Celeste felt a rush of conflicting feelings: She was unnerved that Elodie planned to stay in Provincetown, but there was no denying the thaw between them these past few weeks. If Elodie was still blaming her for siding with Paulina all those years ago, she seemed to be letting that go, inch by inch. And now it was up to Celeste to forgive her for being pushy about the auction and lying about the ring. It was time to accept that they were all just doing the best that they could do. After all, Elodie was just as much a victim of their parents’ manipulation as she was.

It was a relief on some deep, half-buried part of her psyche to be on better terms with her only remaining sister. Maybe Jack had been right all the years he’d been pushing her to have some relationship with her parents and, when it was too late for that, with Elodie. She could tell it was a relief for her sister to confess about selling the Electric Rose. There had been a tension on her face that Celeste recognized from when they were girls and she was caught in a lie. Elodie was fundamentally a decent person. No, it hadn’t been fair of her to accuse Celeste of being complicit in Paulina’s relationship with Liam. In turn, Celeste went on the defensive, lumping Elodie in with their parents as someone she couldn’t trust.

“I just need a room—not even a whole house,” Elodie said. “I’ll pay double the asking price.”

Just a room. Celeste had a room down the hall from studio. What was the harm in handing out another olive branch?

“I have a room,” Celeste said.

Elodie looked at her in surprise.

“See? What did I tell you?” Clifford said. “Come to Clifford Henry with an inquiry, and you walk out with a home.”

Celeste and Elodie exchanged another hesitant smile and then burst out laughing.

The line for her jewelry stretched from outside Queen Anne’s Revenge down the block.

Days after the New York Times article, Cardi B was photographed wearing a yellow gold Casterbridge “C” charm. Now Gemma was sold out of the letters. She had a few Rock Candy pieces left and a few recently made charms, including the cloisonné eggs. She had to find another estate sale as soon as possible.

“Celeste is looking pretty foolish about now for not selling jewelry sooner,” Jack said from behind the counter.

Gemma, flush with the feeling of success, smiled at him. “Oh, you think just any jewelry would sell like this?”