Epilogue
Hallie
Valentine’s Day
“Oh my God,” Elora whispers. “I can’t believe it. Look at them all!”
She, Zoe, and I are standing in the gallery looking down at the room housing the new Valentine’s Day exhibit, and it’s absolutely packed with visitors and the press.
We’re all knackered. It’s been a punishing week. Not only have Elora and Zoe had to start preparing for their travels, but with the announcement of the letters and paintings coming to the museum, we’ve been in a mad panic to get the Valentine’s Day exhibition ready.
Alongside this, Elora has prepared a display for the Bell Ring, her family’s heirloom that she recovered from a woman in Milford Sound. The ring is displayed in a glass cabinet, and around it she’s organized display boards that tell the love story of her ancestors, a journey that began in the Gold Rush of the 1860s.
Zoe has also had to prepare her display, which is a replica of the Mair Necklace, a famous piece of jewelry lost beneath the waves after a shipwreck. Joel found the ship in the Bay of Islands, and the display includes many artifacts recovered from there, including a pair of spectacles that Zoe herself found. Her display boards show wonderful photos of her and the team excavating the wreck, as well as explaining the journey of the Relentless from Sydney to the Bay, and pictures of Captain Mair and his crew.
There are also various other artifacts displayed to celebrate this day of love. But pride of place has been given to the Williams Collection. The six portraits of Pania Williams hang on the wall at the back of the gallery, fronted by half a dozen benches, and with plenty of space for people to stand and admire them. The letters are also displayed in glass cabinets, carefully monitored for moisture and heat, with the text enlarged on the boards and then repeated in a clear font so everyone can read them.
Whina has worked hard to spread the word about the discovery of the paintings, giving lots of interviews to the press, and making sure to paint the Williams family in a positive light and thanking them for their generosity. She’s here, currently talking to members of her local iwi about the letters. Isabel is here, too, giving an interview in the corner about her decision to donate them to the museum.
We’ve worked closely together over the week, refining the text of the display to make sure that we explain the paintings sensitively, while making it clear that we shouldn’t judge the past by today’s standards.
Fraser left the exhibition to me, Zoe, and Elora, and he’s spent the week organizing the speedy printing of a museum guidebook to incorporate the new exhibits. Joel and Linc have also helped him source items for the shop, including postcards, bookmarks, mugs, and T-shirts with pictures of the Valentine’s Day exhibits. Linc had the idea of creating a collection of items such as scented candles with aromas inspired by the nineteenth century like rose and sandalwood, handmade soaps, and tea blends that Pania might have enjoyed. They’ve also organized numbered prints of the paintings, exclusive to the exhibition.
And our crowning glory is that this evening there’s a special Valentine’s Day evening event, ticket only, with wine and nibbles and live music. Zoe, Elora, and I are giving expert talks on how we sourced our artifacts, and the guys are all doing guided tours. The tickets sold out two days after they went on sale.
I can see Fraser now, standing in front of the Mair Necklace, talking to a group of visitors, and they’re all laughing, so he’s obviously in entertainment mode.
He’s in full Indiana Jones gear tonight—minus the hat and whip—but he’s wearing his jacket with the patches on the elbows and his Indi glasses, and he looks every inch the eccentric archaeologist.
I just adore that man.
“Have you read the introduction of the new guidebook?” Elora asks.
“The intro? No.” I’ve studied the insert with the photos of the Valentine’s Day exhibits, but I haven’t read the first few pages.
Elora opens the cover of her book and passes it to me. Fraser has written it, updating the old introduction to mention the new exhibit. She taps the page at the bottom.
I read the last few paragraphs, which have been updated.
“As a Kaitiaki (guardian) of the National Museum of Aotearoa New Zealand, I have a responsibility to care for and preserve the artifacts and sites of our history. I am fortunate to work alongside a team whose expertise and passion make this possible. Without them, these wonderful love stories would be lost to time. History isn’t just about the past. It shapes the present and the future. The items in the Valentine’s Day Exhibition show us that love is found not only in grand gestures but also in the quiet, careful work of conservation. Love endures, not just in the stories we preserve, but in the people who bring them to life.”
“He’s talking about me,” Zoe says.
I give a short laugh, pressing my fingers to my lips.
“He has quite the turn of phrase,” Elora says. “Fraser in love. Who’d have thought it?”
I smile at them, tears pricking my eyes. “I’m really going to miss you both.”
They come forward to give me a big hug. “We’ll be back often,” Elora says. “And Linc and I want to get married here. We’re thinking about next Valentine’s Day, actually.” She smiles. “And we thought we might hold the service in the museum.”
Zoe and I both squeal and hug her again. “That would be amazing,” I say. “Fraser and I have been talking about creating a permanent place for wedding ceremonies. You could be our first couple!”
“Then it’s a date,” Elora says. “Something to look forward to.” She glances down at the room. “Linc’s waving to us. I guess it’s time for the expert talks to start.”
“Who’d have thought we would have been the experts?” Zoe says as the three of us walk down the stairs to the ground floor. “They obviously don’t know us very well.”
I touch my phone in my pocket, making sure it’s still there. I’ve jotted down some notes for my speech, just in case I freeze, although I’m sure I’ll be fine when I get going.
Fraser is asking everyone to take a seat, and gradually the guests drift over to the chairs that the staff has arranged between the exhibits in front of a podium. A projection screen stands behind it, ready to show pictures of the artifacts and the places from which they were sourced. Elora, Zoe, and I stand to one side, the wonderful scent of the red roses placed in elegant vases around the room drifting over to us.
Behind us, the six paintings of Pania gleam under the subdued lighting, and people glance at the letters in their cases as they pass. It’s as if Richard and Pania are here with us. I wonder how they would feel about the intimate details of their personal lives being displayed like this for everyone to see. How would I feel, a hundred and sixty years in the future, if paintings that Fraser had done of me, and letters we’d written to one another, were available for anyone to see?
I’m surprised to find that, actually, I don’t think I’d mind, provided they were treated with respect. We’ve all made sure not to treat their story in a sensationalist manner. We’ve not dwelt on Pania’s age, or on the titillating nature of the portraits. Instead, we’ve focused on the fact that they were so dedicated that they overcame both religious and cultural differences to be with one another.
We’ve also displayed an enlarged copy of an exclusive photo that Isabel donated of Richard and Pania with their children and grandchildren. It’s perfect for this Valentine’s Day exhibit, which is all about the enduring nature of love.
Fraser has taught me that love is many things. Love is patient, love is kind, love is passionate, and warm, and content, love is beautiful, and sensual, and exciting, and peaceful. And real love endures, and stands the test of time. Richard and Pania’s did, anyway, and hopefully ours will, too.
He takes the stand, and I press my hand to my heart at the thought of the two of us being photographed in the future, surrounded by our children and grandchildren. There are many miles to go yet, of course. We’ve only been on a few proper dates. But for the first time, I feel the promise of a love that won’t fade.
I don’t think I’m the only one, either. Joel has come over to stand behind Zoe, and he murmurs something in her ear that makes her giggle. The two of them are so excited to be traveling together. Zoe seems like a whole new woman. I’m so glad the two of them survived the storm and have found joy in one another.
And Linc is with Elora, and I can hear him telling her that she looks beautiful and she’s going to be amazing when she gives her talk. He’s so good for her, so patient and understanding. I’m thrilled to think after everything she’s been through that she’s with the guy she fell in love with all those years ago. What a great Valentine’s Day story.
Fraser starts talking, welcoming everyone in Māori, then in English. He practiced this introductory speech on me, but I’m more than happy to hear it again, as he talks about his love for the museum, and his hopes for it in the years to come. We have so many ideas we want to incorporate, and it’s super exciting to think some of them are now possible with Isabel’s donation. I glance over at her; she’s sitting next to Adam, who also traveled down for the opening. She’s looking up at the paintings, lost in thought, but there’s a small smile on her face. Hopefully she’s pleased that Richard and Pania’s story is being told.
Fraser finishes his speech and welcomes Elora to the stand to talk about the Bell Ring. I murmur good luck, and she takes a deep breath and walks forward to a round of applause.
Fraser comes over to stand next to me. We’ve been very careful to keep our relationship strictly professional in the workplace, but I’m not surprised now when he rests a hand in the middle of my back, leans forward, and murmurs in my ear, “Hello, gorgeous.”
I look up at him and smile. We’ll be here until late, but afterward he’s asked me to go back to his place and spend the night with him. Elora is staying with Linc at his hotel, and Joel’s at Zoe’s place, so we’ll have the apartment to ourselves. I’ve already stayed with him three times this week, and it’s been tough leaving him on the other nights, so I think he’s going to ask me to move in with him soon. I can’t wait.
Originally, I thought maybe I should live on my own for a while, but the truth is that Fraser is the reason I already feel as if all my old wounds are closing over and healing. I’ve destroyed my father’s letters and emailed the prison, telling them I don’t want to receive any mail from him. And I’ve seen my mother, and told her that although I wish she wasn’t seeing my father, as long as she doesn’t give him any details about me, if she keeps in contact with him, it’s nothing to do with me, and I don’t want there to be any animosity between us.
I want to move on. I have a new life now, with Fraser. I’m excited to put our plans for the museum into action. And I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for the two of us personally. I never thought I would find love like this, with the potential for being so deep and meaningful.
He bends his head and gives me a light kiss on the shoulder, and we exchange a smile before turning our attention to his sister as she gives her speech, with Linc watching her from the sidelines. Fraser’s expression is tender. I know it’s going to be difficult for him when she leaves and travels across the other side of the world. He’s had to look after her for so long, and he’s very protective of her. But she has Linc now. And hopefully I can keep Fraser occupied.
I lean back against him, and I inhale the scent of the roses and think about Pania and Richard, while Elora talks about the beauty of a loving relationship. I exhale slowly and smile, feeling Fraser’s warm hand on my hip. Love endures, after all. Just like Richard and Pania. Just like us. And for the first time in my life, I truly believe I deserve it.