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Chapter One

PRESENT DAY

"Reht and shadow"

"You see how this ies to convey a promise of hope?"

" one of the youngest photographers to be included in the museum's new modern art collection"

Gabrielle Maxwell stood back fro a flute of warne as yet another crowd of faceless, nameless, Very Important People enthused over the two dozen black-and-white photographs displayed on the gallery walls She glanced at the iood photographs - a bit edgy, their subjectabandoned mills and desolate dockyards outside Boston - but she didn't quite get what everyone else was seeing in them

Then again, she never did Gabrielle raphs; she left their interpretation, and ultimately, their appreciation, up to others An introvert by nature, itend of this much praise and attention but it did pay the bills Quite nicely, at that Tonight, it was also paying the bills for her friend Jaallery on Newbury Street, which, at ten , was still packed with prospective buyers

Nu politely as everyone from moneyed Back Bay wives to multipierced, tattooed Goths tried to impress one another - and her - with analyses of her work, Gabrielle couldn't wait for the exhibit to end She had been hiding in the shadows for the past hour, conte a stealth escape to the co at her apartment on the city's east side

But she had proan - that she would join the As the last couple of stragglers athered up and swept into a cab before she had a chance to sooff

"What an aweso around his face as he leaned across the other tomen to clutch Gabrielle's hand "I've never had so ht's sales receipts were a me host you"

Gabrielle smiled at her friend's excitement "Of course No need to thank me"

"You weren't too miserable, were you?"

"How could she be, with half of Boston falling at her feet?" gushed Kendra, before Gabrielle could answer for herself "Was that the governor I saw you talking with over the canapés?"

Gabrielle nodded "He's offered to coe on the Vineyard"

"Sweet!"