Ask for Micheline. Tell her about the event. Buy what she tells you to buy. Stop freaking out. Have fun. xoxo
She’d followed Tanya’s advice to the letter, and had emerged with a black dress in some kind of silky fabric that made her feel like a movie star when she put it on, a pair of heels that were a solid two inches higher than her usual shoes but looked sensational, and a necklace that reminded her of chain mail but was actually a kind of crocheted silver lace.
Daniel picked her up at a quarter to six, and he looked just as good in a suit and tie as he did in jeans. They took a taxi to the Tate Modern, and the driver, after some consultation with Daniel, took the long way round so they wouldn’t get caught up in traffic. At some point they crossed a bridge, and the traffic seemed to ease a bit, and then the driver was pulling to a stop at the side of an enormous brick building that looked more like a warehouse or factory than a museum.
She let her gaze roam from the building’s exterior to the crowds of people still milling around outside, and that’s when she noticed the gigantic banners hanging from the largest of the museum’s facing walls.
MIRIAM DASSIN
COLLECTED WORKS
UNTIL 31 DECEMBER
They walked around the perimeter of the building until they reached the entrance for the Boiler House wing, and even though the museum was about to close they were waved inside after Daniel showed them his invitation. Although Miriam’s artworks were being shown on the third-floor exhibition space, the reception itself was two floors up, in the members’ bar.
The reception had only begun a few minutes before, but already there were at least a hundred people milling around. Waiters were circulating with plates of hors d’oeuvres and bottles of champagne for anyone who needed a top-up, and a handful of children had been installed at a table loaded with art supplies and bowls of baby carrots and mini pretzels.
“My brother’s children,” Daniel explained. “Along with two strays I don’t recognize. The little girl is his youngest, Hannah, and a particular favorite of Mimi’s.”
“For someone who is so private, your grandmother has a lot of friends.”
“She does,” he agreed, “but they respect her reticence, and the Tate people have accepted this is the most they’ll get from her. She’s allowing them to take some photographs, but she’s asked them not to film her remarks.”
“She’s giving a speech?”
He collected two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and handed one to Heather. “She said she would, but I’ll check in on her later. I can always offer up a round of thanks if she’s feeling shy. Right—brace yourself. Here comes my family. You might want to drink your champagne while you still have a chance.”
In a matter of minutes she was introduced to Sarah, Daniel’s mother, a younger and somewhat sterner version of Miriam; Nathan, his father, who seemed to be enjoying his son’s discomfort at being the momentary center of attention; Ben and Lauren, his brother and sister-in-law; David and Isaac, his mother’s younger brothers; and assorted spouses and cousins and family friends who were honorary aunts and uncles. “The lines between friend and family are always a bit blurry in my mind,” Daniel whispered in her ear.
It seemed that someone, presumably Daniel, had told his parents and siblings about Nan and her connection to Miriam, and apart from condolences on her grandmother’s death and the standard sort of inquiries about her trip and hotel, they didn’t bombard her with too many questions. She likely had Daniel to thank for that, too.
They probably noticed that he’d been holding her hand when they walked in, and that he looked to her every few minutes, no matter where in the room she was, as if he was making sure she was fine and not trapped in a tedious conversation, but they were too nice to say anything about it.
Daniel took her outside to the terrace, which had incredible views of St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Thames, and that’s where they found Miriam. She was talking with a pair of young women, and Daniel greeted one of them with a quick hug before making introductions.
“Heather, this is my cousin Nathalie and her friend Ava. It was their badly timed exam that meant you and I were able to visit the palace the other day.”
Miriam was wearing a beautiful coat that was embroidered with interweaving ribbons of every color imaginable, and it was either something she had made herself or some kind of couture marvel from Paris. Heather kissed her on both cheeks, and she listened to Nathalie and Ava talk of their summer course at university, and it was hard, at times, to keep her attention on Daniel’s cousin and her friend because the view across the river was so distracting.