“Flying frightens me—and—” She looked at me. “What if I died there?”
Neither one of us spoke for a moment.
“You would be stuck here with me.” I lifted a shoulder. “Which you said you might do anyway. What’s the worst that could happen?”
She nodded, but I could still see uncertainty in her gaze.
“Have Luc take you flying,” I said to her, “and you’ll never want to look back. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. I promise. Then make your decision. But consider Mama and Daddy. Just think what all that money could mean for them.”
Grace slowly sat up. “I will think about it.”
“Good. I wish I could be there to see you fly, but you’ll tell me all about it.”
“Of course I will.”
“And you’ll tell me all about meeting Tacy, too, right?” I hadn’t forgotten the other surprise from a few days ago. We hadn’t seen Isaac since then, and I couldn’t help but wonder why he stayed away. Had he overheard us speaking? Did he think we were all mad for claiming to be time-crossers?
“I’m going back to New York tomorrow, and I’ll look for her the following morning,” Grace promised. “I won’t rest until I find her.”
“I wish I could be there for that, too.”
Grace took my hand and nodded. “So do I.”
I let out a sigh. “Father is demanding that we spend the afternoon with Susannah’s cousins. He’ll pull us downstairs if we don’t go on our own.”
“I look a fright.”
“Good.” I smiled. “Mayhap that’ll scare them away.”
She chuckled, and it made my heart soar. I loved seeing my sister happy.
As Grace and I prepared to meet with Susannah’s cousins, I couldn’t help but wonder how I might convince Grace to stay with me forever.
Then I realized the answer might lie with Isaac Abbott.
18
GRACE
JULY 6, 1912
NEW YORK CITY
It had been two days since Hope’s funeral. As I entered the cavernous building off West 35th Street in the center of the garment district, my pulse was pounding so hard I could barely hear the traffic on the street behind me. Grief mixed with trepidation as my heels clicked on the tiled floor. I could hear Daddy’s voice of caution echoing in my heart. This wasn’t a good idea—but it was the only option I had.
The more I thought about Luc’s proposition, the more I shuddered. I couldn’t learn to fly and take a cross-country journey. It was a foolish idea that would only create more hardship for Mama and Daddy.
A young receptionist looked up from a large desk in the middle of the lobby and pursed her lips. “If you’re looking for sewing work, you’ll need to go up to the fourth floor.”
“I’m here to see Mr. Thurston.”
She looked me up and down, not impressed. “He doesn’t do the hiring. The superintend—”
“I’m not here for a job.” I hooked my hand on the strap of my leather bag and forced myself to look confident. I was wearing a simple black walking suit with a straight skirt and a long suitcoat. The Victorian mourning customs had eased in recent years, and society wouldn’t require that I wear black for long, but people would still expect me to honor Hope in this way.
“Is Mr. Thurston expecting you?” she asked.
A man stepped out of an office behind the receptionist. He was tall and thick around the middle. His graying hair was longer on one side and combed over the top to hide a balding spot.
