Our job here is done. Stella does not need my protection; itis obvious to me now that she can protect herself. And Julia and I, we brought Stella and Pax together. We found friends who are family for Stella. We saved Pax from himself. We reunited Stella with young Rose.
Now we let them grow.
I look to the other souls here, all awaiting their turn to talk with my sister. They seek her help in moving along, releasing their burdens onto her. To settle thatone last thingbefore they leap. Do they really need to linger? Did I?
“Take care of our girl,” I tell them. And I know they will. The Dark Trio plagues each of us, tempting us with hate and fear and greed on a shiny silver platter. Duality exists in the spirit world; where there is light, there is dark. Our instinct is to battle the dark, attack, fight, argue. But the true antidote is what William Stead wrote in his letter to himself: love, love, love. See. Forgive.
“Daisy,” Julia says now, and offers her tiny hand. “We have to be brave. We have to jump. But we will live forever, and we will always fly.”
Am I truly ready to say my final goodbye? I am. And so I do it. I grab Julia’s hand, and we face the light together, at long last.
“I love you, Stella.”
And
we
jump.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
I love you, Stella.
I gasp.
Daisy offers me an image: a phoenix. A majestic bird, rising from the ashes, soaring high above the flames. Daisy perished in flames and now she rises.
Revived. Regenerated. Renewed.
And then, beautiful white light.
Love, love, love.
Pax kisses a tear off my cheekbone. He’s here, after my very worst, and I’m here, after his.
Love, love, love.
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
I wake the next morning on the buttery leather couch. A cashmere blanket has been draped over me, and embers smolder in the fireplace. I am warm and sleepy, but someone nearby says, “Stella, wake up!”
William. I blink.
Did I dream last night? All those kisses and cuddles? Talking and sharing dreams until the wee hours of the morning? The music? I pull the cashmere blanket to my face, and it smells like mint and grapefruit and wine. And I’m wearing a sparkling diamond brooch. Not a dream. I stretch like a cat.
William smiles, like he can sense my contentment. Which, I suppose, he can. He pulls up next to the couch and tosses me a newspaper. The lead story showcases a photograph of Blanck being hauled away from his soiree in handcuffs.
“No,” William says. “Inside. You need to see this.”
Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood
Darlings! Most gossip is envy in disguise, and oh, are you ever envious you were not present at Max’s Blanck’s “Scot-Free Soiree.” It’s rare that I highlight only one social affair here, in these hallowed pages. Inches of newsprint equals miles of influence, after all. But oh, this event! Let’s dig in:
• You’ll recallthat on Saturday last, the 25th of May, I attended an affair at the home of one Mr. Max Blanck. Mr. Blanck is, of course, the gentleman declared “not guilty” by our trusty courts of law with his involvement in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. And not only that, but you’ll recall that Blanck and his business partner Isaac Harris ultimately profited from those horrific deaths. Shameful.
• The evening began innocently enough, though the food was a tad bitter for this delicate palate, and it did upset my equilibrium a smidge. Our featured socialite was Evalyn Walsh McLean, who was debuting the infamous, cursed Hope Diamond stateside. And debut it she did! Or rather, her dog, Athena, did. Yes, dear reader. Her boxer strutted into that affair wearing the world’s largest known diamond. Oh, Evalyn, dear, you never disappoint!
• We began a séance led by a newcomer to the social scene, a one Miss Lady Rose. Quite the powerful young ingénue. Oh, the atmosphere she created! I don’t know how she managed to incorporate such pyrotechnics and illusion inside a (stuffy) New York City penthouse, but I was impressed by this young woman’s showmanship. Far be it from me to suggest you undertake illegal activities suchas purchasing the services of a medium, but if you WERE to need such services (ahem!), Lady Rose should top your list. She seems to be affiliated with an organization named Julia’s Bureau. Find it. Hire her.
