Welcome to the first installment of Beyond the Book. Whenever I meet characters I really enjoy, I hate to give them up. So, I’ve decided to do a weekly feature that lets the readers keep in touch with the characters they’ve grown to love. Today, I’m discussing Clint and Rachel from The Sentence. I didn’t talk much about their wedding in the book, so I thought you jewelry lovers might like to see Rachel’s engagement ring.
The tradition of giving a diamond engagement ring-which symbolizes the promise of a future together-dates back to the 13th century. Mary of Burgundy is the first known person to receive a diamond engagement ring in 1477. All wedding and engagement rings are worn on the third finger of the left hand because the vein in this finger, the ‘vena amoris” was once believed to run directly to the heart which was associated with love. The circular shape of rings symbolize unending love.
The ring Clint gave Rachel has a marquise shape. The shape of a marquise diamond can maximize carat weight, giving you a much larger looking diamond. It looks well set with round or pear shaped diamonds. The length of the marquise cut makes your fingers look long and slender. To find the dimension of the marquise you want, look for the length to width ratio which determines how the diamond looks when viewed from the top. For the most traditional marquise cut diamonds, look for length to width rations between 1.75 and 2.25. So, here’s a picture of Rachel’s ring.
Now, let’s see what happened when Clint gave her the ring.
Clint made small talk with them until they finished their meal. The whole time Rachel’s heart leaped and thudded at the beloved sound of his voice. He drained his tea glass and reached into his pocket, bringing out a small, blue box.
“What do you have there?” Reverend Amos asked, his eyes alight with anticipation. He reminded Rachel of a curious puppy whose ears had perked up when he saw something interesting.
“Oh, this is something for Rachel.”
Clint got up and walked around the table. He stooped down beside Rachel and took her hand. “I hope you like it, honey.”
Rachel buried her hot face on the table. “Leave me alone, Clint,” she choked.
Clint’s lips quirked. “You aren’t backing out, are you? You’re going to make me look pretty foolish if you do.”
“Backing out of what?” Cynthia asked.
Clint smiled as sweetly as an angel. “Rachel asked me to marry her, and I’m saying yes. This is her engagement ring.”
Her mother started to giggle. “Did she really ask you to marry her?”
“Yes, ma’am, she sure did.” He gave Rachel’s shoulder a little pat.
If you like what you’ve read, you can find the book at the following places:
Don’t forget to come by next week.
What a wonderful blog topic, Elaine. Never having to say goodbye. When I finish writing a book I write letters to my characters. They've been with me everyday for months so I thank them for letting me be a part of their lives, say what I like best about them and what I will miss. It's a closure of sorts and gives me "permission" to delve into someone else's life!
ReplyDeletePolly, I liked one group of characters so much I didn't let them go. I have two more books about them written and waited their turn to go out into the world. Thanks for stopping by.
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