Chapter 87

The charity auction rolled on. Lot after lot crossed the block, and bidders kept their paddles moving, but nothing came close to the earlier frenzy. Megan sat waiting, her finger sliding over the catalog until it stopped on a listing. "The next lot is a six-carat pigeon blood ruby pendant," the auctioneer announced. It became Howard's second bid of the night. He took it at 2.8 million dollars. Megan gave a wry smile. Howard hadn't changed at all. A month ago, when he learned what tanzanite and turquoise meant as birthstones, he'd said, "It doesn't matter. My child deserves the most expensive diamond, like the Pink Star." She could almost hear his thoughts. "My woman deserves a pigeon blood ruby. I won't hand her a tanzanite worth only a hundred thousand dollars. If she wears that in public, people will think I couldn't afford better." Time slipped by, and the finale arrived. "It's not a single item. These are selected drawings by children in need, 20 pieces in total. You may c