“Someone on the staff surely would have.” Poppy shook her head. “Unless they were planning to come back for it.”
“I’m glad that didn’t happen.” Elena gave Poppy the piece that had fallen out.
“This would make a beautiful pendant,” Poppy said, holding it up to her ivory sweater. “Like a gift within a gift.”
Elena’s lips parted. “A gift…this reminds me of Fabergé’s imperial eggs. Part of their appeal was that each one held a surprise gift inside. People have called the eggs the most expensive gift wrapping in the world.”
Ivy pressed a finger to her lips in thought. “The diamond tiara we found was by Fabergé—or rather, August Holmström, one of the jeweler’s master workers. If there’s an AH mark on this, then it was one his creations—or his son’s, who used the same mark.”
“Yes, but there were other master workers under Peter Carl Fabergé,” Elena said. “Michael Perchin created many of the early eggs, as I recall.”
Shelly ran her fingers over rows of gemstones. “If this is a Fabergé, then it has to be worth a lot.” She handed it back to Elena.
“The value would be in its history and relation to the Russian imperial family,” Elena said. “Some of the Fabergé eggs are still missing—half a dozen or so. But the company made similar eggs for others, including the Rothschild family, as well as a Russian industrialist. I’ll have to do some research on this.”
Elena opened the glittering oval container again. “First, you’ll want to authenticate the materials and research any works that might be missing.”
“I can help with that,” Poppy said.
Shelly pursed her lips. “This is probably part of the stolen crown jewels collection we found.”
“In that case, I’d better call Ari again.” Ivy sighed. Ari Steinberg had handled all the identification, tracing, and collection of the crown jewels and the paintings they’d found.
Ivy knew they couldn’t get too attached to this piece as the probability was high that it was on the FBI’s stolen property list. The jewelry they’d found sewn into a large doll in the trunk of the old Chevrolet had been returned to the rightful owners, as had the masterpiece paintings they’d discovered on the sealed lower level.
“Aw, do we have to?” Shelly made a face. “I think we deserve a Christmas gift after all we’ve been through. Besides, old Humpty Dumpty there had a great fall.”
Ivy couldn’t help chuckling at that. “If it’s someone else’s property, we can’t keep it.”
“I’ll inspect this in the morning,” Elena said, holding up the decorative egg. “I have to meet Carol Reston to give her the necklaces she commissioned, and she insisted I stay for lunch. I’d planned on driving straight back to Los Angeles, but I can push some appointments and stay over another night.” Elena’s eyes sparkled. “I’d really like to see what this is all about.”
“Could that egg-thingie be a copy?” Shelly asked.
Elena lifted a shoulder. “Anything is possible. That’s why you’d need an expert to authenticate this piece. I can inquire—discreetly, of course.”
“I wonder if there are any similar pieces packed away,” Poppy said.
“We went through everything but the gardening supplies,” Shelly said. “Those are next, but I wouldn’t expect to find much on that side of the storeroom except old rakes and shovels.”
Ivy’s gaze traveled up the tree. “Did anyone notice ornaments that were particularly stunning? There could be other items.”
Shelly swayed. “You’re kidding, right? You want to go over that entire tree with a jeweler’s loupe?”
“All I’m saying is that I think we should check everything more closely,” Ivy said.
Elena laughed. “All the ornaments I saw were hand-painted on glass or made of other materials.”
“I can check out the tree tomorrow,” Poppy said.
“We have other priorities right now,” Ivy said. “We need to concentrate on advertising, getting reservations, and finishing the holiday activity plan.”
Ivy knew it was one thing to make a list, but quite another to execute it. She was relieved that Poppy had returned, but they had priorities. “I’ll put in a call to Ari in the morning. If that piece is authentic, then we need to rule out stolen property first.”
The next day, Ivy got up early to lay out breakfast in the dining room for guests. With a stockpile of firewood now, she put a few logs in the dining room fireplace and started a fire to knock off the chill in the large room. While Poppy was in Los Angeles, she and Shelly had been alternating mornings. She hurried into the kitchen to put out the juice and yogurt, start the coffee, and arrange the cranberry muffins that Mitch had left last night for the morning.
When she returned to the kitchen, she saw Elena at the kitchen table and greeted her. Her niece was having a cup of coffee and scrutinizing the oval-shaped decorative piece with her loupe.
“See anything else interesting?” Ivy asked.
“Take a look at this, Aunt Ivy.” Elena handed her the small magnifying glass. “Hold it to your eye and then adjust the distance of the piece.”
Ivy leaned over to inspect the piece. As she brought the glittery egg into focus, the red enamel work blazed in her field of vision. “The depth of this enamel is amazing.”
Elena gulped her coffee. “I have to meet Carol soon, but check out the gemstones and look at the workmanship.”
“This is incredible,” Ivy said as the stones and settings leapt out at her. “How in the world do they execute such perfect details?”
“Whoever created this was dedicated to excellence. It’s one of the finest pieces I’ve ever seen.”
Ivy lowered the magnifier and handed it back to Elena. “Do you think it’s the real deal?”
Elena quirked her lips to one side. “Oh, it’s real, but we still have a lot to learn. I made notes of the hallmarks. Take some close-up photos to email to Ari. I’ll do more research after I meet with Carol.”
Ivy was pleased that her niece was having success. “I’m glad Carol is a good client.”
“She is,” Elena said. “I met her through Penelope, who wore my designs on the red carpet. Hollywood can be a pretty small town.”
“I remember that incident. You got a lot of publicity over that. How are you and that good-looking insurance investigator getting along?”
“Jake and I are doing just fine,” Elena said, breaking into a smile. “Speaking of insurance, I doubt your policy would cover an item such as this. I have a feeling this could be worth a lot more than we think. Make sure you put it in a safe place, Aunt Ivy.”
“Safety deposit box at the bank?”
“Perfect.” Elena drained her coffee and deposited the cup in the sink. She picked up her bag and hugged Ivy. “Get a lot of photos before you lock it up.”
After Elena left, Ivy took out her phone and snapped a series of photographs from every angle. The artistry gleamed in the morning sun, looking even more stunning in the light. She ran her hand over the intricate work. “What’s your story?” she murmured. It seemed that everything in this old house had a fascinating link to the past.