In Danielle Steel’s thrilling new novel, a woman’s
legacy—shaped by tragedy, fortitude, and undying
devotion—transforms lives and hearts long after she is gone,
and fulfills at last her most precious bequest.
Faded photographs of a glamorous couple in postwar Europe.
Old letters hinting of tragic loss. And a breathtaking array
of magnificent jewelry, spectacular stones in exquisite
settings. These are the contents of a safe-deposit box long
abandoned in a New York City bank. If no heir can be
identified, the jewelry will be auctioned. But who was the
woman who left such a fortune and no will?
Two people, drawn together by chance, begin to unravel the
mystery. Jane Willoughby is a law clerk at the surrogate’s
court and Phillip Lawton a fine arts expert for Christie’s
auction house. They are simply doing their jobs when they
come to the bank to inspect the contents of the box. But for
both Jane and Phillip the search turns personal—and their
efforts to reconstruct an enigmatic life will lead from New
York to London and Paris, to Rome and Naples, and a series
of stunning revelations.
Eighteen-year-old Marguerite Pearson left America with a
broken heart in the shadow of World War II. She found a new
life in Europe but forever mourned what she left behind. As
the truth about Marguerite’s extraordinary history—her
forbidden love affair and her family’s treachery—is slowly
revealed, more people are drawn into the puzzle that Jane
and Phillip have pieced together, and one among them will
inherit the most unexpected gift of all.