My fingers tripped, then tripped again as they danced across the keyboard. “I want to look up Johanna Bonger for a sec. Strena translated the letters. Clara was writing Jo’s biography. Your grandfather told me Violet found the papers hidden in a windowsill. Clara must have a connection to this house. Right?”

Bram moved his barstool next to mine so he could see the screen, then dropped his hand back between my legs. If we ever ended up living together, we were definitely going to need separate home offices.

I scrolled, distracted enough to nearly miss the link I was looking for. “Jo came to New York in 1914. After she made Vincent famous in the Netherlands, she made him famous in Belgium, France, and England. All of the continent. And then she came here and did the same.”

Bram’s fingers stilled. “Do you think she lived in this house?”

“Maybe?” I read on. “The website says one of her nieces accompanied her on her trip. Clara Bakker.” I scrolled. “Johanna returned home in 1919, but there’s no further mention of the niece.”

I picked up my phone and texted my mother.

Do you know your great-grandmother’s maiden name? The one who lived here?

You need this in the middle of the night?

Yes.

It was 7:00 p.m. I waited as the seconds ticked by, then her response popped onto the screen and stole my breath.

Clara Bakker. She was a Dutch immigrant.

I showed Bram the screen.

“You think,” he said, “Violet knew all along that her grandmother was Johanna van Gogh-Bonger’s niece?”

“Why would she keep that a secret?” But then I knew. “I’ve been reading through old newspaper clippings about Violet that Strena gave me, articles titled ‘Heiress of Department Store Empire Dabbles in Art,’ ‘Warhol’s New Sidepiece Also an Artist,’ and others. For most of her life, Violet was defined by the men in her life. If this came out,” I gestured at the screen, “for the rest of her life, it would have been ‘Van Gogh’s Great-Grandniece Tries Her Hand at Painting.’”

“I didn’t know Violet was an heiress to a department store empire.”

“My great-great-grandfather lost almost everything in the Great Depression. I think the house was the only thing Violet inherited at the end.”

“I’m glad, or the letters and diary might have been lost to the family. If Clara Bakker was Violet’s grandmother, then that makes you…” Bram’s hand slipped higher on my thigh.

“Johanna Bonger’s great-great-great-grandniece? Sorry. I don’t know how many greats.” I couldn’t deal with the thought, so I gave him a hokey smile. “For a while, I was hoping I was Vincent’s descendant through a secret love child. But I think this is even better. I’m related to some seriously amazing women.”

Bram pulled me over onto his lap and wrapped my legs around his waist. I wrapped my arms around his neck.