – buoyed him. The unmistakable buzz of the place put a new spring in his step, something he hadn’t felt in years.
But now Ethan was in a hurry and acutely aware that the minutes were ticking by and the crowds seemed to be growing thicker. There wasn’t much time left.
Alongside him Daisy squeezed his hand briefly as if sensing what he was thinking, yet she couldn’t possibly know what he’d planned. All he’d said was that he needed to make one more stop before they returned to the warmth of their hotel. Conscious of how much he hated crowds (and shopping for that matter) she was probably just trying to put him at ease.
How would she react? OK, so the idea had been on the cards for a while and had been mentioned more than once recently, so by rights today shouldn’t really be too much of a surprise. While she seemed keen, Ethan now realised that he really should have spoken to her about today – it was unlike him not to discuss such matters with her in more detail – but the truth was that he was nervous. What if her reaction wasn’t as positive as he’d anticipated? As he wondered, an anxious lump appeared in his throat. Well, he’d find out her reaction soon enough, especially when they reached their destination.
She looked especially pretty today, he thought, wrapped up in a multitude of layers to keep out the teeth-chattering cold, her blonde curls creeping out under a dark woollen hat, and her red nose appearing above a black embroidered scarf. Despite the cold, she was loving New York just as he’d known she would, and everyone knew there was no better time than Christmas to visit the city that never sleeps. Yes, this was a good idea, Ethan reassured himself. Everything would work out fine.
Finally, having negotiated their way through the mass of last-minute shoppers, they reached the corner of Fifth Avenue and Fifty-Seventh Street. He looked at Daisy, and her eyes widened in surprise as he took her hand and steered them both towards the entrance.
‘What’s going on?’ she squealed, glancing at the familiar nameplate beside the doorway, its typically clean-line wording on polished granite today surrounded by verdant pine branches especially for the Christmas season. ‘What do we need
here
?’
‘I told you – I need to pick something up,’ Ethan replied, leading the way and giving her a brief wink as the revolving glass doors deposited them in the hallowed halls of Tiffany & Co.
Daisy was immediately captivated by the vast, high-ceilinged sales floor and its column-free design, and she gazed in amazement at the long rows of glass-fronted cases, their precious wares twinkling alluringly under the spotlights.
‘Oh wow, it’s all so beautiful,’ she whispered in awe, standing in the middle of the aisle as crowds of equally spellbound shoppers and tourists milled around her, each one fascinated by the breathtaking jewellery displays. The store was one of the few in Manhattan that didn’t utilise lavish festive decoration; its sparkling wares required little embellishment, and combined with the unmistakably romantic Tiffany’s allure this was more than enough to create that magical Christmas feeling.