I held up the dress to my mirror and stared in disbelief. Shocking blue swirls of dyed thread wove seamlessly into a pristine white bodice, folds of soft fabric flared out along the sleeves into a beautiful drift of cloud-like lace. Above the low-cut collar, a web of ribbons held a single flat gemstone--sapphire, nearly the size of my hand--over what would be my heart.

This dress could fund a small army.

At the bottom of the box, another note waited for me. I laid the dress ...