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Rani, arrived early at the showroom.

      ‘I don’t know why you’ve dragged me along here, Jade. I have no interest in auctions, and no time for things like this. I have a lot of study to do.’

      ‘Be quiet, and relax. You spend far too much time with your head in those books. It’s about time you found out what you’ll be doing with all that money you’ll soon be earning. Take a look around at all the beautiful pieces, and imagine what your house will look like some day, with all these fine antique furnishings.’

      ‘I’ll be spending the rest of my life paying back all the money I owe you. I doubt if I’ll ever earn enough to get it all paid.’

      ‘Rubbish, you’re extremely talented, so it will take you no time at all to pay me back. With the girls at the Golden Stag already lining up for your professional help, you’ll have a practice up and running in no time at all. Besides, who said I wanted you to pay me back?’

      ‘I’ll pay you back no matter how long it takes. I promised you.’

      ‘Yes, yes,’ said Jade, patting Rani’s hand. ‘See if you can find the suite. I need to know what its catalogue number is. I don’t want to bid, only to find out I’ve bought a commode, instead of a bedroom suite. Ah! There it is over there,’ she said, pointing.

      ‘All that!’ asked Rani. ‘Where are you going to put it all?’

      ‘Rani, you must have faith.’

      ‘Jade, we must have room. Look at the size of that pile of wood!’

      Having ascertained that the suite was lot number 453, Jade moved off around the room, showing Rani items for sale that she and Peter had found, and telling stories about them.

      The auction began, and Jade took her place, ready to start bidding.

      Items large and small were offered, with no hint as to what would be offered next. The catalogue was the only means of keeping track of the goods.

      Jade took interest in how Peter’s partner, Doug Green, managed to elicit bids from the audience, cajoling them one minute, joking with them the next; his words blending into a constant stream. The first few items sold in a blur of some foreign language, before Jade was able to keep up with him, finally working out what he was saying, and the figures that he was smoothly throwing around, like some juggler.

      Jade continued to watch, absorbing the frantic tempo of the sale.

      Several lots later, the Ming vase that Jade had found, was offered, and she decided to practice, by making an offer on it. With one of the floor men holding the jar aloft, Doug Green called out, ‘And what am I offered for this fine Chinese vase of the Ming period?’

      ‘Two pounds!’ called Jade in great excitement.

      There was a titter of laughter throughout the room.

      ‘Young lady, this is not Woolworths!’ said Doug Green, looking down at her from his rostrum.

      Jade blushed red, realising her mistake.

      Doug Green looked back up at the room. ‘Now what am I really offered on this beautiful item.’

      ‘Fifty!’ Came a call from the rear of the room.

      Doug Green looked in the direction of the bid. ‘We’ve got a room of bleeding comedians here today! Come on people! Proper bids please.’

      ‘One hundred!’

      ‘Finally, a bid of some consequence! Now, do I hear one hundred and fifty?’

      The bidding continued, and Jade slunk lower into her seat, totally embarrassed.

      A man’s voice behind her said, ‘I see you have an eye for a bargain.’

      Feeling as though she wanted to crawl, unseen, out of the room, Jade turned toward the man making the snide comment, and found herself looking into the smiling, blue eyes of Captain Robert Symes.

      He leaned forward in his chair. ‘Do you really want the vase?’

      Totally embarrassed by her experience, Jade simply nodded.

      ‘Just wait then. I’ll tell you when to bid.’

      The bidding continued, with the offers rising slowly to four hundred pounds.

      Doug Green continued, ‘I have four hundred pounds. Are there any more bids?’

      The room was silent. ‘Going once. Going twice.’

      Jade felt a tap on her shoulder.

      Still embarrassed, Jade did not know what to bid and called out, ‘Four hundred and two pounds.’

      The hall erupted in laughter.

      Doug Green turned toward the latest offer. ‘I see the young lady from Woolworths has graced us with another bid.’

      ‘Four hundred and ten,’ came a further bid.

      Doug Green called out, ‘Four hundred and ten. Going once. Going twice.’

      ‘Four hundred and twelve,’ came Jade’s bid, as a result of a further tap on her shoulder.

      ‘We have a further two pound increase from Woolworths.’

      The crowd laughed.

      ‘Four hundred and fifty.’

      Doug Green turned to Jade. ‘Do I hear four hundred and fifty-two?’

      Jade nodded. Blushing.

      ‘I’ve got four hundred and fifty-two from Woolworths.’

      ‘Five hundred!’

      ‘And two!’ called Jade, getting into the spirit of the game.

      There was silence, as the other bidder tried to make up his mind. The girl seemed to be determined, and he had a budget to stick to. He decided to try once more. ‘Five hundred and twenty.’

      ‘Five twenty-two!’ piped up Jade.

      The other bidder looked at Doug Green, and nodded in the negative. He had already overbid his budget by twenty pounds, and had no intention of entering a potentially disastrous bidding war. He was a professional, and there would always be another vase.

      Doug Green raised his gavel. ‘I have five hundred and twenty-two. Going once. Going twice. Sold to the lady from Woolworths.’ The gavel was brought down.

      Jade could hear her heart had been beating loudly, and she realised that she hadn’t taken a breath for some time. She slumped in her chair in relief.

      She looked at Robert Symes. ‘Thank you, but what do I do now?’

      Robert laughed. ‘I suggest you call to the cashiers, and pay the price, or start running.’

      ‘I’m so exhausted; I don’t think I can stand. Could you go to the cashier for me?’ she asked Rani.

      ‘I’ll go. Besides, I’m sure that you have plenty of things to discuss with your new friend,’ she said with a cheeky smile.

      Jade handed her a wad of notes, which Rani slipped quickly into her purse.

      Standing, she turned to Captain Symes. ‘Would you be good enough to look after my seat until I return?’

      ‘It will be my pleasure,’ smiled Robert Symes, as he took Rani’s place beside Jade.

      The auction continued around them as further lots were offered, and snapped up by willing bidders.

      ‘You could have gotten the vase a lot cheaper, you know.’

      ‘How?’

      ‘I find that if you make a substantial bid to start off, it scares away a lot of the amateurs, and the professionals won’t bid more than they’ve allowed for. They don’t want to buy something they can’t resell for a profit.’

      ‘Thank

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