Chapter 26 #2
“Trust me when I tell you”—she dipped her chin, staring at me with her wide blue eyes—“you do not need to worry about it, Ally.” She glanced over her shoulder quickly before asking, “How is Johnnie?”
“He misses you.” I let out a breath. “But he started speaking again yesterday.”
She closed her eyes with relief, but it was quickly followed by grief. “I miss him with every breath I take.”
“Why did you leave him?”
“I had no choice. He either lost me and kept Sam, or he lost both of us.”
“I spoke to Cole. I know that you changed history by promising to meet him at the dock.”
She frowned. “Was it you who spoke to him? History has changed twice now, and I wasn’t sure why.”
“Do you mean the movie Gold Rush!?”
“Yes. Last year, I was living in New York when the first version of it came out. That was when I learned that I was going to die, and Sam was going to hang for my death. I couldn’t believe it was true, especially because it made Cole look like the hero, when I knew differently.
” She swallowed her emotions. “I don’t know what Sam has told you about mine and Cole’s relationship. ”
“Very little.”
“Cole was a good man when he first arrived in San Francisco, but he soon got caught up with English Jim, and he gave in to all the vices the city had to offer. For whatever reason, he set his sights on me, and I enjoyed his attention, but I was never interested in a romantic relationship. One night, he caught me off guard and took things too far—” She pressed her lips together.
“Sam almost killed him when he found out.”
Sam had said that Cole had taken advantage of her but hadn’t told me how far it had gone.
She shook her head, as if wanting to clear her thoughts. “I tried to research in New York, but I could find nothing, so we came out here to see what we could learn.”
“We?”
“My husband and me. When we came to California, it took us a while to learn the truth, but eventually we discovered the real history. Cole was supposed to come to me again that night, and when Sam found him, Cole would set his hotel on fire. According to history, I tried to put out the fire, to save our hotel and restaurant, and was overcome by the smoke and died.” Pain sliced across her face.
“Somehow, Cole convinced everyone that Sam had been the culprit. I couldn’t let that happen. ”
“The day I walked in on you and him in the kitchen, you offered to run away with him instead and changed history.”
“Things did change,” Bess said. “But then, one day, I woke up and realized there was a new version of Gold Rush!, and Cole had gone on to write other novels.”
I frowned. “My mama told me that only people who exist in both times know when something changed. How did you know, if you were only here?”
“Somehow I remember both versions of history.” She shrugged.
“I encouraged Cole to leave San Francisco. He was torn up over your death, and I didn’t want to see him throw his life away with English Jim.”
“I’m surprised he listened.” She frowned. “When did you realize I was a time-crosser?”
“When I prepared your body for burial.”
She nodded. “I realized you were a time-crosser from the moment you entered the hotel the day you arrived. I recognized you from your movies. I was still here in 1929, so I did a little research the next day and confirmed it was you.” Her eyes were filled with tears when she said, “After I changed things, I needed to know how it would all play out. I went to the library on Hollywood Boulevard and found The Annals of San Francisco and realized that you and Sam would fall in love.” Her smile was sad as she wiped a tear that slipped down her cheek.
“I don’t blame you. I loved him, too. But after what happened with Johnnie’s father—his brother—I knew I could never have Sam. ”
“He told me what happened.”
She lifted her shoulders as if to gird herself. “When I learned that you and Sam would get married, I knew that you would take care of Johnnie and be good to him. It gave me a measure of relief knowing that he would still be loved by a mother and father.”
“I do love him.”
“I know.”
“But the book also said that Sam and I are supposed to die.”
“I know,” she said again.
I hesitated, almost afraid to ask. “Does it still say that we’re supposed to die?”
“It’s best if you don’t know.”
“But I have to.”
She shook her head. “Live the life you want to live. Make the choices that you want to make, not because of what history claims, but because you know what God wants for you.” She studied me. “What would you do if you had no foreknowledge?”
“I would choose Sam.”
“Then choose him. Love him and Johnnie like I would love them. Please. For me. For you.”
“But what if—?”
“No what-ifs. Just trust me.”
“Then the book says we won’t die?”
Bess put her hand on my arm, compassion in her eyes. “Trust me, Ally.”
“Why should I?”
“Because I’ve loved Sam since I was a girl, and he loves you. He deserves some happiness.”
“Is that why you kept the book? So I wouldn’t look for the answers?”
She nodded. “I had left it in the library, but then it occurred to me that you might go looking for answers. When I went back, it was checked out, and I was afraid you had it. So when it was returned, I checked it out and kept it.”
I didn’t understand why I couldn’t know, but unless I tackled her to get the book, I would have no choice but to trust her. She did love Sam and Johnnie, and I knew how powerful love could be.
“Take care of them,” she said as she grasped the doorknob. “Tell Sam I’m sorry and I’ll always love him and Johnnie.”
“I will.”
“And don’t tell him you’ve seen me until after you’ve made your final decision. Promise me.”
I frowned, not sure why it mattered. “I promise.”
“Thank you.”
And with that, she stepped back into her room. I caught a glimpse of a man, and then the door closed.
As I walked back to the lobby, my heart was heavy, yet I wanted to trust Bess.
I just wasn’t sure if I could.
November 1, 1929
Hollywood, California
The sidewalk outside of Grauman’s Theatre was packed that evening as our family pulled up in several cars.
There hadn’t been enough money for Papa to rent searchlights, so it wasn’t as bright and impressive as the night Spencer and I had attended Gold Diggers of Broadway, but there were still hundreds of people in attendance, and Grauman’s had rolled out the red carpet.
I sat inside a rented automobile with Mama, Papa, and Vicky as a driver tried to maneuver through the traffic to the curb outside the theater.
The four of us had driven over from Bennett Studios, where we had met up with everyone else to arrive at Grauman’s at the same time.
Spencer was the only person who hadn’t come to the studio, but he had assured Papa he would be there by the time we arrived.
Mama wasn’t watching the crowd, though, and didn’t seem too concerned about the movie.
She had her eyes on me.
“Are you sure this is what you want, Ally?” Mama asked. “Tomorrow is your birthday, and if you stay there, you won’t be coming back here.”
“I know.” We’d spent most of the day crying and talking and discussing all the possibilities.
I had been back to 1849 twice since seeing Bess, and I had been true to my word and hadn’t told Sam about finding her.
I wasn’t sure why it was so important, but I had said I would trust her.
Sam still didn’t know what my final decision would be because I was afraid if I told him too soon, he would find out about Bess.
But tomorrow, when I woke up in 1849, it was the first thing I planned to tell him.
“I’ve known my whole life that today was coming,” I told Mama.
“But it’s finally here.” She lifted a handkerchief to her cheek to wipe a stray tear.
I put my hand on her knee. “I’m sorry—”
“Don’t be sorry.” Mama took a deep breath.
“You have nothing to apologize for. This is just—” She shook her head.
“Selfishly, I want you to stay. But I would rather you be happy away from me than sad with me. It will be so hard to say good-bye, but I know Sam will love you and take care of you, and you’ll have Hazel and Johnnie to raise, and a city to build, and a father to care for into his old age.
” She twisted her handkerchief in her hands.
“I just hope they know how fortunate they are to get you.”
Papa’s eyes were misty with tears, but he was stoic as he looked out the window. Vicky was silent as she sat beside me.
“I’m thankful everyone has each other here,” I told them. “I just wish I could have done more to help with Bennett Stu—”
“You’ve done more than enough.” Papa finally turned to look at me.
“The gold was what we needed to get the movie to this stage. Our prescreening audiences and critics have raved about the movie, saying it’s our best one yet.
” He smiled through his tears. “And if this is the last one Bennett Studios makes, I’m proud beyond measure that we did it so well. ”
“Papa and I have made a decision,” Mama said to me and Vicky. “The financial forecast is ominous right now, and we’ve accepted that it’s time to close Bennett Studios.”
“No.” I sat forward as the fans outside the car took notice of our arrival and began to cheer. Even though I’d tried to prepare myself for this decision, I still couldn’t accept it. “Not after all you’ve done to keep it going.”