Chapter 21 - PRIMROSE VISITS THE ESTATE AGAIN
Primrose asked to return.
Not for Violetta.
For the library.
She liked the window seat.
The protective order still restricted Violetta’s presence.
So we scheduled a quiet afternoon.
No formal event.
No guests.
Margaret met us.
The east dining room looked strange.
The pedestal remained.
Empty.
I had expected the foundation to remove it.
The conservator kept it because it belonged to the display set.
Primrose stopped.
“Vase gone.”
“Yes.”
“Because me.”
“Because it fell when you bumped the pedestal.”
She looked at me.
I had learned precision.
Then she walked closer.
Not touching.
“What happen pieces?”
“Some are being studied. Some are stored. It can’t be restored to original condition.”
“Can glue?”
“Technically, maybe a conservator could assemble parts, but it would always show damage and some pieces are too small.”
She thought.
“Then don’t.”
Her authority ended there.
Foundation decides.
I smiled.
“We don’t.”
The board had chosen to preserve representative fragments and document the object rather than reconstruct it.
Not because of symbolism.
Conservation assessment said restoration would be extensive and visually misleading.
The pedestal stayed empty for now.
Then Primrose sat in the window seat.
“Grandma letter was under there?”
“Yes.”
“Violetta put?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
I gave the child version.
“She was angry and scared and she hid something she should have delivered.”
“Did Grandma know?”
“She thought it was sent.”
“That’s lying.”
“Yes.”
“Is Violetta bad?”
I paused.
“She did bad things.”
“Same?”
“No.”
She rolled her eyes.
Adults again.
Then:
“Can I still love her?”
“Yes.”
“Do I?”
“That’s yours.”
She considered.
May you like
“A little.”
Okay.
