Chapter Twenty-Five
Fraser
I fly back to Wellington on Sunday and spend the afternoon in the museum. I finish off some paperwork for a couple of new grants we’re applying for, and then I take a walk through the museum. It’s quiet today, as even though it’s the height of summer, it’s close to the kids going back to school, and families who’ve come to visit the capital will be heading home to buy books and stationery and uniforms, and get their children ready for the next school year.
I wander through the cool rooms, not really looking at the exhibits, but just letting the peace and quiet and the history seep into my bones.
I love being surrounded by these fragments of the past. The clothing, tools, and jewelry of those long gone. I know some people feel sad in museums, but I don’t usually feel melancholy. Today I am, though, a little. I still haven’t been able to figure out what to do, and I’m conscious of Monday approaching at a rate of knots.
I toy with the idea of calling Hallie, maybe even asking her to come around, but Joel’s flying back to Wellington today. He has an important interview tomorrow, and he’s asked me to help him prepare for it. So I let her be, giving us both time to think.
When I get home, I cook dinner, and then I pretend to interview Joel, asking him the kind of questions I think they might challenge him with. Eventually, he insists he’s ready, and so we watch a movie, then go to bed.
I rise on Monday feeling anxious, although I’m not sure if it’s to do with Joel having his interview, or seeing Whina. Maybe both. Joel goes straight to his office, and I go to the museum, conscious of an oppressive feeling hanging over me like a storm. Or the sword of Damocles. I try to shake the notion out of my head. There’s no reason to think any of this is going to end badly. But it’s impossible for me to believe I’m going to end the day with both a job and Hallie, and I might well end up with neither.
I call in and see Zoe and give her a big hug and tell her how relieved I am to see her. And I have a quick chat to Hallie, but we can’t say much with Zoe there, so I soon leave.
I keep myself busy for the rest of the morning. Joel’s interview is supposed to end at twelve and, knowing that Zoe and Hallie are both going to be as nervous as I am, I go out and buy some takeaway coffees and then take them to the conservation room.
I’ve just walked in with the coffees, when who should appear in the doorway but Joel.
We all stare at him. He’s still dressed in his smart suit. I scan his face, half-expecting to see defeat written on it, suggesting they’ve already told him he hasn’t got it. But his eyes are blazing as he looks at Zoe.
“Is your interview over?” I ask. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine,” he says. Still looking at Zoe, he gestures with his hand toward the door. “Can I talk to you for a minute? There’s a bench over by the Missionary Exhibit.”
“Between the Cowgirl and Doggy Style Exhibits,” I say, nerves getting the best of me.
Zoe burst into giggles, Joel grins, and Hallie turns the color of a tomato. She glares at me, and I give her a mischievous smile.
“Come on,” Joel says with amusement, and he leads Zoe out of the room.
We watch them go, and then I turn to Hallie. “Sorry about that.”
“So you should be.” Her lips curve up, though.
I check the clock on the wall. It’s 11:45. “Still forty-five minutes until Whina’s supposed to show up,” I say.
“Mm, yeah, about that… She texted me and asked if I would come to your meeting.”
I stare at her. “Really?”
“Yeah. She said she had some news.”
“What about?”
“I’m not sure.” She looks nervous.
My stomach flips. “Right.” I can only imagine that Whina is going to reiterate that Hallie and I can’t date while we work together. “Well, I guess I’ll see you upstairs at 12:30, then.”
She bites her lip, then nods. “Try not to worry,” she murmurs.
I give a small smile, then take my coffee and head out of the room. It’s impossible not to feel anxious. How did my whole life come down to this moment?
*
Forty-five minutes later, I’m pacing the office, waiting for Whina to arrive. I feel a complex whirl of emotions, not in the least because Joel has just left after telling me that he chose not to interview for his job, and that he and Zoe have decided to join Elora and Linc and travel to Europe. I’m going to lose two great employees, as well as my brother and sister.
Of course I didn’t say that, because Joel was alight with excitement, and the last thing he needed was to hear about my issues with the museum. But I pause by the window and look out at the view of the harbor, my stomach twisting with anxiety.
If Whina arrives and announces she’s firing me, I think I might see if Hallie wants to join me and go with the others to Europe. At least that way we can be together. My heart sinks at the thought of leaving the museum. I just hope it continues after I’ve left and doesn’t have to close.
I spend the next five minutes pacing the office. In the end, it’s a relief when I hear footsteps, and Whina appears at the door.
“Sorry,” she says, “Louise has stepped away from her desk.”
“No worries, we’re expecting you. Come in.”
She enters the office and goes over to the sofa and chairs. She’s wearing a navy suit today, and a pretty pink blouse that suits her. She’s just lowering herself into a chair when Hallie appears at the door.
“Am I too early?” she asks nervously, and then she spots Whina and says, “Oh!”
“Come in,” I say, and gesture at the sofa. I follow her over. “Would either of you like a coffee?”
“No thanks,” Whina says, and Hallie shakes her head too, so I sink down onto the sofa next to her.
“I asked Hallie if she’d join us,” Whina says. “I hope that was okay.”
“Of course,” I say politely, although I hope she’s not going to fire me in front of Hallie as that would be embarrassing.
“Can I say something first?” Hallie asks.
Whina looks surprised. “Yes, of course.”
Hallie clears her throat. She doesn’t look at me. “I’d like to hand in my resignation.”
Whina’s eyebrows rise even higher. “Oh,” she says.
I stare at Hallie. “No,” I say firmly.
“Yes,” she says, just as firmly. “You and I have acted inappropriately, but the museum needs you, Fraser. I’ll find another job. But I want you to keep yours.”
“I’ve already said I’d resign,” I snap, getting to my feet.
“Oh goodness,” Whina says, holding up a hand. “Nobody needs to resign. Now sit down and be quiet, both of you.”
I glare at her. Then, slowly, I sink back onto the sofa.
“Right,” she says. “I have something to tell you. Yesterday, I received a call from Isabel Trenton to say that she has agreed to loan all twelve letters by Richard Williams to our museum, along with the six portraits he painted of Pania that have been hidden for the past one hundred and sixty-ish years, and she has also agreed to honor his original donation of five million dollars.”
All my words disappear, and I stare at her in shock. Then I look at Hallie. Her eyes have widened, and her jaw has dropped.
Whina smiles. “She agreed this after Hallie visited her and convinced her the best place for them was in the museum.”
I blink. Then I look back at Hallie. “You went to see Isabel?”
She sucks her bottom lip and looks at me mutely.
“I asked her to,” Whina says. “I thought that, in the cold of light day, if Hallie had the time to explain that we would treat the letters and paintings with respect, Isabel might just concede. And apparently Hallie was very convincing.” She smiles at Hallie. “In fact she was absolutely glowing about the way you constructed your argument. She said you were respectful and knowledgeable, and she was very impressed. She told me there was absolutely no way I could let you leave the museum.”
“Goodness,” Hallie says, looking startled.
“And as for you,” Whina says softly, looking at me. “Obviously, things could have gone better when you were in Tauranga, but you still managed to impress Isabel with your determination and resourcefulness. She knew that her father admired you. And she’s made it clear that she doesn’t hold anything against you, and she’s willing to work with you both to make the exhibits successful.”
“I don’t believe it,” I whisper.
“As to your relationship,” Whina says. “Isabel said it was very clear that you were both in love with one another. And you’ve both told me that, too. Lastly, Fraser, I spoke to your father yesterday.”
“Dad called you?”
“Yes. We met ages ago, through the church. I respect Atticus both as a deacon and as a man.” She sighs. “I’ve always seen workplace relationships as a liability, but we talked about your dedication, both to each other and to the museum, and it changed my perspective. He said that rigid policies don’t account for genuine, life-changing relationships, and he’s right.”
I glance at Hallie, whose eyes widen again—she can’t believe it, either.
Whina continues, “He said that he thought you were reckless when it came to love and that you made choices without thinking about the consequences, but this time he’s seen something different in you—that you were standing up for a woman you loved. And it made me think that if we punish people for finding something that rare, we’re the ones who have it wrong, not them.”
Hallie presses her fingers to her lips. I look at her, at her shining eyes, and put my arm around her. She rests her forehead on my shoulder, and I kiss her hair.
“Workplace policies do exist for a reason,” Whina says gently. “But your father reminded me that public opinion matters too. From a purely practical point of view, you’re both valued employees who bring many things to the table, and if the board were to force one of you to leave, it might reflect badly on us. So with that in mind, I’m going to suggest that we grant a case-by-case exemption, as long as you follow certain guidelines. We would like you to report your relationship to HR. And to do your best to keep your personal and professional lives separate.”
“Of course,” I say, and Hallie nods.
“That means no snatched kisses in the stationery cupboard,” Whina scolds, and we both chuckle. She smiles, then continues, “And of course it means using common sense when it comes to promotions and other developments at work. We need complete transparency. So come and see me if you have any queries, at any time.”
“So I still have a job?” I say, struggling to believe it.
“Yes, Fraser,” she says softly, “you still have a job. Your achievements go way beyond the renovation of the museum. Your enthusiasm and drive have inspired many people to get involved in archaeology and in the history of our country. Many Māori have commented on the respect you’ve shown them for their culture. And personally, I love the way you’ve done your best to get young people involved in the discipline.”
“Thank you.” I’m touched at her compliments.
“Hallie has mentioned some of the ideas the two of you have discussed to bring money in, and I’d like to have a meeting with you both to talk about these, but personally one thing I’d like to see is the new educational program you mentioned, and more contact with schools and universities.”
“I’m very keen for that,” I say, my heart swelling.
“Now,” she continues, “I met with Jennifer for lunch yesterday.” Jennifer took over as the Director of Development and Fundraising after I became Museum Director. “And we had a long talk about crowdfunding. She’s obviously gutted with the way a lot of the grants have fallen through, and she’s keen to start a Kickstarter campaign. We both think that if we come at it from the right angle, it could be very successful. We think that if we were to target it at preserving Māori heritage, you’d also get support from the local iwi , which would go some way to repairing the problems we’ve had with Taonga.”
“Yes, that makes sense.”
“She knows your degree is in Cultural Heritage Management,” Whina says, looking at Hallie. “And when I mentioned some of the ideas you’d come up with, she was very excited. So we discussed the possibility of you working in her department for a couple of days a week, if you were up for it.”
Hallie’s eyes light up. “I’d love to.”
“Would you need to advertise the position,” I ask, “bearing in mind what you’ve just said about transparency?”
“No, I don’t think so. We’re talking about Hallie helping in an advisory role, initially, anyway, and with full support from the board. And there’s nobody at the museum that I know of with Hallie’s experience and knowledge. If we were to create a new post, then of course, we’d have to interview for it, but one step at a time, eh? I told Jennifer you’d meet with her this week, both of you, and discuss it in more detail.”
“Okay.”
“We’re going to make this museum the best in the country,” Whina says, eyes shining. “And I have no doubt that you are the man to do it, Fraser. I’m depending on you to prove me right.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She nods and rises, and Hallie and I get up, too.
“Thank you so much,” Hallie says, and she gives Whina a hug.
“You’re very welcome.” Whina releases her, then comes over to me. She smiles up at me. “I’m proud of you for what you’ve achieved, and so is your father. I’m sure you’re going to go on and do marvelous things, Fraser.”
I bend and kiss her cheek. “Thank you.”
“I’ll be in touch.” She gives us both a smile and leaves the office.
We listen to her footsteps disappearing down the corridor, then turn to each other.
Hallie looks up at me, wonder in her big brown eyes. “I can’t believe it,” she whispers. “Did that really just happen?”
My throat tightens, and I feel suddenly choked up. Her brow creases as she spots my surge of emotion, and she slides her arms around my waist.
I hug her, wondering if I should close the door, but then I see Louise standing in the doorway. She smiles at me over the top of Hallie’s head, then pulls the door to.
I kiss Hallie’s hair. “Thank you,” I say, my voice hoarse. “For everything.”
She moves back a little and wipes her eyes. “I’m glad I could help.”
“I can’t believe you went to see Isabel. She wasn’t hostile?”
“Not really. She’d had time to think. Like Whina said, despite making a few mistakes, you impressed her. I promised that we would treat the displays sensitively, and that she could have an input in the text we used to explain their background.”
“Maybe you’d liaise with her over that. She obviously trusts you.”
“Of course.”
I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Earlier I thought that if Whina fired me, I’d ask you whether you wanted to come with me and the others to Europe. Go traveling. See the world. Would you rather do that?”
She thinks about it. Then she shakes her head and smiles. “No. I’d rather stay here and see what we can make of the museum. You’ve already made it so special, and I’d love to see what else you do with it, and to have a hand in it, if I can. I don’t really want to travel. I need some time to breathe and recover both from my previous relationship and from my father contacting me, which frightened me. I don’t want to give him that power over me. Isabel and I discussed how we both bear the wounds of the past, and how we need to accept that our family’s actions don’t reflect on us personally. We don’t have to bear that burden anymore.” She looks into my eyes. “And I want to get to know you better.”
I cup her face. “We’ll take our time,” I say gently, “and go on some proper dates first. You can take as much time as you need to heal.”
She nods, clearly moved.
“I thought I was in love with you yesterday,” I say, “but I’m even more in love with you now.”
She gives a shy smile. “I’m in love with you, too. I can’t believe we’re able to date for real. And that the museum is going to be all right.”
“Five million dollars,” I say, breathless with wonder. “That will more than cover the cost of the west wing renovations.” I brush my thumbs across her cheeks. “That’s all down to you. You saved the museum. And you saved me.”
Her face warms beneath my hands. “I just wanted to help you.”
In reply, I lower my lips to hers. I’ll take on board what Whina said about no snatched kisses in the stationery cupboard. But after the news we’ve had today, I think one, small, celebratory kiss isn’t too much to ask.