May 24, 7:55 p.m.
Hyde Park was abloom with daffodils and wildflowers, and trees boasted their lush green leaves of springtime as the cab chugged through the tail-end of rush-hour traffic and made its way to Kensington Square. A constant shiver had been running up and down my spine since I had received the note summoning me to Destiny's house. That's exactly what it had seemed like: a summons. In the style of Destiny. As if she herself had written it.
The car rolled to a slow and dignified halt, in keeping with the image of the stately homes lining the street. I pressed a wad of bills and a couple of thick, heavy coins into the driver's hand and cringed as I almost walked into the path of an oncoming car. I still hadn't gotten used to the road rules.
Thinking back to my conversations with Destiny, I took each step with a heavy heart. How would it feel to enter that sitting room and know she would never return? I glanced at my watch as I reached the top step. Right on time.
My heart was racing as I rang the bell. Delicate footsteps echoed, approached. The latch slipped free, and the door opened.
"Hello Kat." A familiar voice. My breath caught in my throat.
Gwen Garnier took me by the hand and invited me inside.
"What are you doing here?!" I finally managed to say as I followed her into the drawing room. "This doesn't make any sense."
"Don't worry, it will in a moment," she said, smiling and squeezing my hand reassuringly. "Have a seat and make yourself at home—please."
I sat on the velvet chair I had occupied on my previous visit. Gwen had already prepared a pot of tea and handed me a heart-shaped porcelain cup of oolong as she settled down on the loveseat.
"I hope this is all right?" she said.
"It's fine." I took a sip to calm the jitters that were only starting to subside. After all, in spite of the confusing situation, I reminded myself that I normally felt comfortable with Gwen. But what was she doing here? She, who always seemed to be prodding me for information about Destiny...
The drapes were wide open and the French doors ajar to let in a stream of sweet-scented fresh air. The garden was almost overgrown with buds and full blooms of red, yellow, peach, and pink and white roses.
"The scent is wonderful, isn't it?" Gwen gazed out at the symphony of color. "But I must say, a gardener really is needed to take care of them. Destiny did it all herself, but not everyone has such a green thumb."
She pushed a plate of butter cookies toward me, then took one herself and settled back against the couch. This was the first time I had seen her in jeans, barefoot and without her phone.
"Why did you call me here?" I asked, shaking my head in frustration. "And why didn't you tell me you had some kind of relationship with Destiny? At least more of one than I ever did. Why did you keep that from me, Gwen? Why did you act as if you didn't even know her? And the parties? What about that? What kind of charade are you playing anyway?"
She brushed cookie crumbs off her lap and leaned toward me.
"Kat, I'm sorry. I didn't want to lie to you, but I had no choice. I'll explain. Destiny was my cousin. A distant cousin, but a cousin all the same. As adults, we weren't as close as we were as children, but we had a lot of respect for each other. We helped each other out when we could. That's why I invited you to participate in the art show."
"I still don't get it."
"I was part of the plan to bring you and Will together, Kat."
"What?" I asked, trying in vain to quell my hysteria. "But how did you find me? How did you know I had done the artwork? And what about Dr. Bell?"
"Will saw you one day when you were going into Dr. Bell's office and he knew... He had found you. He followed you a couple of times, gathered whatever elements he could and then asked Destiny for help. Destiny knew a lot of my shows involved work done by patients. So I approached Dr. Bell. All of this was meant to be. You have to believe that. Isn't it more than a coincidence that Dr. Bell just so happened to be one of the doctors who recommends his patients express themselves through artwork on the road to recovery? I had worked with him on similar projects in the past. And you have to admit it's pretty amazing your doctor's office is right in Will's neighborhood."
"So you know everything? And you think it's all true even though it seems impossible?"
I was in a state of shock about Gwen's role in this story. I felt as if the matter-of-fact, ambitious Gwen I had met in Dr. Bell's office and worked with a few months ago had disappeared only to be replaced by another elusive member of Destiny's world.
"Jonathan and Victoria? You and Will? Of course. I grew up spending summers with Destiny here in London, or she would come to France and stay with us. This ability of hers was there ever since she was a little girl. We accepted it, but it never was easy. So, believe me, I know that for you it must be much more difficult than it was for us as a bunch of kids. When you're a child, it's easier to accept what adults might consider outlandish."
She smiled, as if thinking back to those happy moments with Destiny.
"I learned the Jonathan-Victoria story when Destiny introduced me to Will and asked me to help them out," Gwen continued.
"I need a bit of air," I whispered, rising and walking over to the French doors. She followed and put her hand on my arm.
"Are you OK, Kat? I didn't mean to throw everything at you at once, but I truly thought you should know. I've been feeling guilty and dishonest these past few months. Now that Destiny is gone, I wanted to lay the cards out on the table. At least as far as anything that concerned me. I never wanted to be part of this but saying 'no' to Destiny was impossible." Gwen shook her head. "She could be extremely frustrating at times."
"Why were you always asking me questions about Destiny back at the hotel?" I snapped. "Whether I knew her well... And the comments about her interest in art."
"I was hoping you would open up to me about your meetings with her. And I was annoyed she was making those midnight visits rather than dealing with the situation in a less mysterious way. Destiny could never understand how shocking that kind of thing is to the ordinary person. I felt extremely uncomfortable being involved in this whole story, and Destiny had sworn me to secrecy. I knew it must have been horrible for you and that you probably needed a friend. But you held back each time."
I squeezed my eyes shut and thought of the questions that had been clouding my mind for the past few months. Gwen had to have some of the answers.
"OK, if you want to help me, let's get started," I said. "What can you tell me about Gabriel? What about those parties and why does Sam seem to hate Destiny? You've been to the parties, I imagine."
Gwen lowered her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Kat, please sit down."
"What's really going on?" I asked, curiosity and frustration overcoming any timidity I felt earlier.
"As you know, Destiny was a medium. If you believe that, you would believe she could predict certain things, at least those of any importance. Well, Sam really believed. He and Gabriel had been together for three years, and Sam almost instantly had become like a second brother to Destiny. Life was perfect. Until the accident. Gabriel was in a fatal car crash, and Destiny hadn't predicted it. Sam was devastated and hated her for it."
"Wait a minute," I said, my heart racing. "What are you talking about? I met Gabriel."
"I know."
"Are you trying to tell me that I met a dead person?" But this wasn't completely new. All of a sudden, I thought back to Zachary Taylor. I had met him too. And those other people at the parties. Were they all nothing more than a bunch of ghosts? Yet, I had been there. And so had Will, Destiny and Sam. I was 100 percent certain they were all alive, of course. I stated the facts in my mind simply in an effort to make some sense of the situation. My weary brain was now racing in time with my heart. Maybe Destiny had been able to communicate with the dead, but that didn't mean the rest of us could too. Sure, there were my encounters with Zachary Taylor, but I was still convinced they took place in a dreamlike state.
"Look, Kat, don't drive yourself crazy with this," Gwen said, squeezing my hands. "Destiny gave each one of us the opportunity to see what we normally wouldn't see. That's all I can tell you. I actually never went to any of those parties. At first, I wasn't sure they existed. Then, I realized they were larger than life. Sometimes Destiny did get a bit carried away. There was the noise, and the strange happenings. Honestly, I believe the story about Jonathan and Victoria, and that you and Will are carrying parts of them within yourselves. And I believe Destiny was able to communicate with spirits. After that, I don't know what's true and what isn't..."
But I was no longer listening to Gwen with full attention. Bright spots splashed before my eyes, and then the room went dark.
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