“Well, tell your sister that she is welcome to come by anytime. You’ve helped us so much that I will give her a discount if she sees something she likes.” Bess was beginning to think that Aslan was more well-off than he seemed. It appeared that tracking down stolen goods was a lucrative profession. Or perhaps he had wealthy parents.

Most families couldn’t afford to send their daughters to finishing school. She remembered how she had envied the girls who got to go. There was no way her own family could afford it, and there had been no point in bringing the subject up. At least her boys would be able to go to good schools, and if the baby growing inside her was female, a finishing school was in her future.

“There are some chairs over by the wall if you would like to sit.” Secluded from view by a tall display case, three chairs sat on a pretty rug in front of a round table covered by an embroidered tablecloth. Some of the shop’s customers were elderly and others liked to have jewelry shone to them privately.

Bess took the rings to the back room and examined them thoroughly. As she had thought, they were pure gold and of excellent quality. She would let William decide what to do with them. Most likely, they would be melted down to be used in new designs.

About ten minutes later, she returned with the rings in a small box. “Thanks for waiting, Mr. Koç. If you’re absolutely sure you want to part with these rings, I have an offer for you.” The price she named was reasonable, but there was room for negotiation.