The Magnolia Palace(104)

Helen ran her finger over it and smiled. “Perhaps she would. Funny, but I can’t picture her anymore. In my head, I see the portrait, not the actual girl. It was so many years ago, and I was so young.”

“You’ve made her proud, and your father proud,” said Lillian. “An unconventional life is what you’re leading, as your father did.”

“I never let anyone push me around. Not easy, for a woman in my time. Even a rich one. I made my dreams come true. The library, my farm. You’ll have to visit me some time, Miss Lilly.”

“That’s kind of you. Perhaps we will,” answered Lillian. “Those months at the Frick mansion changed my life, I will admit. By the time I left, I knew that I could manage in the world without having to rely on my beauty. Better to have learned that early on rather than try to fight the inevitable decline of age.”

“You’re welcome,” said Helen, and everyone laughed. “I rather enjoy being an eccentric old lady. The power that comes with not caring what others think is invigorating.”

Lillian took Helen’s hand in hers. “I am sorry, Helen, for getting swept up by Mr. Danforth’s advances. That was cruel of me.”

“Well, while we’re being honest, you helped me dodge a disastrous union. My father, as much as he said he wanted it, would have hated to have to share me, had he lived. On top of that, I was never the wifely sort; it would have ended in a terrible scandal, certainly. But I do appreciate you saying so.”

Helen took a sip of tea and shared a kind look with Lillian, who patted her hand some more.





Chapter Twenty-Two



Veronica watched the exchange between Miss Helen and Lillian, relieved that they’d reached an understanding. She looked over at Joshua, who offered up a quick smile. She hoped what she’d done, helping to expose Miss Winnie’s deception, had softened him toward her. But they still needed to talk.

“What about the diamond?” Veronica directed the question to Miss Helen.

Miss Helen touched the cameo on her lapel, then gave it a little shake. The diamond rattled in response. “I think I’ll sell it and donate the proceeds to the library.”

Veronica took a deep breath. “How about setting up a scholarship for students who want to pursue a career in the fine arts?”

Miss Helen stared at her for a long moment, which in normal circumstances would have unnerved Veronica. She’d never really gotten used to being looked at and studied by photographers and fashion editors, or random people on the bus who reacted to her crazy haircut. But unlike those stares, Miss Helen’s was different. She wasn’t observing Veronica’s outside; she was trying to understand her inside. It wasn’t about being looked at; it was about being seen. “A scholarship?” she finally said.

“Sure. For people like Joshua, for example.”

Joshua blinked in surprise. “Um, Veronica. Can I talk to you?”

Veronica followed him, heart pounding, out onto the front porch. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Well, you’re obviously trying to make up for something. Like having tried to steal the diamond in the first place.”

She looked down at her feet, then back at him. Like Miss Helen, Joshua had really seen her over the past forty-eight hours, citywide blackout notwithstanding. “Since today seems to be the day of apologies, I’m sorry about that. It flew out of the cameo when you were off getting the other lamp, and for a moment, I didn’t know what to do. I was overwhelmed about being fired from the photo shoot, ruining my career, taking care of my sister, and snatched it up.”

He exhaled slowly. “I thought you would have made a smarter decision under those circumstances.”

“I know,” she conceded. “It was only a split second and I immediately regretted it, but by then you were back and it was burning a hole in my pocket.”

Joshua didn’t respond, but the look of disappointment on his face hurt more than any words.

“My mum told me this morning that Polly’s stopped eating. I don’t want to lose her like I lost my father.” She choked back tears; this was not a time for histrionics. “But it was a terrible lapse of judgment, to do what I did. I planned to tell you a number of times when we were locked inside. I thought maybe we could split the proceeds so that you could get your degree at Columbia and I could bring Polly home.”

“That doesn’t help. I would never have accepted it.”

Of course he wouldn’t have. Fatigue mixed with self-loathing, and all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and disappear into sleep. To drift off, drift away from it all.

But instead of wallowing in her own misfortune, she straightened up. “I’m sorry, and I’ll do what I can to make it right. If you want me to tell Miss Helen what I did, I will. I accept full responsibility.”

Her heart caught in her throat as she waited for his reply. “I won’t ask you to do that,” he finally said.

Joshua had been a true friend the past couple of days, had taken care of her and protected her, guided her through the scavenger hunt to its surprising end. And in return, she’d tried to steal the Magnolia diamond, a vital part of the house and its history. Joshua respected and loved the Collection for its breadth and historical significance, and by taking the diamond she’d betrayed that love.