Mr. Graham pulled a cashmere throw blanket from the sofa and handed it to her. “To keep you warm. I’ll run to Seventy-First Street as fast as I can.”
“I can’t thank you enough.” If this didn’t work, she would end up in jail with a broken leg, or possibly dead. That Mr. Graham was willing to put himself in harm’s way moved her greatly. Reckless with fear, she threw her arms around him and kissed him. This was nothing like the kiss she’d had with Mr. Danforth, or the one she’d watched in the silent film in Times Square. This was something else entirely, brimming with mystery yet strangely familiar and safe.
When they finally pulled apart, they were both breathing hard.
“Be careful, Miss Lilly,” said Mr. Graham, his cheeks burning red.
A noise sounded within the house, nearby. “You should go,” she said. “If they find you, they’ll want to know why you’re in this part of the house.”
After he’d left, Lillian gave a last glance at the portrait of Mr. Frick over the piano.
She’d never see this house again, if she was lucky.
She opened the window.
And jumped.
Chapter Twenty
1966
Miss Helen let out a soft cry. The sound evaporated like a mist into the upper reaches of the enamels room, where Veronica and Joshua stood on either side of her.
“The diamond is missing,” she said.
Joshua guided her over to one of the hard-backed chairs against the wall, where she sat with a thud and held out the cameo. “Here, you see, there is a secret catch. Inside was a diamond that was meant for my sister.”
“Wait a minute, are you talking about the Magnolia diamond?” asked Joshua.
“Yes.” Miss Helen stared at him wide-eyed for a moment, as her neck turned a splotchy red. “My father gave it to her when she was born; the dear man’s generosity knew no bounds. I placed Martha’s cameo, with the diamond inside it, in my father’s hand the day he died, knowing that he missed Martha most of all. But it was stolen soon after, taken right out of his coffin. And placed in here, apparently.”
Veronica stood dumbly by. She should hand the gem over right now, apologize profusely. But if she did that, they might call the police on her. Miss Helen would definitely call the police on her, with a last name like Weber—there was no question about that.
“It happened just before the viewing began.” Miss Helen pulled a handkerchief out of her sleeve and dabbed at her eyes. “When my sister, Martha, died, it was a bitter relief to us all, to see her out of her pain. But can you imagine what that did to my father? To be one of the richest men in America but be of no use at all to your tiny girl? I thought it might bring him some peace, to leave Martha’s diamond with him.” Miss Helen’s face was red, her nose running. “But after it was stolen, we had no choice but to bury him without it. Very few people knew of the cameo or the diamond in the first place, or that I’d wanted to bury it with my father. Only Miss Lilly.”
“Miss Lilly?” asked Veronica.
“My private secretary.”
Joshua nodded. “The one who stole your boyfriend. I’m so sorry this has caused you distress.”
Miss Helen’s mood changed like quicksilver. “It certainly has, you both nosing about in my home, reminding me of the worst day of my life. How dare you?” she demanded.
Joshua would lose everything if Miss Helen reported what they’d done. He’d be fired, and never get into graduate school.
Veronica’s decision to take the diamond had been a terrible one, she realized now. The Frick family had gone through a torturous time, and taking the diamond to help solve her own domestic travails was not the right way to go about things. In spite of Miss Helen’s wealth, this jewel meant more to her than all of the paintings and sculptures put together, and Veronica had no right to it. None at all.
But how to make things right?
She nonchalantly slid it out from her pocket, hiding it in her closed fist. “Hold on a moment, let me take another look.”
Veronica walked over to the second secret compartment, blocking their view with her back, and made a show of running her hand around the bottom of it.
“Wait a minute.” Slowly, she pulled out the diamond, as if she’d only now come upon it. Her sleight of hand was clumsy, even to herself. “Look, is this it?”
Miss Helen gasped. “Did you find it?”
“It must’ve fallen out of the cameo at some point.” Veronica carefully placed the stone in Miss Helen’s palm. Joshua cast a strange look at Veronica. He knew it hadn’t been inside the secret compartment earlier. He had to know that she’d pretended to find it. She was ashamed of herself. There was no excuse, and she hated that she’d let him down.