Page 195 of The Seven Rings
“Yes. Still a bud, you know? She hadn’t bloomed yet. More girl than woman when she first came here. Imagine leaving everything at that age to come to another country.”
“It takes courage.”
“I was nervous leaving home for college, and it was right in Boston. She crossed an ocean.”
“Now do one of her full-length, with these.” Cleo pulled open a drawer, got out colored pencils. “I’m going to put the water on for the pasta.”
“Is it that late?”
“I have to put the lasagna together, then it has to cook, then it needs to rest. So close enough.”
“It’s been a hell of a big day. I honestly believe we’re getting closer to real answers.”
Since Yoda sat by her stool, Sonya rubbed him gently with her foot as she drew.
“She had one suitcase, Cleo. The size I might pack for a long weekend. A new country, a new life, and she took everything from her before in one little suitcase.”
“Which means something I’d pack for an overnight.”
Sonya had to laugh. “Pretty much.”
“I admire that.” Cleo put a pot of water on to boil. “I admire her courage, what had to be a sense of adventure. And God knows her dedication to this house.”
As she spoke, she got out ricotta, mozzarella.
“I wonder if she’ll move on when the curse is broken. I’ve wondered if those who stay here, or at least some of them, are somehow caught up in that, and can’t move on.”
“I’ve wondered the same. I’d miss her.” Sonya drew the hat over the dark red hair. “Not just because we don’t have to even think about cleaning, or hiring a crew. But because there is that sweetness to her. You can feel it.”
“You can. Okay, I’m going out for more herbs. I want to put some in this cheese mix. And yes,” she said as both pets got up at the wordout, “you can go.”
Alone, Sonya did her best to put Molly’s image on the page. She kept at it when Cleo came back, dealt with the herbs and cheese.
When the oven timer went off, she blinked, looked up.
“Cake’s done!”
“I forgot about the cake. It really is a celebration, and now we’ve got more to celebrate. This is Molly. As close as I can get.”
After setting the cake pan aside, Cleo came around the island to look.
“Sweet, pretty. There’s a sparkle to her, and you brought that out. We’re going to frame that, Son, put it in the gallery when we boot that bitch out of here.”
“That— Well, I love that idea. She belongs there. I’m so glad I got to see her, to hear her. I’m going to sketch out the servants’ hall, too. I’d started to sketch how I wanted it to be, and began thinking out loud how I wish I could see it the way it was, so we could pay some homage. And I wish I could see Molly in there, so…”
It struck, the simplicity of it struck like lightning.
“Cleo.”
“You wished it, and the mirror came to grant that wish. That’s a major holy shit, Sonya.” She gripped Sonya’s arm. “That’s why it invited you, that’s why it felt different. You asked for something.”
“And it didn’t let me go past that. It gave me a gift, but the gift had limits.” Sonya rubbed a hand on her chest. “It makes me a little breathless.”
“Join the crowd.”
“I think I have to be careful, not abuse it. Not be frivolous. This wasn’t frivolous. It was about the manor, wanting to honor it, about someone who takes such loving care of it. Now I’ve seen it, at least how it was in Molly’s time.”
“And I think that’s perfect.”
