Published Work > String of Pearls

String of Pearls available in eBook at Torquere Press.

String of Pearls is a short story published as part of Torquere Press' year-long "Birthstones" series. Anna May, one of the main characters, quickly became a favorite of mine.

"How many ways can one life be connected to another? You can relate to people by blood, marriage, work, or in this case, a String of Pearls. Following a strand of antique pearls through the years, this series of stories spans generations and geography to explore all sorts of relationships.

From sweet to stark, these pearls find love and joy, and sometimes pain. Men love men and women love women and, throughout it all, the pearls prove to us how small the world really is. Pick up this gem today."

Excerpt

A young man named William, delicate in build and plain in appearance, lifted a fine circlet of pearls to his neck and smiled at the weight of them. It took little more than that for him to decide they had to be his. It was explained to him when he purchased the pearls that they had once belonged to Anna May's mother. Anna May had apparently lived in this house with her husband until he passed away, and then she’d continued to live on alone in the big house for thirty more years, except for the occasional visit from one of the ladies in town or her doctor.

"For your girl?" The estate executor asked as he handed Will a receipt.

"For a woman," Will replied.

As he turned to go, Will glanced at Sissy and winked, promising in that way to take good care of Anna May’s pearls.

Those same pearls now soaked up the moonlight that filtered through the cool darkness of the Paris night and into Will's tiny, one-room flat. Will turned them over and over in his fingers, thinking, dreaming, wishing things were different, wishing the world were safe and peaceful instead of bigoted and war-torn.

How many nights had he and René made love here, bathed in the light of the Paris moon? Will was thin and hungry and utterly penniless, but it had never mattered. His desire was well-fed as often as René could sneak away, and though his pockets were empty, he was wealthy in love.

The hands on his shoulders surprised him, and he allowed himself to be pulled away from his boyish, poetic fantasies. He laughed softly at himself, thinking that Cara had taken deep and fast hold of him, indeed.

"It is late," René said softly, his voice rich with satisfied hunger.

"No, it's early. It's the beginning of the longest day of my life."

"Darling," René started to say, but Will interrupted him.

He sensed the emotion in his own voice but he could do nothing to mask it. "Take these?" he implored, holding the pearls up to René like an offering. "I want you to keep them for me."

René curled his fingers around the strand thoughtfully, and then lifted their weight from Will's hands with a smile. "Your pearls."

"Anna May's pearls," Will corrected him, returning the smile with one somewhat sadder.

René nodded. "From Tennessee."

"Tennessee is a long way from Paris."

"You should go home, Will."

"I can't." Will told him sadly. "You're here."

Buy "String of Pearls" to read more!

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