Beatrice appreciated the instruction.
“I have waited years for someone to ask what I actually remember,” she said.
Among her photographs was one showing Anna Carter carrying a stack of costumes beside Marion Keene.
Emily had never seen her mother looking so young and confident.
Beatrice allowed the image to be scanned and sent Emily a copy with a short note.
She wrote that Anna was the person who noticed when children were frightened and found ways to help them without making them feel ashamed.
Emily printed the photograph and placed it near the sewing box.
Ben stared at it for several minutes.
“She looks happy,” he said.
Emily agreed.
Their mother had spoken of New York theater with such caution that they had assumed the entire experience was painful.
The photograph showed a more complicated life.
Anna had worked, made friends, loved her craft, and helped people long before the fire changed everything.
Emily decided the story she told about her mother should include that happiness.
That weekend she visited Beatrice and brought a small cake from Cedar & Rye.
They spoke about costume repairs, theater gossip, and the trouble of getting starch out of heavy fabric.
Only at the end did Beatrice mention the night of the fire.
“Your mother did not cause that tragedy,” she said.
“She spent years acting as though she should have prevented it.”
Emily thanked her for saying something no official report had ever captured.
Chapter 22: A Choice for Franklin
Franklin Voss received the independent lawyer’s report in a thick binder that made his desk appear smaller.
The report found that the warehouse had accepted certain costumes without adequate documentation of the lender’s ownership.
It identified correspondence showing that trust representatives had disputed the transfer long before the proposed auction.
The lawyer recommended suspending all sale activity and seeking a negotiated return after the items were individually identified.
Franklin’s business partner argued that returning the collection would invite other claims against their inventory.
Franklin answered that a legitimate claim should be evaluated rather than hidden because it might encourage more questions.
His partner warned that the decision could reduce their credit line.
Franklin knew the warning might be true.
He also knew the credit line had been partly supported by assets whose ownership was now uncertain.
He instructed the warehouse to isolate the disputed pieces and preserve every inventory record.
The staff cataloged embroidery marks, photographs, and repair labels with an independent conservator.
