But I didn’t know what to say or how to respond.
He finally looked back at the fire, his shoulders falling, and he let out a sigh. “That’s true love,” he said, his voice low.
Neither of us spoke again for a long time.
16
September 22, 1929
Hollywood, California
It had been six days since Mr. Mayer had made his offer to me, and I wasn’t any closer to a decision. We’d been so busy on the set, Mama and Papa hadn’t noticed I was quieter than usual. Mama hadn’t even asked me how things were going with Sam on the trail to the Yuba River. I wanted to talk to her about what I’d learned about his past, but she was so focused on filming that I didn’t want to disturb her with anything else.
And the truth was, I was still holding it close. Sam Kendal was nothing like I had imagined when we first met, and history wasn’t always what it seemed. I suspected Mr. Dixon knew who Sam was, and it made me wonder if he would return to San Francisco and spread rumors that I was Sam’s wife. All it took was the authors ofThe Annals of San Franciscogetting wind of that information, and they could record it as fact. It didn’t mean it was true, or that it would be true. Worse, they could record it falsely for their own gain, like Cole when he’d originally writtenGold Rush!For whatever reason, Cole had wanted to tell his side of the story and make it look a certain way. It made me happy to know he’d used his pen for good the second time around. I’d found a copy of thenew version ofGold Rush!from the library and was pleased to discover that it was hopeful and uplifting compared to the original, which had been dark and ugly.
Our house at Westmoreland Place felt like it was going to burst that Sunday afternoon as I entered the kitchen to help Mama with lunch. Julia’s children were running in and out the front door and up and down the stairs, hollering like banshees. She was trying to wrangle them, but it only added to the chaos. My head was pounding, and I just wanted some peace and quiet. Whether at home or at the studio, we were always surrounded by people. At least I had a day off and had spent it on the trail with Sam, but that hadn’t been very enjoyable on the back of a pack mule.
I had loved sitting near him at the campfire, though, long into the evening, just talking about anything and everything that came to mind. It was easy to be with him. He didn’t hide things or sugarcoat them or leave me guessing. And he didn’t try to impress me with lavish praise or flirtation like Spencer. But his words still impacted my heart and made my cheeks warm in a different way.
“Even though it’s costing us thousands, I respect that Grant is still giving the crew Sundays off,” Mama was saying to Grace as she filled a large pot with water.
Grace didn’t respond to Mama’s comment as she shelled peas, glancing up at my arrival with a smile. “You look tired, Ally.”
“I’m exhausted.” One of the children screamed in the foyer, and I winced. “And my head hurts.”
“I think all of us are at the end of our ropes,” Grace said with a sigh. “I’m missing Luc so much. I’m thankful for the telephone calls and letters we’ve exchanged, but it’s not the same as being with him.” Luc was still in Washington, DC, where they lived. “I’m half tempted to get on the next train and go home or ask the United States Army Air Corps to send Luc out to California on a special mission. We could think of something, couldn’t we?” She smiled, but I could see the sadness in her eyes. “Kathryn is missing him, too, and if Lydia wasn’t so excited about being in the movie, I think she’d miss him, as well.”
“I’m sure she does, in her own way,” Mama said. “Lydia is such a talented young woman. Grant has told me several times that she was born to be on film. It comes so naturally to her, just as it did to Ally.”
I sat on the stool next to Grace, thankful for a little normalcy and a slower pace to visit with them. Working at Bess’s Place made me realize how much I enjoyed cooking, and I had started to take on more responsibilities in the kitchen in 1929. It eased my stress and gave me time to think. I also loved knowing it helped Mama.
“Would you recommend this career for her?” Grace asked me. “Lydia desperately wants to stay in California and keep acting. I don’t know if we should let her, or if we should force her to come home with us for a couple more years before she returns. Because I know she’ll be back as soon as she can.”
“She also lives in 1709?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Does she plan to stay there on her twenty-fifth birthday? Or does she have any idea yet?”
“She has ten years to choose, so I don’t think she’s given it much thought.” Grace continued to shell the peas. “She loves her family there, of course. Her other mother is my twin sister, Hope.”
I nodded, since I already knew that information.
Grace looked up at me, concern in her eyes. “What you might not know is that Lydia’s time-crossing mark is a little different than the rest of ours.”
“Different how?”
“It’s much darker, as if she has two marks, one on top of the other.”
Frowning, I set down the pea shell. “What does that mean?”
“We don’t know. We think it’s because her two mothers are identical sisters, but we’re not sure. That’s part of the reason I’m leery about letting her stay here. We don’t know how much time we have left with her. Part of me wants to be selfish and tell her to spend whatever time she has left with us. The other part of mewants her to stay and act, if that’s what she wants, because who knows how much time she’ll have to do that.”
“And Kathryn?” I asked. “Where is her other path?”
“She’s in London in 1879. Her father there is a surgeon, and she has a good life. I’m very thankful she has parents there who love her, even if her life is a little stiff and proper.” She let her shoulders droop. “But I still need to know what to do with Lydia. Do you like acting, Ally? Will you continue if you stay here after your birthday?”
Mama glanced up at the question, waiting for my response. I wanted to tell her about Mr. Mayer’s offer, but I wasn’t sure how she would react. It made me nervous because the longer I kept the information from her, the higher the chance she might learn about it from someone else.
