Chapter 14
The Garnet Links
Bill lifted out the Kentisbury collar,
with its gold band studded with small stones and its seven hanging emeralds.
"Gosh! It's the real thing!" Roger murmured. "It's worth a fortune, old man!"
"This note lay underneath." Bill read the words aloud.
""My wedding gift from my father. I was so happy. But I never wore it."
She never wore it because she never was a Kentisbury bride,
but she treasured it all through her long life, with her engagement ring." From Secrets of Vairy
"Aunt Effie gave it to me, before she died, last spring. She was my real aunt, Father's only sister, and she said I was too young to have it but that there was no one else. It has to be passed on to the eldest girl in each generation of our family. Great Aunt Kirsty didn't have it, for she wasn't the eldest girl in her family. Aunt Effie told me to keep it safely, as it had been in our family for a hundred years."
"In the case lay a jewelled band, about an inch in depth, made of silver and set with dark red stones. At intervals single stones hung down, six small ones and one larger piece to make a centre pendant."
From Secrets of Vairy
Our brides have been given collars like that, as part of their jewels, for centuries;
Lady Verriton, mother of young Geoff, has a ruby one, that her husband had made for her.
She's very dark. Rhoda, her girl, will have it some day and it will look lovely on her.
The new countess had one made of pearls, that Lady Verriton gave her for her wedding gift; they'd been saved for Geoff's wife, and as he had gone, Lady Verriton gave them to the new countess.
She wore them for her wedding and looked a real Kentisbury bride."
"And they're always the same shape?" Patch asked.
"Always that pattern; the standing up band, made of gold or silver,
and the seven pendants, the middle one being the largest.
There's one that's an heirloom, a splendid thing of diamonds; it started the custom."
From Secrets of Vairy
"There is something else I want to say," said Rosalin, rising to her feet.
"Aunt Effie, or Euphemia, our fathers' sister, gave me this garnet collar, a family heirloom," she said, touching the jewel at her neck. "Our grandmother Rosalin had given it to her. There were other Macdonald girls that Aunt Effie felt should have had it instead of her, so she never wore it. She said it was supposed to go to the oldest girl of each generation in the family."
Rosalin turned to face Janice. "Janice, I think this garnet collar should be given to you, as the elder Macdonald girl in our generation. There are only the two of us. You could then pass it on to Joan." Patricia and Bill looked at each other, and at Roger. They all knew how proud Rosalin was of this gift, and what it would mean to her to give it up.
"Oh, my dear Rosalin," said Janice, quite overcome, taking both her hands. "That is generous and kind of you, but I can't possibly take Aunt Effie's gift, for she truly believed it should come to you."
"I've had the thrill of wearing it tonight. It would suit you more, though," said Rosalin. "You are much more a Macdonald than I am, with your dark colouring. Garnets are for dark hair, not yellow-heads like me." Everyone laughed, conscious that this explanation covered much deeper feeling on Rosalin's part.
"Perhaps I might make a suggestion?" said Geoffrey, the Earl. "Aunt Effie told the story in a way that is a little different to the tradition of the other jewelled necklets, which you call 'collars', Rosalin. The necklets that Rosamund and Patricia wear, the pearls that Rosamund had for her wedding, and the emeralds you see tonight, are gifts that Kentisbury brides receive, then pass on to other brides in the family. Rhoda has worn her mother's rubies. Neither Aunt Rosabel, who held the emeralds, or Aunt Effie, who had the garnets, was ever a bride, so neither wore them."
"You are a Kentisbury bride, Rosalin, and it is quite proper that you should wear one of the Kentisbury jewelled necklets. Perhaps one day there will be a young woman to whom you may wish to present it," Geoffrey smiled, as Rosalin blushed in confusion.
"But there is another necklet, held here in the Castle. It was the original set of jewels presented to a girl of the family by Henry VIII, made of diamonds. As the newest Kentisbury bride, Rosalin, I believe you should wear it for a time."
"The Kentisbury diamonds," breathed Rosalin. "Oh, Uncle Geoffrey, we used to talk about them with Geoff and Rosalie when we were children. They were like a legend to us all. I would happily pass on the garnets to Janice or Littlejan without any such gift, but I would consider it such a privilege to wear the Kentisbury diamonds, even just once. Thank you for thinking of me and it makes me proud to think you would let me wear them."
"Prettily said, my dear. I know young Geoff would have wanted to give them to his wife, had he lived. You, his friend and cousin, and our youngest Kentisbury bride, are the rightful person to wear them. And you may be happy to pass the garnets to Littlejan, knowing that one day another Kentisbury bride will wear them, perhaps little Cecily Rose, or our Rosalin? Just as one day, Rosabel may wear Rosamund's pearls, while young Rosella may wear Patricia's emeralds. Janice, my dear, that rather leaves you out, but perhaps Littlejan would lend you the garnets sometimes?"
"Were I to have diamonds, emeralds, pearls, rubies, or garnets, I should have already passed them on to Littlejan," said Janice. "Thank you, Cousin Geoffrey," she said, smiling as she used this name for the first time. "And Rosalin, your garnets link us forever to you and the family. Thank you."
December, 2020