“He is dead for sure. But in the end, what difference does it make? You were never married to him; he was an Orlov, not a Koska, it was a sham. You are free either way, Vera.” He got up and took both her hands in his. “Won’t you ever allow yourself to love again?”
“Possibly, my dear Dmitri, quite possibly,” said Madame Koska; she did not pull her hands away. “But right now, as this ridiculously dramatic affair is behind us, I have the Mistral collection to think about.”
“And after that?”
“After that… I don’t know, I’ll have to adjust to the new circumstances.”
“I would like to be a part of the new circumstances.”
Madame Koska looked at the attractive face and warm brown eyes and smiled. “You will always be welcome to be a part of the new circumstances,” she said.
“Then I am going to translate what you said into believing we have an understanding, Vera,” said Mr. Korolenko, still holding her hands.
“I can accept that,” said Madame Koska. “And in the meantime, Dmitri, when should I come for my next lesson?”
About the Author
Ilil Arbel enjoys writing in a variety of genres, including mythology and folklore. Her published works include short stories and folktales, and she has contributed articles on the subjects of natural history, personal histories, biography, health, education, social commentaries, and Judaic myths.
Ilil has a Ph.D. in the field of Liberal Arts, specializing in mythology and folklore. Ilil has lived and studied in Tel Aviv, Paris, and New York, and currently resides in Manhattan.
Other Books by Ilil Arbel
The Lemon Tree
Miss Glamora Tudor
Their Exits and Their Entrances
Ancient Aliens
The Cinnabar Box
A Few Steps in the Other Direction
Praise for Ilil Arbel’s
Madame Koska & the Imperial Brooch
“…A perfect period puzzler, Madame Koska and the Imperial Brooch is clever, concise, occasionally comical…”
“Agatha Christie reborn. A veritable tour de force of the twenties’ London fashion scene with our heroine the Madame (if one may use the word in this sense) of an up and coming atelier. We meet Russian émigrés down on their luck and have a stolen brooch being sought by the thieves who hid it too well. Ilil Arbel has adopted the mantle of the Grande Dame of this age and produced a stunning book full of fun and the obligatory twisted ending. Don’t miss it!”
“Madame Koska is an absolutely unforgettable character whose charms and eccentricities linger on long after you’ve finished this marvelous page-turner. Here’s to hoping this is only the beginning of a wonderful new series.”
“…I didn’t know whodunit until the very last few pages.”
Copyright
MADAME KOSKA & THE IMPERIAL BROOCH
Copyright © 2015, 2017 Ilil Arbel
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Published by Open Window
an imprint of BHC Press
Library of Congress Control Number:
2017945135
Print edition ISBN numbers:
Hardcover: 978-1-947727-20-5
Softcover: 978-1-946848-53-6
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