Chapter 13 - The foundation seat
Celine’s death left unfinished governance.
She had served as co-chair of the Devereux Children’s Arts Foundation.
After her death, I kept her name on one annual grant program:
The Celine Devereux Young Artists Fund.
Elowen loved that.
Marcella hated it.
Why?
Three years earlier, Marcella had applied to join the foundation board.
Celine opposed.
Not because of personal hatred.
Because Marcella had charged personal styling, travel, and entertainment expenses to a gala budget through Vane Event.
Approximately $84,000.
Marcella repaid most after audit.
No criminal charge.
No public scandal.
Board application quietly died.
She never forgave Celine.
After Celine died, Marcella asked me twice to reconsider her.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Same governance issue.”
“I repaid it.”
“That doesn’t make you a good fiduciary.”
She called me:
“My dead wife’s puppet.”
I left.
Apparently she later told a friend:
“As long as that saint’s portrait hangs over every room, Alaric will never make a decision without her.”
There.
The photographs had become symbols not only of grief, but of Celine’s continuing institutional influence.
Marcella was not literally fighting paper.
She was fighting the fact that Celine remained respected.
Elowen, carrying Celine’s photograph through elite rooms, made that respect visible.
May you like
Marcella chose the weakest person holding the strongest symbol.
That was the cruelty.
